Smokey Bear Day

A black and white photo of two young girls with a Smokey Bear doll

August 9, 2022 marks Smokey Bear's 78th birthday!

The Smokey Bear doll featured in this photo is part of our collection; libraries used it for the Summer Reading Club in the 1950s. The Ad Council and Forest Service commissioned artist Albert Staehle to create the fictional character to help prevent forest fires.

Smokey's popularity remains strong, and so does the effort to protect America's land. Check out the resources below from our collection to learn more about South Carolina forests and watch this video for an up close and personal look at Smokey Bear.

Forestry Resources in our Digital Collection

Upcoming Event

Center for the book logo

Speaker at the Center: Ayanna Goines Discusses The Green Book

July 31, 2024, 3:00 PM

Join us at the SC Center for the Book for the latest installment of the Speaker at the Center event as we explore "The Green Book." This discussion, led by Ayanna Goines, an African American History Consultant at the SC Department of Archives and History and a member of the SC African American Heritage Commission, will discuss the history and impact of "The Green Book."