A University of South Carolina club gathers each month to learn about the history of Columbia through in-depth tours and visits to local archives, special collections and museums.
The Student Community for Archives, Libraries and Museums (SCALM) aims to provide a space for students to connect with history and resources throughout Columbia and USC’s campus.
The theme for SCALM this year is Columbia and collections. With this theme, the club plans to visit and tour museums, archives and special collections around Columbia in order to get a closer look at the history and work that goes into curation.
“Columbia has one of the deepest, richest histories in the U.S., and we should take advantage of it,” Leasure said. “That’s what we’re doing.”
Second-year history and anthropology major and SCALM President Eva Leasure said she wants to help people see the opportunities and resources available on campus within the research and archival collections.
"When I was at the (organization) fair, I was telling people we looked at a 6000 year old Sumerian tablet," Leasure said. "People don't understand that these are things that students can just do, that these are opportunities that are open for all of us."
First-year mathematics major and SCALM Treasurer John McQueen said the club has helped him get out and see museums in Columbia that he may not have gone to on his own.
“It’s really nice to just have a club that says, ‘We’re going to go to this museum on this day’ and maybe, like, get a behind the scenes tour and see something that you wouldn’t be able to see just going normally,” McQueen said. “And there’s just so many opportunities that this makes it easier to access.”
McQueen said he did not realize until joining SCALM that the university had such extensive collections of historical documents and artifacts, such as medieval manuscripts and cuneiform tablets.
“It was really cool to see all the things that we have access to as students here that the vast majority of people have no idea about,” McQueen said.
In fall 2024, SCALM visited the South Caroliniana Library, the South Carolina State Museum, Hollings Special Collections and the Irvin Department of Rare Books and Special Collections.
First-year psychology major Faith Fitzgerald said visiting the South Carolina State Museum last semester was her favorite memory with the club.
“Just seeing how vast it was and how confident and self-assured (the members) were, and just open to anything was really inspiring,” Fitzgerald said. “I kind of hold that with me, because it’s like, it’s a state museum, it’s like every other museum, but that experience of, ‘Okay, how can I see it as this new experience'?”
Fitzgerald said she has always been connected with libraries and SCALM has allowed her to learn more about what goes on behind the scenes of archival and curatorial work.
“Seeing what goes into making an exhibit and making a display and just having those facts and information, it’s so different from my side, like the library side that you can just look it up,” Fitzgerald said. “They just know it off the bat. That’s so impressive to me and seeing how each of the exhibits also connect, and seeing their creativity with that has been so eye-opening.”
Second-year information science major Audrey Moore said she has had the opportunity to connect with other students that are interested in local history through the club.
“USC is such a huge campus and has so much to offer… you know it makes sense why people would be interested in something like (SCALM), especially for such a historical campus,” Moore said. “And I’m really glad I found a group like that. It’s been a big help in opening me up to people who share the same interests as me. It has really helped me grow.”
Second-year history and anthropology student and SCALM secretary Gracie Bellah said the club aims to build a community with people who are passionate about local history and interested in learning more about the places and resources around them.
“We’re really just trying to delve into all the resources that are around our city," Bellah said. "...We’re going behind the scenes at all of the places that we visit and getting tours from the people who work there. It’s really a good opportunity to go and get to see things that you don’t usually get to see for people who love museums.”
This semester the club plans to visit McKissick Museum, South Caroliniana Library, South Carolina Military Museum and take guided tours with Historic Columbia.