Hollings Library Dedication

Today, the University of South Carolina dedicated its new $18-million, 50,000-square-foot Hollings Library, which will house the university's S.C. Political Collections, as well as the Irwin Department of Rare Books and Special Collections and Digital Collections. Senator Ernest F. Hollings helped the university secure $14 million in federal funds for the LEED Gold building. What's inside? A vault containing a rare 1699 state charter and numerous first editions. It also contains a Zeutschal scanner -- the only one in the U.S., according to the USC Office of Media Relations. The Zeutschal is a large format scanner that allows library staff to scan folios, maps, and other oversized material. To read more about the state-of-the-art library, see The State. Vice-President Joe Biden (personal friend of Sen. Hollings) was on hand at today's dedication.

Take a peek inside the new library: