January 31, 2024, Laura Erskine
Public history student Stevie Malenowski spent his summer digitizing images from boxes of archival materials, uncovering the history of the Williams Furniture Company, a staple of Sumter, South Carolina, for decades, alongside specialists at University Libraries. The archival materials are a key resource for a traveling exhibit coming in 2024.
October 02, 2023, Megan Sexton
After a $10 million renovation, South Caroliniana Library, the nation’s oldest free-standing academic library and the most iconic building on campus, is once again a showplace – ready to welcome visitors to the home of one of the largest collections of Southern and American history.
August 30, 2023, Lauryn Jiles
The university never sleeps, but it does slow down a bit during the summer. With the start of the fall semester, here’s a reminder of some recent happenings that you might have missed, plus a heads up about some major upcoming events.
August 22, 2023, Thom Harman
Researchers from USC Lancaster’s Native American Studies Center contributed to a Columbia Museum of Art exhibition that honors Catawba Nation’s artistry and culture. It’s an event that’s been years in the making — at least.
March 01, 2023, Alexis Watts
David Banush took the helm as dean of University of South Carolina Libraries in November. He has seen his career come full circle from shelving books as a 17-year-old to leading the libraries into a new era.
February 22, 2023, Carol J.G. Ward
As a respected scholar of Southern history and African American culture, Bobby Donaldson has served as a consultant for museum exhibitions, archival collections, oral history initiatives, documentary films and historic preservation projects. He also has been recognized for his teaching and community outreach. He credits his parents and educators — from his elementary school librarian to a “drill sergeant” professor at Wesleyan University to his mentors and colleagues at USC — for inspiring his career.
February 14, 2023, Alexis Watts
New age treasure hunters, part of the South Carolina Digital Newspaper Program, are saving crucial historical information buried in old publications that are being preserved and presented online. The newspapers reveal stories from the state’s Black residents and rural communities, often overlooked by larger news outlets.
February 13, 2023, Carol J.G. Ward
The University of South Carolina’s Moving Image Research Collections in a partnership with the History Division of the Marine Corps is digitizing films shot by more than 50 Marine combat cameramen during the Battle of Iwo Jima, which began Feb. 19, 1945. The goal is to provide public access to the video and expand historical understanding.
December 21, 2022, Alexis Watts
The Koger Center is well-known for hosting performances from Broadway in Columbia, Columbia Classical Ballet and the School of Music. The destination for theater, dance and music is now also a community venue for visual arts and more unique events.
December 01, 2022, Jeff Stensland
The University of South Carolina hosted a reception on Wednesday (Nov. 30) to thank those who supported the establishment of the Anne Frank Center on the Columbia campus and its ongoing mission to educate visitors about antisemitism and other forms of discrimination. Reception attendees included university President Michael Amiridis, former President Harris Pastides, state Rep. Beth Bernstein, S.C. Ports Authority Chairman Bill Stern and former state Sen. Joel Laurie.
October 20, 2022, Abe Danaher
The Boeing Co. has provided the University of South Carolina with a $1.5 million gift to establish the James E. and Emily E. Clyburn Endowed Chair of Public Service and Civic Engagement Fund. This endowed chair, awarded to associate professor Bobby Donaldson, will allow the university’s Center for Civil Rights History and Research to further its programming and outreach initiatives within the university community and across the state.
September 28, 2022, Alexis Watts
Under a five-year agreement with the National Park Service, the center will receive $3.4 million to expand the center’s existing work in civil rights education and scholarly research, including support for exhibits and programming at South Carolina sites in the African American Civil Rights Network. The center will help to grow the network in South Carolina by serving as a resource to property owners, community leaders and organizations interested in joining the network.
June 08, 2022, Alexis Watts
The Anne Frank Center located at the University of South Carolina is now home to 100 letters and cards written by Otto Frank, the father of Holocaust victim and world-renowned diarist Anne Frank. The donation comes as the world honors her life and legacy on the 75th anniversary of the publication of her diary and her birthday on June 12.
