A new exhibit showcasing South Carolina poetry is open at Furman University’s James B. Duke Library, Special Collections and Archives through Jan. 15, 2016. The exhibit, “Celebrating South Carolina Poetry: An Exhibition to Mark the Acquisition of The Ninety-Six Press Archive” is free and open to the public. The exhibit is available 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday in Special Collections and Archives. An opening reception, sponsored by the Friends of the Furman University Libraries, will be held Thursday, Oct. 15, at 4 p.m. in the gallery on the library’s second floor.

The South Carolina State Library will REOPEN Wednesday October 7, 2015.  For more information on closings and delays, visit http://www.scemd.org/closings.

Join us on Wednesday, October 14 from noon to 1:00 p.m. for Speaker @ the Center, featuring author S. Jane Gari. Losing the Dollhouse (TouchPoint Press) offers a slice of dysfunctional Americana complete with divorce, step-families, eating disorders, mental illness, and the search for true love.

Young readers in grades 4-12 are invited to write a personal letter to an author for the Letters about Literature (LAL) contest, a national reading and writing promotion program. The letter can be to any author (living or dead) from any genre (fiction or nonfiction, contemporary or classic) explaining how that author’s work changed the student’s life or view of the world.

October is just around the corner! Are you ready for Archives Month? Every October, archivists around the country commemorate American Archives Month. This month-long celebration is a time for archival and cultural heritage professionals to bring awareness to their collections and spotlight the important work they do for their communities. Last year, the South Carolina Archival Association revived our statewide celebration with South Carolina Archives Month, and this year, we’re continuing the tradition.

The Humanities Council^SC is pleased to announce the launch of a new category of grant available to nonprofit organizations and public institutions in South Carolina. The Fast Track Literary Grant is intended to support new or existing public literary programs such as (but not limited to) writers series, festivals, conferences, workshops, or writer’s residencies at schools. The Fast Track Literary Grant applications will be accepted quarterly, and the first deadline is Monday, November 16, 2015 for programs that start after January 1, 2016.

The St. Helena Branch Library has been the recipient of more than half a dozen design awards since its opening in fall of 2012. The building’s design is credited to Liollio Architecture (Charleston, SC).

NAACP Image Award winner and Los Angeles Times Book Award winner Claudia Rankine will deliver the University of South Carolina’s annual Adrenée Glover Freeman Memorial Lecture Monday, Oct. 12.

Sam Kean spent years collecting mercury from broken thermometers as a kid, and now he's a writer in Washington, D.C. His new book is The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons. His first two books, The Disappearing Spoon and The Violinist's Thumb were national bestsellers, and both were named an Amazon "Top 5" science books of the year. The Disappearing Spoon was nominated by the Royal Society for one of the top science books of 2010, while The Violinist's Thumb was a finalist for PEN's literary science writing award.

Looking for the latest in SC State Government Online Documents? Browse through our latest monthly report!