To celebrate the great weather, I went on a -very- spur of the moment trip to Savannah over the weekend. Usually I am a consummate travel planner, with all stops written out and Google maps to each dutifully printed out. So it was an adventure going to a mostly-new-to-me city without plans, or even a Georgia map.

But I had an ace up my sleeve. I knew that I-95 would have a wealth of knowledge waiting for me at the Georgia Visitor Center. They had more pamphlets, maps, coupons, and guide books than this girl knew what to do with. The staff was extremely pleasant and seemed knowledgeable from overheard conversations. I found a Savannah map and guide to restaurants and attractions.

But what does this have to do with South Carolina you say? I have passed the South Carolina Welcome Centers on the North Carolina and Georgia borders hundreds of times, but never thought to go -in-. After all, I know my own state right? I didn’t have a chance to go in on the way back, but I bet there are pamphlets and guides to tons of attractions and places right next door that I never think about going to or know much about.

The South Carolina Parks, Recreation, and Tourism department has a web page dedicated to the South Carolina Welcome Centers and lists some of the features you can find there: brochures, coupons, travel information, traffic information, maps, mail-drop, and AT&T international language line.

I love that in SC they are called “welcome centers” rather than “visitors centers” because I think South Carolinians could benefit from these services as well. This summer, on your way back from that vacation, stop in one and see if you can’t plan your next adventure closer to home.

This blog is a metaphorical toe in the blogging waters as we in Information Services enter the Library 2.0 world. We intend to use this blog as a way to communicate the things we are learning and interested in to our patrons and kin-librarians in South Carolina and (possibly) beyond.

Here at the State Library we have a great and unique perspective on South Carolina and the needs of patrons across the state. From state employees who need books on management to public librarians who are looking for materials to supplement their collection to local historians who want to plunder our shelves for history on the towns and cities of South Carolina, we are exposed to a little of everything.

In this blog, we would like to have a conversation about the reference needs and challenges of South Carolina and hopefully teach a little and learn a lot!