In 1996, the State Library partnered with the K-12 School Technology Initiative to provide Internet access to all K-12 public schools and public libraries. South Carolina was the first state to provide this depth of Internet access.

Building on the new network infrastructure, the State Library in 1998 launched a pilot program to provide all South Carolinians with equal access to an electronic library of essential information resources. The program was called DISCUS - South Carolina's Virtual Library. During the pilot phase, 103 institutions and public libraries, and three public school districts had access to four full-text periodical and reference databases. During a six month period, users retrieved over 460,000 full-text articles or abstracts. Today, DISCUS is available in all public libraries, public schools (K-12) and higer education institutions. In FY2007, users retrieved 7.6 million items from 22 electronic databases providing access to millions of full-text articles and abstracts.

In January 2008, DISCUS added 10 new databases to its growing collection. For a full list, visit http://www.scdiscus.org/.

Ten years after the successful launch of DISCUS, the State Library is beginning another pilot program aimed at students, educators and parents. SchoolRooms is a multimedia online learning portal for the K-12 community. It combines teacher-selected, standards-driven content with a user friendly interface. Content is available for students at the elementary, middle and high school level. Audience guides for teachers, librarians and parents provide additional aids for working with their children or students. Monthly highlights are based on South Carolina curriculum standards and enhance the classroom learning experience.

To learn more about this exciting new project, visit our SchoolRooms pages.

South Carolina State Library: defining the intellectual landscape of South Carolina.