June 07, 2022, Craig Brandhorst
Anne Frank’s father, Otto Frank, corresponded with thousands of young people as he worked to promote his daughter’s legacy. His decades-long correspondence with author Cara Wilson-Granat is now the foundation of the university’s new Anne Frank Center Archive.
June 03, 2022, Megan Sexton
Rick Noble has donated his substantial collection of Hootie & the Blowfish memorabilia – including CDs, T-shirts, posters and publications – to the University of South Carolina Libraries.
May 10, 2022, Carol J.G. Ward
Imagine traveling in time to an era when you can observe the Carolina Parakeet, Ivory-billed Woodpecker and Passenger Pigeon — species that have vanished. A visit to the exhibit "Catesby in the Carolinas" might be the next best thing.
April 12, 2022, Megan Sexton
Alumna Kelly Adams, managing director of state government and regulatory affairs for the energy infrastructure company Williams, was instrumental in her employer’s gift of $1.5 million to the university's Center for Civil Rights History and Research.
March 31, 2022, Savannah Bennett
Photography students focus on University Libraries' collections to create a gallery for a blank canvas.
December 14, 2021, Carol J.G. Ward
Third Folio of Shakespeare’s plays printed in 1664 has a permanent home at University of South Carolina Libraries. The book, a gift from Chicago attorney Jeffery Leving, along with the university’s copies of the Second and Fourth folios, will provide a rare opportunity for students, faculty and other researchers.
October 28, 2021, Craig Brandhorst
Alumna Anne Hardin enjoyed a three-decade friendship with Ray Bradbury. Now, her vast collection of the late author’s books, magazine appearances and other works has found a permanent home at the University of South Carolina’s Irvin Department of Rare Books and Special Collections.
September 21, 2021, Megan Sexton
John Downs Jr. has had a lifelong passion for the rock bank KISS and has amassed a collection over the years that includes guitars, photographs, original artwork and costumes. He recently donated that collection to University Libraries.
August 09, 2021, Carol J.G. Ward
The University of South Carolina is now home to a permanent exhibition and educational program in partnership with the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, becoming one of only four partner sites in the world and the only one in North America.
July 06, 2021, Chris Horn
Nicole Maskiell grew up mesmerized by stories about her family, including the tale of her grandmother’s grandmother who escaped from enslavement in the South with an infant in her arms. Now a history professor, Maskiell is uncovering obscure stories from Colonial history, particularly the narrative of slavery in America’s Northeast.
November 12, 2020, Megan Sexton
As the spread of COVID-19 closed campus and changed life in Columbia, a team of researchers from University Libraries has stepped up to document the official actions and personal stories at the university.
October 21, 2020, Carol J.G. Ward
You can take a virtual trip to 18th-century Rome through the works of enigmatic artist Giovanni Piranesi as the University of South Carolina makes a rare set of his complete works accessible through digital technology.
October 07, 2020, Megan Sexton
The Fall Literary Festival continues in 2020 on three consecutive Wednesday evenings in October – with a twist.The three featured authors will share their readings and talks online.
September 03, 2020, Page Ivey
Jeanne Britton loves old books and literature so she saw a dream job opportunity in 2014 when University Libraries advertised for a rare books curator who also would teach the literature found in those books.
August 20, 2020, Page Ivey
South Carolina’s few but dedicated suffragists were no doubt disappointed that the state was not among the first 36 to ratify the 19th amendment, but they almost immediately set about the business of turning their suffrage organizations into education and advocacy groups. In the process, these bold women kicked off the era of “firsts.”
May 01, 2020, Bryan Gentry and Anna Toptchi
Three students exhibit their MFA thesis works online, fostering the opportunity to build empathy and spark the imaginations of viewers around the world.
April 09, 2020, Carol J.G. Ward
The university will continue rehabilitation and preservation of the Booker T. Washington Auditorium Building to create a permanent space for the Center for Civil Rights History and Research’s exhibit “Justice for All: South Carolina and the American Civil Rights Movement.” Funded with a $500,000 grant from the National Park Service, the restoration will advance efforts to create a destination for people to learn the history of Columbia and of the school.
