Location and Hours
Rare Books and Special Collections Image of the Graniteville Room
Thomas Cooper Library, University of South Carolina
Collections and Exhibits
The Thomas Cooper Society
Related Publications
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Location & Hours Thomas Cooper Library's special collections are made available in the Graniteville Room, entered through the mezzanine exhibit area. Current reading-room hours are Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM (except during holidays and the winter break). Detailed information on individual items is provided in the the library's online catalogue, USCAN, using the long entry formats (the "LO" command). Entries limited to Special Collections holdings can be obtained through keyword searches by including the search-term "suca." The department may be reached by telephone at (803) 777-3847 or by e-mail.


Collections & Exhibits

•  The Core Collection &
the History of the Book
•  Natural History &
Science Collections
•  Historical Collections
•  British Literature Collections
•  American Literature Collections
•  Children's Literature Collections
 Current Exhibits in Thomas Cooper Library

The collections and exhibits listed below have been divided into two categories, each with its own indicator symbol. Brief descriptions of individual collections, also known as "doorstep pages," are indicated with a circle:

    • Doorstep Page
Though not true exhibits, these pages give valuable information about many of the department's most important collections. The other category, full exhibits, is indicated by a square:
    • Full Exhibit
These are the introductions to extensive hypertext exhibits with descriptions of the collections and links to the other pages or "islands" where notable pieces from the collections are exhibited.



The Core Collection & the History of the Book

The heart of the University's rare book collection remains the library of the original South Carolina College, books purchased or donated during the early nineteenth century. This library was particularly strong in general and classical literature, modern history, travel books, and natural history. With later additions, these core collections illustrate the history of the printed book and its cultural role from the invention of printing to the twentieth century.



Natural History & Science Collections

Significant additions to the original South Carolina College library include:



Historical Collections

To the University's strength in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century American history has recently been added the important Italian collection.



British Literature Collections

In addition to Robert Burns and other specific collections, holdings include most major British writers from the Renaissance onwards.



American Literature Collections

In addition to F. Scott Fitzgerald and other specific collections, holdings include most major American writers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.



Children's Literature Collections

The core collection of the pre-1920 children's literature, chiefly of the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, has grown with the addition of two further collections.


Related Publications
Exhibit Catalogues F. Scott Fitzgerald Collection Notes Ex Libris South Carolina Working Papers in Scottish Bibliography


This page last updated 22 April 1999 by the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections.