The Jordan Family collection at the South Caroliniana Library is in some respects not what you’d expect to find in an academic library. It’s also not located where you’d expect: despite belonging to the Caroliniana, it’s housed some ten miles away in a vast, sterile and cold facility that’s far removed from the South Caroliniana’s gracious historic charm.

But it’s this unexpected facility that provides the perfect holding place for this collection, which itself is a bit different from what a researcher might see on a day-to-day basis.

That’s not to say that the Jordan collection doesn’t contain more classic archival items.  Its trove of letters, photographs, family keepsakes, newspaper clippings, and the like, mostly from the 1930s and 40s, are meticulously stored in acid free boxes and catalogued to the utmost standard of organization and intricacy, just as one would expect in a university archive.

A few things stand out, however. Among the boxes, a researcher will also find leather suitcases of varying size, texture, and color with gold latches in different phases of tarnish. For the most part, the suitcases are at once decorative and functional. These cases belonged to Audrey Jordan, firstborn of six children of Nathan and Mary Frances Jordan. The Jordan family moved to Greer, South Carolina, in 1934. The Jordan collection reveals that, like most families during the early 1940’s, the Jordans struggled with limiting rations, and the constant emotional turmoil that came with sending a child off to war. Or in their case, three sons.

But even so, people on the home front like Audrey took trips, and tried to live their lives as close to normal as they could. In this instance, Audrey packed for a trip that would never come to pass, leaving her distraught enough to put the still-packed cases in the attic, where they were never opened until the collection was brought together decades later.  These suitcases were packed with everything a woman like Audrey would’ve considered necessary for a trip in the 1930s and 40s.

Audrey did not travel light. Her make-up, hair pins, Kleenex lipstick tissue, travel soap and powder compress accompany the ensemble she chose. The showstopper of the items is Audrey’s real fur coat from Meyers Arnold, a department store in Greenville, SC where she worked selling cosmetics and lingerie. The coat needs good brushing and a thorough rollover with a lint brush, but other than that it is pristine, a side effect of its state-of-the-art storage.

While Audrey’s items may be held by the South Caroliniana Library, they are not stored there. Although the Caroliniana has five stories of stacks, there isn’t room for all the library’s holdings to fit in them, especially when you consider items like suitcases and fur coats. The same goes for all University Library facilities, including Thomas Cooper Library, which has gradually outgrown its capacity for collections throughout the years. Therefore, a good portion of University Libraries collections can be found at the University Libraries’ Annex. The Annex receives and houses materials from all University Libraries and boasts a total of 380,000 cubic feet of shelf space.

This high-density storage space is canonically called “The Box,” as that is just what it looks like. The box is fifty feet wide by 200 feet long and 38 feet high. There are 304 shelving units with 9,424 shelves, which adds up to an approximate capacity of 1.5 million volumes. The state-of-the-art HVAC system closely monitors air temperature, humidity and air quality in accordance with the national preservation standards. This allows for optimal conditions in which to store books, archival materials, manuscripts, maps and more.

Located near the South Carolina State Archives, the Annex was built to solve the overcrowding issues that University Libraries faced and continue to face as more resources are acquired.  By having a space to store materials, University Libraries have been able to maintain adequate space for student study throughout the years even as the university’s student population and its library collections have continued to grow.

“The Library Annex is a cost-effective solution to providing long term access to library materials that support the research and teaching needs of the University,” said Nelson Rivera, Library Manager at the Annex. “This high-density storage facility provides a secure, climate-controlled environment that extends the life of unique scholarly resources and demonstrates the University’s commitment to long term retention and preservation.”

 By storing items in the Annex, the other University Libraries are alleviated from over-crowding, and can then use that space for student study, resources and collaboration. Items are delivered across the campus community by an efficient delivery service ensuring continued access to materials from all over campus. This also ensures the collections in the libraries remain current.

Even with all this space, however, the Annex is getting crowded. According to Rivera, the Annex is reaching critical capacity. While this bodes well in the grand scheme of things, as it’s evidence that University Libraries is living up to its mission, it also means that something must happen so that the libraries can continue to grow. Luckily, another “box” can be built adjacent to the current structure, affording plenty of potential room for the ongoing preservation of boxes filled with letters, books, or suitcases from trips not taken.

Audrey’s coat, her hair pins, even the Kleenex lipstick tissue are all pieces of the past. Specifically of Audrey Jordan’s past. Opening these boxes provides a glimpse into facets of South Carolina history that you can’t obtain from a book, or a lecture. To touch Audrey’s jewelry is to touch World War II fashion. It is a perfect time capsule, because Audrey never actually got to go on her trip. The suitcases sat full, closed until Audrey’s death.

Though the deeply personal materials in Audrey Jordan’s suitcase deeply contrast the cold and sterile environment of the conference room where the items have been laid out for researchers, it is a necessary climate. There’s nowhere else on campus capable of holding materials like Audrey Jordan’s. Materials that give scholars and the community a glimpse into what life was like for a woman in South Carolina at the height of the second World War. The Annex allows our libraries to expand their capacity to collect these items and many others, which not only enrich our collections but enhance our understanding of our state’s rich and complex history from all walks of life.

The Annex is critical to the future of University Libraries.