The Library will be closed this Friday and Saturday as we all flee like cowards from a Tropical Storm/small Hurricane. If you decide to stick it out, stop by tomorrow and pick up some books. Just be aware that you can't run to the Library for new stuff this weekend; we will not be here.
I, for one, am looking forward to sailing my new boat down Coming Street. May you have a weekend every bit as safe and exciting.
P.S.- Check back Monday (ha ha, like you'll have power!) to see if we're closing for "Ike".
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Is That What I Think It Is?
Are you feeling particularly anti-social? Sick of the staff's smiling faces and witty banter? Ashamed that all of your books are a month overdue, including the latest about the "Snookums the Cat" Detective Agency? Or are you simply too tired to get out of your car? Well if so, have we got a solution for you! Introducing the Charleston Library Society's new book return! It is constructed of durable steel, powdered coated in white paint, marked "Book Return" in large black letters (for our less observant members), and located beside the driveway. Now you can drive into our parking lot, turn around, and drive up to the book return without getting out of your car! It is also appropriate for videos, DVDs, and cash or checks (we hope for lots of the latter). We are sure that it will be a big hit.
If you joined the Library Society during the past year, Thursday is the day of our annual New Member Reception. We will have many of the Library Society's treasures on display, and staff will give behind the scenes tours of our collections (plus we will have refreshments). We hope that you can join us, and if not, we hope to see you soon!
Read a book!
If you joined the Library Society during the past year, Thursday is the day of our annual New Member Reception. We will have many of the Library Society's treasures on display, and staff will give behind the scenes tours of our collections (plus we will have refreshments). We hope that you can join us, and if not, we hope to see you soon!
Read a book!
Monday, August 18, 2008
"Tropical Storm Party" just doesn't have the same ring to it...
Well, summer is winding down. Kids are going back to school, third-stringers are trudging through pre-season football games, politicians are politicking, anglophile Library Society members are checking out Last Night of the Proms (now available on DVD)... all the typical late summer stuff.
And this week, nature herself is doing her end of August thing: sending us a Tropical Storm! Tropical Storm Fay is making landfall in south Florida (where Bill Parcells will attempt to sign it as QB for the Dolphins) and should be a glorified rainstorm when it comes to Charleston: more of a "Barry" than a "Hugo". Still, a good hard rain causes Charleston to do her best Venice impersonation... better to come by the Library Society early this week to stock up on books in preparation for the storm.
ACTUAL LIBRARY NEWS: Our annual New Member Reception is still on for August 28th. If you've joined in the past year, come by for tours and canapes and rare stuff from the collections and refreshments... Attire is business casual- better than flip-flops but less than than top hat and tails, and we'll probably let you in (we would let you in in tails, but you'd make the rest of us feel shabby).
And this week, nature herself is doing her end of August thing: sending us a Tropical Storm! Tropical Storm Fay is making landfall in south Florida (where Bill Parcells will attempt to sign it as QB for the Dolphins) and should be a glorified rainstorm when it comes to Charleston: more of a "Barry" than a "Hugo". Still, a good hard rain causes Charleston to do her best Venice impersonation... better to come by the Library Society early this week to stock up on books in preparation for the storm.
ACTUAL LIBRARY NEWS: Our annual New Member Reception is still on for August 28th. If you've joined in the past year, come by for tours and canapes and rare stuff from the collections and refreshments... Attire is business casual- better than flip-flops but less than than top hat and tails, and we'll probably let you in (we would let you in in tails, but you'd make the rest of us feel shabby).
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Would Someone Please Close the Oven?
Can it get any hotter? That, of course, is a rhetorical question. Yes it can get hotter, and it probably will in the near future. No matter how oppressive the heat (99 degrees yesterday), we are blessed to be located only minutes from a breezy river or beach. In Columbia, the temperature hit 102 yesterday, and relief for its residents is much farther away. The current conditions provide an excellent reason to visit the Library Society. While here, you can marvel at the awe-inspiring efficiency of our brand new air conditioning unit. It is whisper quiet, energy efficient, and very effective.
As the heat subsides we will begin our Fall programs schedule. First on the agenda is our annual New Member Reception on August 28. Members who joined the organization for the first time during the past year will have an opportunity to make new friends, meet the staff, and get a behind-the-scenes look at the Library Society and its great collections. Did I mention that there will be refreshments?
Two days after the reception, Clemson University will begin its 2008 football season in Atlanta, where they will play Nick Saban's University of Alabama team. This game has absolutely nothing to do with the Library Society, but the start of college football season is highly anticipated by Library Society staff (and all true Americans).
We have good news for patrons! The backhoe and jackhammers have moved on, and we are left with only the noise of passing autos and pedestrians, thus providing you with one more reason to stop by and spend some time with us. We hope to see you soon.
