It’s all cleared out, except for a single painting left on the wall.
The South Caroliniana Library is full of empty pedestals where marble busts once sat, and empty bookshelves where there were once invaluable collections.
It might come as a surprise after the five-week move that practically emptied the building, but the historic library reopened its doors to the public on Monday. Although it's mostly bare, you can now once again request collection items.
The collection move was in preparation for renovations that, according to Henry Fulmer, Caroliniana's director, won't happen for at least a couple of years until there is sufficient funding.
"The collection move was in preparation for the renovations," Fulmer said. "So that the renovations can go on without damaging any of the materials."
With the move, students and the public looking to use the documents that were once in the Caroliniana are required to request these collection items 24 hours in advance. The books and manuscripts will be driven over from three off-site locations twice daily, and will only be held overnight before they are returned to their new off-site homes.
It's all a matter of protecting the collection, according to Fulmer.
"We're just asking students and researchers at large to pardon the inconvenience," he said."And help spread the word that what we're doing is really trying to preserve this major portion of South Carolina's documentary history."
With the reopening on Monday, the phone has already been ringing off the hook, according to Fulmer. They've gotten their first requests for materials, one such request coming from fourth-year political science student Keith Taylor.
Taylor came in looking for Euphradian Society records and had been anxiously awaiting for the library to reopen so that he could access the materials.
With the new system that is in place, Taylor needs to wait 24 hours to receive his materials from the off-site location, but when he thought about it, he decided it wasn't much of a problem.
"If it preserves the documents, then it’s certainly worth the 24 hour wait," Taylor said. "I like it. I’ve had nothing but good experiences here, and if it streamlines the process then that’s wonderful."
For Fulmer, this reopening is just another step in the process. He hopes that the collection will continue to grow and that the renovations will preserve the ever-growing collection that was once housed in the Caroliniana.
"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for this staff and for this university community and for the people of the state of South Carolina to do something that really will ensure the survival of this portion of the state’s history for another 175 years," Fulmer said.