Discus – South Carolina’s Virtual Library – is the "information place" for all South Carolinians. Discus, which stands for Digital Information for South Carolina Users, provides free access to an electronic library that’s available 24/7.

Discus is a collection of subscription databases with an array of resources ranging from books and magazines to maps and videos. This collection of databases provides high-quality publications in an easy to navigate format for students and teachers alike. Discus allows students to safely search for up-to-date information without sifting through advertisements and non-educational results found in search engines such as Google. Among the top reasons to use subscription databases is it prepares young students to find credible sources for later academic achievement. 

Discus Contains

  • Magazines and newspapers
  • Professional journals
  • Reference books
  • Encyclopedias
  • Dictionaries
  • E-books
  • Maps and flags
  • Lesson plans
  • Student activities
  • Multimedia
  • Pictures and photographs
  • Links to the best websites
  • Government reports
  • Primary sources, historic documents
  • And much more!

 

The South Carolina State Library manages and administers Discus in cooperation with the state’s school, college, and public libraries. Discus is funded primarily by an appropriation from the South Carolina General Assembly in collaboration with the K-12 School Technology Initiative. State funding covers most of the database subscription costs. Additional funding from the federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) also supports Discus. These organizations make it possible to provide Discus resources to the public at no cost.

Goals & Vision

The program objectives are:

  • Support the South Carolina State Library's mission - to optimize South Carolina's investment in library and information services
  • Contribute to the intellectual development of South Carolina citizens
  • Serve the information needs of all by providing a core collection of high quality online resources - with a particular emphasis on supporting education, enhancing economic development and improving quality of life
  • Provide equal access to information
  • Provide 24/7 access
  • Ensure cost-efficient use of state and federal funds

Discus is for South Carolinians!

Discus - South Carolina's Virtual Library provides all South Carolinians with access to an electronic library of essential information resources. This set of core resources is made available to every citizen through South Carolina's school, college and public libraries. Discus ensures equal access to information and learning resources regardless of race or socio-economic status.

Discus Website

The Discus website serves two primary functions. It is a portal - the only access point for the K-12 community and selected public libraries. (Institutions of higher education and many public libraries maintain their own links to Discus provided resources.) It also serves as the administrative site for overall program implementation. Librarians and media specialists from all user groups are encouraged to utilize the Training Tab for their training needs. The Toolkit is designed primarily to assist media specialists and librarians in implementing the Discus program at their institutions. There are links to promotional materials, training tips and guides, and technical information.

For more information, please contact the Discus Office at discusoffice@statelibrary.sc.gov or call (803) 545-0201.