The South Carolina State Library (SCSL) is open to the public. SC residents over 18 are eligible to apply for a free library card and may borrow circulating materials from our collections and access our electronic resources.
Apply
To apply, complete our online application form. By submitting this form, you agree to accept full responsibility for all materials charged out to your SCSL account, to return materials within the loan period granted, and you are liable for the cost of replacing lost or damaged materials charged out on your account.
South Carolina State Library Card Application
Your library card will be mailed to the address provided on the form once it is processed. Please allow 7-10 days for receiving your card. Any questions may be directed to reference@statelibrary.sc.gov.
Borrowing Policies
Our loan policies have recently changed. If you have any questions about these changes, please contact us at reference@statelibrary.sc.gov or (803) 734-8026.
- Holds
State Library cardholders may borrow library materials from other SCLENDS libraries. Any items requested by State Library cardholders will be available for pickup at the State Library. - Loan periods
21 days for books, government documents, audiobooks, music CDs, magazines, paperbacks, and items on reserve; 7 days for DVDs, with a maximum of 10 DVDs checked out per cardholder. - Total number of items
A maximum of 30 items total may be checked out per cardholder - Renewals
All items may be renewed twice, provided no one else has requested the item. There are several ways to renew items; patrons may either contact us or log in to their account by selecting “My Account” in the main menu above. - Fines
While overdue fines are not charged, patrons are still responsible for paying the full replacement cost for lost items, and may also be asked to pay replacement costs for damaged items.