March 31, 2020, Megan Sexton
The first federal census of the United States, signed by Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson on Sept. 19, 1791, is now part of the collection at the University of South Carolina Libraries
February 14, 2020, Michael Weisenburg
Romance dominated post-World War II comic books. The university's Gary L. Watson Comic Book Collection provides a window into the lasting influence of the themes and storylines of this niche genre.
November 21, 2019, Annika Dahlgren
The South Caroliniana Library is home to the South Carolina Historical Cookbooks collection of publications from 1832 to 1921. The collection is a valuable resource for research but also of interest to anyone who is just curious about local dishes and cooking traditions.
October 29, 2019, Office of Communications and Public Affairs
In October, crime novelist James Ellroy visited the University of South Carolina for the 2019 Fall Literary Festival, sponsored by University Libraries and the English department. On his last day on campus, Ellroy sat down with junior English and theater major Susan Swavely for an interview at the School of Journalism and Mass Communications’ Kennedy Greenhouse Studio.
October 24, 2019, Megan Sexton
Nicole Cooke is the School of Library and Information Science’s new Augusta Baker Chair in Childhood Literacy, a position named for the pioneering African American librarian who served as the university’s storyteller-in-residence.
September 30, 2019, Carol J.G. Ward and Joshua Burrack
With a massive donation of comics from Gary Lee Watson in the spring of 2019, the University of South Carolina is becoming an intellectual center for the study of 20th century popular culture. “The acquisition has made the Irvin department one of the nation's top public repositories of comic books, positioning the University of South Carolina as a premier institution for comics studies,” says Elizabeth Sudduth, associate dean for special collections in University Libraries.
September 10, 2019, Page Ivey and Joshua Burrack
Fox introduced theater audiences to its version of the newsreel in 1919. 100 years later, the University of South Carolina’s extensive collection of these newsreels is helping researchers better understand life from the end of World War I through D-Day.
August 27, 2019
Lifelong comics collector, journalist, author and comics/pop culture historian Michelle Nolan is speaking at University Libraries’ Four Color Fantasies comic book exhibit opening event Thursday (Aug. 29).
July 18, 2019, Carol J.G. Ward
Charles Shull, a 1957 University of South Carolina graduate, led a team in the 1960s and 70s that created maps of the moon’s surface to ensure that human crews could safely land and depart.
May 01, 2019, Nicole Carrico
The 1963 comic book that started it all, Marvel’s Avengers #1, is one item in a massive collection recently donated to UofSC by lifelong collector Gary Lee Watson of Columbus, Ohio.
March 28, 2019, Annika Dahlgren
For the past eight years, people from around the world have gathered at the University of South Carolina’s Hollings Library to experience the wonder of medieval manuscripts, and this year is no different. The ninth annual Medieval Manuscripts Symposium will take place April 1-2. “Understanding the Medieval Book,” is a two-day seminar dedicated to learning about the care, keeping, and understanding of medieval manuscripts.
March 18, 2019, Page Ivey
As a gemologist and old-school goldsmith who has made jewelry in Columbia for more than 40 years, Ron Koenig used to look down on “rock hounds” — those folks who like to dig for their own gems. That is, until a friend suggested a place where they could dig up amethyst and Koenig found several hundred pounds of it.
January 25, 2019, Thom Harman
A portrait of University of South Carolina’s president, Harris Pastides, and his wife, Patricia Moore-Pastides, was unveiled Friday (Jan.25) at the UofSC Alumni Center.
January 22, 2019, Megan Sexton
Cleveland Sellers, an icon of the civil rights movement, returns to the University of South Carolina this semester to bring the message of justice, equality and peace to a new generation of college students.
January 15, 2019, Chris Horn
As curator of collections at McKissick Museum, Christian Cicimurri is accustomed to handling old documents and artifacts. But thanks to an ASPIRE II grant and subsequent funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Cicimurri has got her hands on new touch screen technology, which is being incorporated into McKissick’s exhibits.
