Charleston, SC: Third-Oldest US Library Restoring Thousands of Rare Titles

From the AP:

The oldest library in the South – and the third-oldest in the nation – announced Friday a multi-year effort to catalog and restore thousands of rare books, many of which have survived for centuries through earthquake, war and the relentless heat and humidity of Southern summers.
The Charleston Library Society put on display about a half dozen rare titles, some dating to the 1700s, as part of a weeklong exhibit highlighting an effort to catalog the nearly 18,000 titles in its natural history collection.
[Clip]
The library is thought to have about 100,000 volumes, but most are recorded on an old card catalog that may or may not hold accurate information. Now, grants and donations are enabling the library to hire archivists to go through its extensive collections.
The MeadWestvaco Foundation on Friday announced a $15,000 grant to support what’s expected to be a $70,000, multi-year effort.

Read the Complete Article
See Also: MWV Foundation helps Charleston Library Society bring rare titles from its vault to the public (via The Digitel Charleston)

Filed under: Funding, Libraries, Publishing