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The South Carolina State Library is pleased to announce the selection of the most notable South Carolina State Documents of 2023. Government documents come in a variety of formats. Winning categories include state agency monographs, serials, and websites or apps. These noteworthy publications call attention to some of the most informative documents released by state agencies in 2023. Winners of the South Carolina Notable State Documents awards are announced in honor of Freedom of Information Day, which occurs annually on March 16. Awards will be presented to the winning agencies and authors in a ceremony to be held at 10:00 a.m. at the State Library on Wednesday, March 13, 2024. For more information about the awards program, please visit our subject guide.
Nominations for the Notable Documents Awards were submitted throughout the calendar year, with final candidates being judged by a panel of librarians and state employees. Publications were judged based on their designs, writing styles, and breadth of information. The judges chose a unique group of twelve publications and websites for recognition, including a report on the effects of social isolation on older adults, a lovely annual publication showcasing the state’s agriculture industry, and a newly redesigned website by the agency charged with guiding the development of the arts in our state.
Leesa Aiken, South Carolina State Library director said, "South Carolina state documents provide a wealth of information, statistics, and share a broad range of knowledge about our state. I am pleased that we are able to publicly recognize these important publications and websites as notable documents and it is my hope that all South Carolina state agencies continue to produce high quality documents such as these."
Monographs (physical or born digital)
- Addressing Social Isolation in Older Adults as a Determinant of Health I South Carolina Department on Aging, South Carolina Institute of Medicine & Public Health
While social isolation finds its way to all ages, this focus centers on the impact it has on older adults in our state. In this report, readers learn about the effect social isolation has on the physical and mental health of older adults. The recommendations in the report are noted as the top areas of concern, and include suggested ways to reduce problems associated with social isolation in our most vulnerable population.
- Unbeleafable! A Kid-Friendly, Self-Led Guide to Identifying Trees in Harbison State Forest I South Carolina Forestry Commission
The South Carolina Forestry Commission children's tree identification guide is designed for families to use while visiting Harbison State Forest to learn more about the basics of tree identification. The guide includes leaf characteristics, types of fruit/flowers, bark characteristics, the difference between hardwoods and softwoods, common tree species found on Harbison, and fun facts from Serrated Sam, the leaf character found on the cover. The guide is intended to be completed alongside an adult with access to a smartphone and directs families to go on a fun tree ID activity to try to identify 10 different tree species.
- South Carolina Strategic Statewide Resilience and Risk Reduction Plan* I South Carolina Office of Resilience
The South Carolina Office of Resilience is responsible for developing and implementing a Strategic Statewide Resilience and Risk Reduction Plan (Resilience Plan). This Resilience Plan is intended to serve as a framework to guide state investment in flood mitigation projects and the adoption of programs and policies to protect the people and property of South Carolina from the damage and destruction of extreme weather events. The Plan identifies major flood risks around the state and potential losses that could occur as a result of extreme weather events, and provides guidance on ways communities can better anticipate, absorb, recover and thrive when presented with environmental change and natural hazards.
*Note: This publication must be downloaded to open. Click on the PDF file to download.
- Florence-Darlington Technical College Early College Academy Career Pathways I Florence-Darlington Technical College
This informational booklet describes FDTC’s Early College Academy (ECA) program, an innovative way for high school students to earn both a high school diploma and complete an associate degree in the time it takes to attend high school. Completing the program allows students quicker entrance into the workforce or entry into a 4-year college with junior status. FDTC's ECA program requires maturity and dedication, and is academically rigorous, but makes it possible for students to eliminate two college years and accumulated debt.
- Come Back to the Land: An Exploration of James and Johns Islands African American Settlement Communities I South Carolina Department of Transportation, New South Associates
This publication comprises a research study, completed by New South Associates (NSA), of multiple African American Settlement Communities on both James and Johns Islands in Charleston County, South Carolina for the South Carolina Department of Transportation’s (SCDOT) Mark Clark Expressway Expansion Project. This investigation sought to compile and create a “cultural atlas” of the identified communities that the respective communities can use for future cultural heritage preservation. Oral history interviews were gathered from May through June of 2022. This report brings collected narratives and archival information together with historic images and maps to present a historic context for James and Johns islands. Specific examinations of each settlement community for which information was gathered follow that broader historic context. The report also includes an atlas, both visual and narrative, of identified sites and areas across both islands that are associated with the various settlement communities, as well as a bibliography.
Serials
- Grown in SC* I South Carolina Department of Agriculture
Grown in SC is an annual publication by the South Carolina Department of Agriculture. Complete with striking graphics and photography, it is produced to promote and highlight agriculture and agribusiness in South Carolina. This year's issue features "Ag Facts," articles on the beekeeping experience, a quail habitat program, flower farming, sweet potato recipes, and much more.
*Note: This publication must be downloaded to open. Click on the PDF file to download.
- Coastal Heritage I South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium
Established in 1978, the South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium was created to manage and administer the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Sea Grant College Program for the South Carolina and adjacent regions that share a common heritage.
The South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium publishes Coastal Heritage, a quarterly publication that covers environmental policy, science, history, and culture. This issue, from Fall, 2023, features an extensive article on Carolina bays, which are shallow, elliptical depressions found in the unconsolidated sediments throughout the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Some believe they were created by a shower of meteorites. Also included are regular features exploring Consortium related news and happenings around the state.
- 2022 Annual Report I South Carolina Department of Children’s Advocacy
The South Carolina Department of Children's Advocacy (DCA) completely redesigned its FY22 annual report to more clearly communicate our program operations and overarching legislative duties, as well as to note the achievements and benchmarks we hit during the fiscal year and what we set out to achieve in FY23.
The DCA began operation on July 1, 2019, and is an independent state agency that examines the care and services that other state agencies provide children. The agency recommends ways to improve the quality of those services through the development and promotion of a broad vision for statewide reform.
- Statistical Profile FY 2021-2022 | South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs
This profile contains information on the fiscal year 2021-2022 demographic shifts in the 21st century, economic and employment trends, educational attainment and occupational selection, housing and homeownership, poverty, public assistance, and health insurance coverage, linguistic diversity, ethnic identities, and citizenship in SC's minority communities, and conclusions and suggestions. The purpose is to help ascertain certain areas where South Carolina's minority populations have consistently experienced socio-economic deprivations, particularly in educational attainment and homeownership.
Websites
- South Carolina State Museum Website: scmuseum.org I South Carolina State Museum
The State Museum's website, rebuilt from the ground up this year with a focus on accessibility, showcases how guests can explore South Carolina's rich history in-person and online. This new website also features a digital collection database, launched this fall, which allows educators, students, researchers and others to explore the museum's collection digitally for the first time in its 35-year history. This new feature allows the museum to share more of the over 1.1 million artifacts, artwork, fossils and specimens in its care as only a small portion of their collection is on display in its galleries. Additionally, this robust website offers more opportunities to explore the state (and museum's) history through podcasts, deeper dive articles and more.
- South Carolina Arts Commission Website: southcarolinaarts.com I South Carolina Arts Commission
On June 7, 1967, Governor Robert E. McNair signed legislation that established the South Carolina Arts Commission. For more than 50 years, the agency has worked to build a thriving arts environment that benefits all South Carolinians.
The newly redesigned website features the results of a nearly 18-month process to better represent the work of the Arts Commission and the people it serves. The Commission wanted a look that showed boldness, demanded attention, and was fresh and original. This new brand hints at a vibrant, dynamic team. Special highlights of the site are Arts Daily, which directs users to art events around SC; The Hub, reporting on news happening around the state related to the arts; and a grants directory for artists, organizations, and schools.
- South Carolina Secretary of State Website: sos.sc.gov I South Carolina Secretary of State
The Office of the Secretary of State is mandated to serve as the state filing office for business corporations, nonprofit corporations, limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships and limited liability companies. In addition to business filings, the Secretary of State’s Office examines and files state trademarks, maintains the state notary public database, and issues commissions for elected officials and those appointed by the Governor.
The goal of the Secretary of State's website is to provide the public with easy access to information and services from the convenience of home or office. This website is designed to serve as a one-stop portal for accessing general information, completing important tasks online, and providing information specifically related to each division. Whether one is a new user who is visiting to learn more about this office and what is done there or a returning visitor who simply needs to complete a filing online, the public is invited to take advantage of this convenient resource.