Read a book (and drink plenty of water) !
W.G. Hinson
As the heat subsides we will begin our Fall programs schedule. First on the agenda is our annual New Member Reception on August 28. Members who joined the organization for the first time during the past year will have an opportunity to make new friends, meet the staff, and get a behind-the-scenes look at the Library Society and its great collections. Did I mention that there will be refreshments?
Two days after the reception, Clemson University will begin its 2008 football season in Atlanta, where they will play Nick Saban's University of Alabama team. This game has absolutely nothing to do with the Library Society, but the start of college football season is highly anticipated by Library Society staff (and all true Americans).
We have good news for patrons! The backhoe and jackhammers have moved on, and we are left with only the noise of passing autos and pedestrians, thus providing you with one more reason to stop by and spend some time with us. We hope to see you soon.
Read a book (and drink plenty of water) !
W.G. Hinson
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
A Backhoe, a Jackhammer, and a Good Book
During the next couple of weeks, Library Society patrons will be greeted by the presence of a large backhoe in front of our main building. They also will be forced to endure a cacophony of jackhammering. City workers have begun the Library Society's portion of the King Street repair and beautification program. We hope that you will not be dissuaded from visiting by the machinery, noise, or orange cones. You will still be able to park behind the building, and the sidewalk is not blocked, so you may use the front or back entrance. We apologize for any inconvenience that the construction may cause.
July has been a fairly busy month for the staff. We have rearranged the Children's Room to create more flexible space, and we continue to relabel special collections materials. We also are inventorying our collection of videotapes and DVDs to remove duplicates, with the goal of generating extra shelf space in the Barnwell Building for additional DVDs.
If you are a military history buff, I urge you to stop by and check out Rick Atkinson's The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-44. It is the second in a planned three-volume history of the U.S. Army in North Africa and Europe during World War II. The first volume, An Army at Dawn, earned a well-deserved Pulitzer Prize for Atkinson, and The Day of Battle is every bit as good. Atkinson is a wonderful writer, and though his work is very detailed, it is compelling enough to hold the attention of most readers.
We look forward to seeing you soon.
Read a book!
W.G. Hinson
July has been a fairly busy month for the staff. We have rearranged the Children's Room to create more flexible space, and we continue to relabel special collections materials. We also are inventorying our collection of videotapes and DVDs to remove duplicates, with the goal of generating extra shelf space in the Barnwell Building for additional DVDs.
If you are a military history buff, I urge you to stop by and check out Rick Atkinson's The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-44. It is the second in a planned three-volume history of the U.S. Army in North Africa and Europe during World War II. The first volume, An Army at Dawn, earned a well-deserved Pulitzer Prize for Atkinson, and The Day of Battle is every bit as good. Atkinson is a wonderful writer, and though his work is very detailed, it is compelling enough to hold the attention of most readers.
We look forward to seeing you soon.
Read a book!
W.G. Hinson
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Summertime
Carolina Day has come and gone, and once again it was a great success. The weather at the Battery was beautiful, cool (low 90's), and breezy, and the Library Society again fielded a large contingent of marchers. Amid a sea of seersucker, Library Society members cast disparaging glances rearward to those johnny-come-lately organizations founded in the late eighteenth century. Upon arrival at the Sergeant Jasper monument, we spread out under the beautiful live oaks, which to our chagrin, were filled with Yellow Night Herons that attempted a bombardment of their own. The service concluded with what seemed like an endless cannonade by a battery of Confederate reenactors. Adults winced, children cried, and dogs barked with each shot. This year the cannon was pointed at the Fort Sumter House instead of out over the harbor, and those in attendance were left with the impression that a company of Yankees had purchased a two bedroom, two bath condo, and the Winyah Light Artillery were trying to drive them back north of the Mason-Dixon. All in all, it was a remarkable day.
The Library Society was closed on July 4 and 5, but we opened again on July 7 for those patrons who are looking for a cool and quiet refuge from the heat. Summers are our quietest season, as members leave for cooler climates. If you are in town for a "staycation," stop by and take a look at the newest issues of Country Life. Yes, these issues have all that you've come to expect from our most popular periodical: horsey debutantes who are spending their gap year in Santorini; multi-million pound country estates; and commentary on the oh-so-troublesome and invasive American Grey Squirrel. Throw in a photographic spread from Lord Smith-Smythe-Smith's birthday party, and you have something for the whole family.
Seriously, we hope that you will stop by, if for no other reason than to say hello. Read a book!
