The Greer Jean M. Smith Library Branch is calling on residents to help preserve local history at its community archiving event tonight.
The event will take place in the library from 4-7 p.m. and is hosted by the Greenville County Library System. Residents can bring their items to be scanned and uploaded to the library system’s digital archive, allowing them to keep their old treasures while still preserving history for future generations.
“Much of our collection has been built through generous donations from community members,” said Stephanie Maters, branch manager at the Greer library. “Residents are encouraged to bring items that can be scanned during the event or materials they wish to donate.”
Accepted items for the archive include photos, maps, letters, yearbooks, newspapers and other scannable objects. Participants can also record oral interviews recounting their Greer memories.
The community archiving event is part of the library’s larger push to preserve and honor local history in Greer. The branch also held a community history event earlier in the month, walking attendees through a timeline of Greer’s story. According to Maters, the event was the first local history program at the Greer branch in many years, meant to honor the city’s 150th birthday.
“Beyond exploring the Library System’s collections, we hope attendees [left] feeling inspired to contribute to our shared history,” Maters said. “Every story has value, and community participation is essential to preserving local history.”
The library system’s digital archive is currently home to over 30,000 items, and the library continues to build it up through community archiving events. Community members can browse the collection themselves online, or they can take a trip to the South Carolina Room at the Hughes Main Library.
The South Carolina Room is a research space staffed by genealogists and historians that can help residents decipher the histories of their families and communities. The library system’s website recommends scheduling an appointment to make the most of your time in the space.
For more information on tonight’s community archiving event, call the Greer Library at 864-877-8722. All archived items can be viewed after the event online on the Greenville County Library System’s Historic Image Collection. For information on the South Carolina Room, call the Hughes Main Library at 864-527-9212.
