Learn more about the State Library's rare book collecion

rare book

The South Carolina State Library is committed to preserving the Rare Book Collection (promotional video) and making them accessible to the community. The collection includes approximately 2,000 items, ranging from political speeches and periodicals to historical scientific works and literature. Half of the Rare Book collection comes from the personal library of A.S. Salley, Jr., South Carolina’s first Historian and Archivist. The Rare Book Collection can be searched in our online catalog, SCLENDS. A selection of digitized materials from the Rare Book Collection can be accessed through the South Carolina Book Collection. If you'd like to make an appointment to view the collection, please visit our website. Further information can be found in the Rare Book Guide.

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Upcoming Event

Cover's of Tally Johnson books.

Revolutionary Ghosts with Author and Storyteller, Tally Johnson

October 29, 2026, 6:00 PM

Please join us for our next Speaker at the Center talk with award-winning storyteller, author, and folklorist Tally Johnson, who will tell ghost stories from the Revolutionary War period, covering South Carolina from the mountains to the sea. You will learn some of the hidden history of the Revolution via the rich ghostlore of South Carolina, where the Revolution was won.