The Library Society was closed on July 4 and 5, but we opened again on July 7 for those patrons who are looking for a cool and quiet refuge from the heat. Summers are our quietest season, as members leave for cooler climates. If you are in town for a "staycation," stop by and take a look at the newest issues of Country Life. Yes, these issues have all that you've come to expect from our most popular periodical: horsey debutantes who are spending their gap year in Santorini; multi-million pound country estates; and commentary on the oh-so-troublesome and invasive American Grey Squirrel. Throw in a photographic spread from Lord Smith-Smythe-Smith's birthday party, and you have something for the whole family.
Seriously, we hope that you will stop by, if for no other reason than to say hello. Read a book!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Carolina Day is coming, the goose is getting fat...
Just a few more days 'till Carolina Day! Join us as we celebrate South Carolina history: our crude palmetto fort absorbing British shot; the heroism of Sergeant Jasper, leaping into the crossfire to raise high our flag; the Redcoated blockhead who thought wading troops across Breach Inlet (while under fire) would be a simple endeavour...
Join us Saturday in commemorating South Carolina's own independence day. The Library will march near the head of the parade (so feel free to act sniffy to friends near the tail). We'll see you underneath our green and gold banner at Washington Park between 10:30 and 11:00!
If you can't make it out Saturday (and don't use some excuse about heat or humidity- just remember What Would Colonel Moultrie Do?), stop by the Library and check out some movies that you can watch in air-conditioned comfort. We're in the middle of receiving and cataloguing a big batch, so look for new titles on the shelf soon.
Join us Saturday in commemorating South Carolina's own independence day. The Library will march near the head of the parade (so feel free to act sniffy to friends near the tail). We'll see you underneath our green and gold banner at Washington Park between 10:30 and 11:00!
If you can't make it out Saturday (and don't use some excuse about heat or humidity- just remember What Would Colonel Moultrie Do?), stop by the Library and check out some movies that you can watch in air-conditioned comfort. We're in the middle of receiving and cataloguing a big batch, so look for new titles on the shelf soon.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Good News and Sundry Postings
The good news just keeps coming! The South Carolina State Historical Records Advisory Board (SC SHRAB) has awarded a $4,850 grant to the Library Society to process and re-house its manuscript collections. These grant funds will be used to purchase acid-free folders and boxes and to process our manuscript collections. Soon, scores of researchers will flock to the Library Society to immerse themselves in the treasure trove that is our archives. Heck, we might even hire ushers for crowd control (On second thought, maybe not).
Last Thursday best-selling author Cassandra King gave a fascinating presentation. With great charm, she described how she became a writer and how her personal experiences shaped her novels. She also signed copies of her books. If you stayed home to watch "Survivor: Micronesia", you really missed out. (Come to think of it, if that's the case, you probably need more than one night out a week).
Under the "More Good News" category, when you grow tired of looking at other people's amusing (and sometimes disturbing) Facebook pages, you can look at the Library Society's new page. Soon, you will be able to view images of Library Society events (or anything mildly entertaining that occurs at 164 King Street).
A number of our members only read non-fiction and aren't terribly interested in books that involve a cat that solves murder mysteries (not that there is anything wrong with that). Those members will be thrilled to listen to a first-rate historian on May 22. Clemson professor Rod Andrew will travel to Charleston to discuss and sign his newest book, Wade Hampton: Confederate Warrior to Southern Redeemer (UNC Press). Andrew's book is the best Hampton biography to date (my opinion is as good as any). Arrive a little early (before 7:00 p.m.), because this lecture will draw many members and visitors, who never grow tired of books about "The War."
If you are a fan of the Library Society's speakers' series (and have $15), you will love the Southern Literary Festival, which the Library Society is sponsoring as part of Piccolo Spoleto from May 29-31. This year's festival will feature six sessions of prominent Southern writers over the course of three days. Sue Monk Kidd, author of the New York Times bestseller The Secret Life of Bees, will headline this year's events. You can get tickets and information at www.piccolospoleto.com or by calling Ticketmaster at 888-374-2656.
Read a Book!
W.G. Hinson
Last Thursday best-selling author Cassandra King gave a fascinating presentation. With great charm, she described how she became a writer and how her personal experiences shaped her novels. She also signed copies of her books. If you stayed home to watch "Survivor: Micronesia", you really missed out. (Come to think of it, if that's the case, you probably need more than one night out a week).
Under the "More Good News" category, when you grow tired of looking at other people's amusing (and sometimes disturbing) Facebook pages, you can look at the Library Society's new page. Soon, you will be able to view images of Library Society events (or anything mildly entertaining that occurs at 164 King Street).
A number of our members only read non-fiction and aren't terribly interested in books that involve a cat that solves murder mysteries (not that there is anything wrong with that). Those members will be thrilled to listen to a first-rate historian on May 22. Clemson professor Rod Andrew will travel to Charleston to discuss and sign his newest book, Wade Hampton: Confederate Warrior to Southern Redeemer (UNC Press). Andrew's book is the best Hampton biography to date (my opinion is as good as any). Arrive a little early (before 7:00 p.m.), because this lecture will draw many members and visitors, who never grow tired of books about "The War."
