LibGuides: Introduction to Archival Research: Using Special Collections

About Special Collections

The Special Collections Department of the College of Charleston was founded to support the teaching and learning mission of the College of Charleston and to promote scholarship on the South Carolina Lowcountry and the broader Atlantic World. It is located on the third floor of the Marlene and Nathan Addlestone Library. Its holdings include over 600 manuscript collections related to the history and culture of the South Carolina Lowcountry, the archives of the College of Charleston, the Spoleto Festival Archives, and more than 40,000 rare books and pamphlets.

Special Collections shares reading room and storage space with the holdings of the South Carolina Historical Society.

Mission
The primary mission of Special Collections is to evaluate, acquire, organize, preserve, and make available regionally significant and/or rare printed and archival materials to support the college curriculum and student, faculty, and patron research. Special Collections faculty and staff are committed to utilizing a collaborative, multi-faceted approach in support of that mission and are dedicated to employing established best practices to enhance access to our collections.

Vision
Special Collections envisions itself as an incubator for research through the stewardship of and access to the diverse histories of our institution, communities, and beyond. We encourage curiosity, enhance discovery, stimulate critical thinking, and provide innovative and collaborative approaches to scholarship, access, and pedagogy.

Research and Instruction Coordinator, Special Collections

Research and Reading Room Protocols

Everyone is welcome to conduct research in Special Collections and Archives. While the majority of our holdings are not open for public browsing, retrieval of materials by our staff usually takes only a matter of minutes.

Visitors to our reading room are required to observe the following rules and guidelines:

All researchers must register with staff upon arrival.
Personal belongings including coats, bags, and other items should be placed in the lockers provided. You may use a laptop, paper and pencil, cell phone, and digital cameras.
Please silence all devices. Phone calls cannot be made or taken in the reading room.
Use pencils rather than pens to take notes. We have pencils and paper available upon request.
Finish snacks and beverages before requesting material. Snacks and drinks may be consumed outside of the reading room, and you are welcome to take a break at any time.
Special Collections and South Carolina Historical Society materials cannot be checked out or removed from the reading room.
To request material, fill out a call slip located at the reference desk or near both research computers.
Take one volume or folder at a time from the box of materials. Leave the box itself on the wooden cart by the reference desk. Keep everything in the same order you found it.
Please handle materials with care! If you’re not sure how to handle something, don’t hesitate to ask.
You may request photocopies and digital scans. You may also take a photo with your personal camera or cell phone, unless otherwise noted. Reproductions must be used in accordance with U.S. Copyright Law.
Please note: if you are taking photos of material from the SC Historical Society, you must ask for a waiver.
Don’t hesitate to ask our staff for any help or direction you may need!

Material Handling Guidelines

Be sure your hands are clean and dry before handling materials.
Make sure archival material is fully supported at all times by keeping it flat on the designated tables. Holding archival material up or propping it up could damage it.
Take photos of materials from only one folder at a time, one item at a time, while the item is flat in its original folder.
If you aren’t sure how to handle an item, please ask us for help!