The South Carolina Legal History Collection encompasses both primary and secondary published sources dealing with the legal, constitutional, and political development of the state. In addition, it contains portraits, papers, and memorabilia. The collection also contains the volumes of the Memory Hold the Door memorial biographies, aside from the volumes currently on display in the Coleman Karesh Reading Room. Legal History materials are available upon request Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Circulation of material from the collection is restricted.
Researchers will need to register at the Reference Desk. Be sure to bring a photo ID (academic identification, driver’s license, or passport). Registrations are good for the semester in which they are executed.
Researchers and other visitors should also be aware of the general policies of the Law Library. Food and drink are prohibited while a researcher is using Legal History materials. A researcher may be billed for damage to material that occurs as a result of the researcher’s treatment of the material. Copying or scanning is dependent on the condition of the material. Some items may be too fragile for some reproduction options.
Researchers request items at the Reference Desk. Materials requests will be delivered to Access Services personnel, who will retrieve items and bring them to Library Conference Room 120B and supervise their use. Descriptions of items are available in the library’s online catalog.
Materials in the Legal History Room may be used from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Appointments are encouraged but must be made within this time frame. Advance requests are encouraged to ensure that materials are available upon patrons’ arrival. If continued use is needed, materials can be held for 24 hours for returning patrons.
Some materials in the Law Library’s holdings are housed offsite in remote storage and may need to be recalled one day in advance of use. These items generally appear in the library catalog as: “Law Rare Annex: Ask at Circulation.”
Researchers interested in materials in the South Carolina Legal History Collection are encouraged to contact the library ahead of their visit to ensure that the needed items and relevant staff help is available when they arrive. Researchers can request materials from the Legal History Collection and/or Law Library materials from the Annex in advance of their visit by emailing lawref@law.sc.edu.
The Law Library invites classes and other groups to tour the Legal History Collection. To schedule a tour and/or resource session, please email Rebekah Maxwell at rkmaxwel@law.sc.edu.
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