If you are a fan of the Library Society's speakers' series (and have $15), you will love the Southern Literary Festival, which the Library Society is sponsoring as part of Piccolo Spoleto from May 29-31. This year's festival will feature six sessions of prominent Southern writers over the course of three days. Sue Monk Kidd, author of the New York Times bestseller The Secret Life of Bees, will headline this year's events. You can get tickets and information at www.piccolospoleto.com or by calling Ticketmaster at 888-374-2656.
Read a Book!
W.G. Hinson
Friday, April 4, 2008
Spring Book Sale and other happenings
This is a busy weekend in Charleston, but of all the events, the Library Society's Annual Spring Book Sale is the most important (but of course I am biased). Do yourself a favor. Disregard the Bridge Run (too crowded, too long, and you can run the bridge anytime by using the handy pedestrian walkway). Ignore the Flowertown Festival (again, too crowded, and who can afford to drive to Summerville to see azaleas, when you can find them in any neighborhood in the lowcountry). Forget about the Cajun Festival (not as crowded, but no Dixie Beer). Instead of wasting time, energy, fossil fuels, eating crawfish and listening to Zydeco, come to the best little used book sale in the lowcountry. The doors of the historic Barnwell Building at 160 King Street open at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday and don't close until 5:00 p.m. (book dealers can purchase books after noon). On Sunday the doors open at 1:30 p.m. for our famous "fill-a-box-with-books for $10.00 day." The sale ends at 5:00 p.m. This year's selection is the best that I have seen, so get here early.
We have great news for researchers. The CLS online catalog is up and running and can be accessed from our website. Researchers now can view records for our manuscripts, pamphlets, and rare books prior to visiting.
On the good news/bad news front, our new HVAC unit is installed in the main library building and is working well, but the elevator in that building now needs to be replaced. We have started a fund-raising campaign to pay for the new elevator, and, as always, your gifts are both needed and appreciated.
Read a book (and buy one this weekend)!
W.G. Hinson
We have great news for researchers. The CLS online catalog is up and running and can be accessed from our website. Researchers now can view records for our manuscripts, pamphlets, and rare books prior to visiting.
On the good news/bad news front, our new HVAC unit is installed in the main library building and is working well, but the elevator in that building now needs to be replaced. We have started a fund-raising campaign to pay for the new elevator, and, as always, your gifts are both needed and appreciated.
Read a book (and buy one this weekend)!
W.G. Hinson
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Welcome to Shh!
This is the Charleston Library Society's inaugural blog, and we would like to welcome those members and interested parties, who, after this initial posting, will be thrilled that our organization is rapidly distancing itself from the nineteenth century. For the rest of our members, we apologize deeply for the introduction of technology into the life of the Library Society. We hope (fingers crossed) that the experience will not be too traumatic. If it is, this blog is actually the work of hackers intent on slandering the reputation of the South's oldest cultural institution.
Big events (other than this blog) are at hand! On April 5-6, 2008 the Library Society will hold its Annual Spring Book Sale. The doors of the Barnwell Building will open at 9:30 a.m., and book dealers are welcome after noon on Saturday. On Sunday, April 6, the doors will open at 1:30 p.m. for "Fill a Box with Books for $10 Day." All items will be half price, or customers can pay $10 for the books that they can fit into one of our boxes.
The Library Society recently received a significant grant ($25,000) from the Post and Courier Foundation. With contributions to the Annual Appeal Campaign, this grant will help the Library Society pay for a new HVAC system for the main Library building. The Library Society will be closed from April 17-April 22 to complete the installation of the new unit, and we hope to be up and running again by April 24 (again, fingers crossed).
I appreciate your tolerance of my ramblings, and I hope that you will join us again in the future.
Read a book!
W.G. Hinson
Big events (other than this blog) are at hand! On April 5-6, 2008 the Library Society will hold its Annual Spring Book Sale. The doors of the Barnwell Building will open at 9:30 a.m., and book dealers are welcome after noon on Saturday. On Sunday, April 6, the doors will open at 1:30 p.m. for "Fill a Box with Books for $10 Day." All items will be half price, or customers can pay $10 for the books that they can fit into one of our boxes.
The Library Society recently received a significant grant ($25,000) from the Post and Courier Foundation. With contributions to the Annual Appeal Campaign, this grant will help the Library Society pay for a new HVAC system for the main Library building. The Library Society will be closed from April 17-April 22 to complete the installation of the new unit, and we hope to be up and running again by April 24 (again, fingers crossed).
I appreciate your tolerance of my ramblings, and I hope that you will join us again in the future.
Read a book!
W.G. Hinson
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