Getting Your Bearings

The Reference Room of the Archives is divided into three areas, the reading room, the reference desk and index area, and the microfilm reading area. The reading room, or Salley Room, named for Alexander S. Salley Jr., secretary of the state's historical commission from 1905-1949, is lined with shelves which hold books comprising the Archives' non circulating library.
The center part of the research room holds the reference desk where researchers must submit their registration forms and place their requests to receive records from the stack. In this area may be found indexes to many of the Archives holdings.
To the left of the Bull Street entrance is the Easterby Room, named for J. Harold Easterby, Archives Director from 1949-1960. In this area are the rolls of microfilm of county records, death certificates, and other greatly used microfilmed records such as CSA pension applications, land memorials, and much more. This room contains cabinets of microfilm as well as microfilm and microfiche readers.
Except for the microfilm in the Easterby Room and use of the indexes, researchers must ask for records by submitting a request slip at the reference desk. No more than three records may be requested at a time and those must be returned before requesting more records.
In the microfilm room, researchers may select one roll of microfilm at a time from the microfilm cabinets without assistance. After finishing use of the roll of film, the roll must be placed in a designated area beside the cabinets and the staff will refile the film. Probate and court records on microfilm must be requested with a call slip.