South Carolina Room Policy

South Carolina Room Policy

South Carolina Room Mission Statement

The mission of the South Carolina Room of the Marion County Library is to provide a working collection of materials to support basic genealogical research and the study of local history.

Collection Development

The South Carolina Room of the Marion County Library houses a collection comprised of local history materials, Pee Dee materials, South Caroliniana, and Marion County Library archives.

Definitions and guidelines for material types:

Local History Materials are those non-ephemeral resources of significance that specifically relate to Marion County people, places, or events. These items will be cataloged for the South Carolina Room Collection. Duplicate copies are often retained in this collection as well.
South Caroliniana is defined as any printed material by a South Carolina author or on a South Carolina subject. If the library system owns only one copy of a South Carolina book, it most likely will be placed in the South Carolina Room Collection. If there is more than one copy of a South Carolina book, the copy with the earliest date of publication will be placed in the South Carolina Room and the next copy placed in the South Carolina collection of circulating materials. Additional copies may be distributed to branches.

South Carolina State documents are examples of South Caroliniana materials. Many of these documents are not assigned to the South Carolina Room collection, but are cataloged as Reference materials. Decisions are made on individual items as they are cataloged.

Pee Dee Material is defined as any printed material by a native of the Pee Dee or on a subject related to the Pee Dee. A broad interpretation of the Pee Dee designation includes the following South Carolina counties:

Chesterfield	Florence	Marion
Clarendon	Georgetown	Marlboro
Dillon	Horry	Sumter
Darlington	Lee	Williamsburg

If there is only one copy, it will be assigned to the South Carolina Room. Additional copies are desirable and will be allowed to circulate from the South Carolina Collection. Additional copies may be distributed to branches.

Marion County Library Records will be archived in so far as is practical based on constraints of space and budget. Items of high priority include annual reports, newsletters, and official records of the Board of Trustees.

Description of the South Carolina Room Collection:

The emphasis of the South Carolina Room Collection is on published materials. The collection's material formats include monographs, volumes in series, scrapbooks, photographs, microfilm, audiotapes, maps, periodicals, pamphlets, and a few manuscript items. A subject vertical is maintained for materials that do not lend themselves to other housing.

Selection Criteria

It is not the library's intent to develop or maintain a "rare book" collection. Items will be acquired based on content and rare items added only if the need is great and proper preservation techniques can be supported.Materials which aid in the interpretation of local history or which facilitate basic genealogical research are purchased for this collection.
With emphasis on Marion County, materials of the Pee Dee Region and the state of South Carolina will be collected.
The collection will also include relevant materials of adjacent states and other regions when these materials reflect migration patterns of the people of Marion County or contain information that contributes to a greater understanding of Marion County's history and her people.
Marion County Library is not the official repository for Marion County government documents or records.

Note: A few individual nineteenth century Marion County documents do exist in the South Carolina Room Collection. These were given to the library as gifts, and serve as random examples of past community civic life.

Gift Acceptance

Any gifts to this collection are subject to general library policy and must fit the library's selection criteria for South Carolina Room materials.
Any items deemed memorabilia or an artifact should be given to the museum.
Pieces of artwork will be accepted only under special circumstances. Decisions will be made on an individual basis.
Published or typescript histories of individual families will be accepted as donations.

Collection Maintenance

Weeding:

Unlike the other library collections, the South Carolina Room collection will not be subject to stringent weeding.
Due to limited space and resources, items are to be added to this collection judiciously.
If appropriate upon reevaluation, some items may be moved from the South Carolina Room collection to the South Carolina Circulating collection or to the Reference collection if the needs of patrons will be better served, the item is replaceable and extraordinary preservation precautions are not necessary.

Preservation:

Many items in the South Carolina Room Collection are fragile and/or not easily replaced. Every effort will be made within the confines of space and budget restrictions to provide proper storage of materials.
In order to facilitate access to the collection and to maximize the life of the materials:
In all instances where practical, paper, file folders, pamphlet files, and storage boxes used will be of archival quality, acid-free, and of a size appropriate to the item.
Very large oversized items will be stored flat in a map case
Books with fragile bindings and/or pages will be stored in boxes
Photographs will be stored in separate photo files according to size
Pamphlets will be stored in pamphlet boxes
Items needing restoration will be transported to the South Carolina Archives as funding allows
Audio materials will be transcribed as is practical in order to facilitate access to the information.

Collection Access

Items in the South Carolina Room collection do not circulate and must be used in the library, preferably in the South Carolina Room.
Items from this collection are not be loaned through interlibrary loan.
The South Carolina Room is open during regular hours of library operation.

Note: The South Carolina Room must also serve as Marion Library’s meeting room, and it is the Storytime space for the Youth Services Department. Materials are sometimes brought out into the main area of the library to accommodate patrons needing South Carolina Room materials while the room is in use for library programs or has been reserved for a meeting.

The subject vertical file is arranged in one single alphabet with clear, simple subject headings and contents of each folder listed on the folder front.
The book collection is shelved in Dewey order, with the exception of oversize volumes that are shelved in a designated section.
Most frequently used genealogical resources have a special sticker, making them easy to locate quickly.
Pathfinders and collection guides have been developed to facilitate the use of the collection. These are updated as needed.

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The page was last updated on 04/11/06 08:01 AM