About Charleston Library Society
From its inception over 265 years ago, the Charleston Library Society has been a cornerstone of intellectual and cultural life in Charleston. Today it is a center for scholarly research, a modern lending library, and an oasis of calm in the middle of Downtown Charleston.
In addition to contemporary circulating collections of general interest, the Library Society maintains an excellent collection of original newspapers from as far back as the 1730s; important manuscripts from John Locke, George Washington, and many others; a large number of unique historical pamphlets, periodicals, and maps. The diverse collections of the Library Society serve to tell the story of Charleston from its founding to the present day.