December 31, 2018, Megan Sexton
South Caroliniana Library is home to one of the country’s greatest collections of Southern history and manuscripts, a treasure trove for researchers that includes everything from Civil War diaries to textile-mill business records to historic South Carolina books and newspapers, photographs and architectural drawings.
December 18, 2018, Megan Sexton
A site along the Broad River in Fairfield County offers USC archaeologists and students a glimpse into the lives of people who camped along the same riverbank thousands of years ago.
November 06, 2018, Megan Sexton
Students in Andrea L’Hommedieu’s oral history class in the South Carolina Honors College are interviewing military veterans this semester, learning the art of asking questions and telling stories.
October 24, 2018, Megan Sexton
As he conducted research for the civil rights history project Columbia SC 63, history professor Bobby Donaldson started discovering largely untold stories about the struggle as it played out in Columbia. The material he and his students unearthed and the people he met helped guide the formation of the South Carolina Center for Civil Rights History and Research.
October 23, 2018, Page Ivey and Joshua Burrack
“Frankenstein,” Mary Shelley’s tale of a scientist pushing the boundaries of knowledge and ethics to reanimate lifeless flesh, turns 200 this year, and the University of South Carolina is celebrating the anniversary by reaching into its rare books collection and tapping faculty expertise to tell the story of Mary Shelley, Victor Frankenstein and the creature that has spawned many reincarnations throughout popular literature, film and television.
October 12, 2018, Craig Brandhorst
James Dickey arrived at the University of South Carolina 50 years ago and spent nearly three decades as USC’s writer-in-residence. And while his tenure at Carolina was sometimes tumultuous, the celebrated poet, novelist and teacher left a legacy that still reverberates 20 years after his death.
October 03, 2018, Megan Sexton
Along the coast of South Carolina, in Georgetown County, USC researchers have been methodically testing the waters for 40 years – learning the workings of a salt marsh estuary and the impacts humans have on the environment.
August 06, 2018, Megan Sexton
Dick Riley has a hope for what the collection of his papers, unveiled Aug. 6 at the University of South Carolina, can mean for the state’s future. Not surprisingly, his focus is on young people and public service.
July 11, 2018, Peggy Binette
The South Carolina Political Collections — one of the largest political collections in the nation — will expand Monday, Aug. 6 when the University of South Carolina opens the Richard W. Riley Collection. The collection details the life and public career of Richard Wilson “Dick” Riley, a former South Carolina state representative, senator and governor and U.S. Secretary of Education.
June 14, 2018, Nicole Carrico
University Libraries' newsfilm collection includes the only known footage of America’s first pro golfer, John Shippen. An African-American golfer, Shippen played in the second U.S. Open held in 1896 at the same location as this year’s — New York’s Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. In the silent film footage, Shippen can be seen picking up a second-place trophy in a tournament nearly two decades after playing in the Open at the age of 16.
May 10, 2018, Peggy Binette
The personal archive of South Carolina astronaut and retired NASA administrator Charles F. Bolden Jr. has found a new home at the University of South Carolina.
May 09, 2018, Kathy Henry Dowell
Meet the library detectives, a team of University Libraries professionals with remarkable resource-seeking vision and powers of perception. These scholarly sleuths are dedicated to solving the most puzzling cases for their student and faculty patrons.
April 04, 2018, Nicole Carrico
An oral history by University Libraries preserves the story of Kline Iron & Steel, started in Columbia by Lithuanian immigrants whose families fled Eastern Europe to escape Jewish persecution.
March 28, 2018, Craig Brandhorst
Harris Pastides has a unique collection of reminders of the wide array of celebrities, dignitaries and scholars who have visited Carolina during his 10 years as president of the state's flagship university.
February 22, 2018, Nicole Carrico
Richard Layman's collection of John Dos Passos, a “lost generation” author, playwright, artist and political activist, has found a permanent home at the University Libraries Irvin Department of Rare Books and Special Collections. University Libraries will celebrate the acquisition Feb. 28 with a public lecture and exhibit.
February 05, 2018, Megan Sexton
Katharine Klein, who earned her master's in public history from Carolina in 2012, is now a museum specialist at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History.
December 07, 2017, Megan Sexton
Thanks to a $5 million gift to the university from an anonymous donor, the country’s oldest freestanding academic library is getting a needed renovation. Work is well underway at the South Caroliniana, with all of the materials moved to the Thomas Cooper Library and other sites around campus.
November 20, 2017, Peggy Binette
Students and scholars will have a richer understanding of contemporary politics and culture thanks to Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker. The 2010 Pulitzer Prize winner who lives in Camden, South Carolina, and writes the nation’s most widely syndicated column, has given her personal archive to the University of South Carolina Libraries’ South Carolina Political Collections.
May 26, 2017, John Brunelli
University President Harris Pastides and Thomas McNally, dean of University Libraries dedicate the John S. Davis Scanning Center and the Lt. Col. James H. Davis Film Vault at the Libraries' Moving Image Research Collections. The MIRC facility is the new home of the U.S. Marine Corps Film Repository that chronicles the corps from the 1940s to the 1970s.
April 27, 2017, Peggy Binette
The personal archive of international best-selling writer and South Carolina native Ron Rash has found a new home at the University of South Carolina. The archive, which spans Rash’s life from boyhood to the present, details his career as a poet, short story writer and novelist.
January 26, 2017, John Brunelli
Yellow fever patients in Charleston died by the hundreds in the mid-19th century. "Black Medicine White Bodies," a new exhibit at McKissick Museum shows how traditional treatments saved people during the epidemics that plagued the Lowcountry.
January 09, 2017, Chris Horn
Mindy and Jack Castles made Beaufort, S.C., their home in retirement. So when it was time to donate Jack's extensive collection of Civil War documents, USC Beaufort was the natural selection.
December 14, 2016, Page Ivey
If you’re of a certain age, you might remember the row of dusty encyclopedias in your parents’ den — books that were the Google of their day but limited in what they could convey. Now you can open the “South Carolina Encyclopedia” and hear Dizzy Gillespie talk about be-bop or watch qualifying for a 1970s Southern 500 stock car race. That’s because the encyclopedia has gone digital.
November 10, 2016, Peggy Binette
The University of South Carolina marks its commitment to veterans and the military through a variety of endeavors, including the launch of a Veterans Alumni Council and a University Libraries project to digitize 100 years of Marine Corps films.
November 04, 2016, Dan Cook
Anita Lobel, the acclaimed author and illustrator of children’s books, will be honored with the Thomas Cooper Society Medal in recognition of her contribution to the arts on Nov. 17. The award comes as part of Lobel's burgeoning ties to the university — and her longstanding friendship with two alumnae.
October 18, 2016, Craig Brandhorst
South Carolina Political Collections, housed at the University of South Carolina’s Ernest F. Hollings Special Collections Library, is home to the papers of 11 governors and more than 25 members of Congress, plus those of notable judges, civil rights activists, state legislators and the League of Women Voters.
September 01, 2016, Joshua Burrack
Considered one of the top 10 archives of its type in the nation, the Moving Image Research Collections at the University of South Carolina make the world come alive for students, scholars, documentary makers and many others.
February 22, 2016, Glenn Hare
Noted Gullah storyteller and singer Anita Singleton-Prather, along with the Gullah Kinfolk, will share stories and songs at “Shared Traditions: Sacred Music in the South,” a two-day symposium featuring shape-note singing, African-American spirituals and other music traditions unique to the South. The symposium starts with a meet-and-greet with Singleton-Prather at 3:30 p.m. Friday (Feb. 26) in the McKissick Museum on the historic Horseshoe.
January 27, 2016, Megan Sexton
More than 16,000 reels of film documenting the operational history of the Marine Corps from World War II through Vietnam is moving from Marine Corps University in Quantico, Virginia, to the University of South Carolina, home of one of the largest public film archives in the U.S.