Publications will be judged on a point basis according to the following criteria:

1. Extent of lasting reference and informational value.
2.  Extent to which the publication appeals to a broad audience and is written in a lucid style.
3. Extent to which the publication helps to enhance quality of life or provides information that assists in making informed decisions. 
4.  Extent to which the publication contributes to an understanding of government processes, provides significant government information, or reflects the mission the agency.
5. Extent to which the publication displays an innovative presentation or a creative approach. Consideration is given to features such as typography, design, quality of illustrations, use of maps, graphs, color, ease of use, and the extent to which the publication is generally pleasant to look through.
6. Extent to which the title reflects actual contents and achieves its purpose by doing what it says it will do.

Please follow these guidelines when submitting your nomination:

The publication was produced by the State, a state agency or department, state-supported college or university, or by a firm which produced the publication under contract with or supervision of a state agency.

The publication was produced within the calendar year for which nominations are being accepted. However, a publication produced in a previous calendar year, but not received by the State Library until the current year may also be submitted for nomination.

The publication, in either physical or electronic format, has been provided to the SC State Library for addition to the SC State Documents Depository.

Please note, submissions may also be sent to our state publications email address: StateDocuments@statelibrary.sc.gov

The Notable State Documents Awards Program began in 1991 to recognize exemplary state publications. In honor of Freedom of Information Day, awards are presented each March in a ceremony at the State Library. The awards recognize notable state agency publications that were released in the previous calendar year. State agency publications received by the State Library qualify to be nominated. Nominations may be submitted by depository librarians, State Library staff, or state agency employees. Agency websites and apps also qualify as nominees.

All nominations are reviewed by librarians at the State Library, and approximately 25 documents are selected as final candidates. Lbrarians familiar with depository collections and/or state agency representatives are invited to serve as judges. Our judges review the candidates and select the final winners on the basis of criteria such as the document's appeal to a large audience, or its ability to provide significant information to the public.

The archive for previous winners is available in our digital State Documents Depository.

Enter your nominations for the 2024 Notable State Documents Awards or click on the Award Logo on the left. Nominations for publications produced during 2024 will be accepted through December 31, 2024.

      Monographs (physical or born digital)

• Addressing Social Isolation in Older Adults as a Determinant of Health I South Carolina Department on Aging, South Carolina Institute of Medicine & Public Health.
  While social isolation finds its way to all ages, this focus centers on the impact it has on older adults in our state. In this report, readers learn about the effect social isolation has on the physical and mental health of older adults. The recommendations in the report are noted as the top areas of concern, and include suggested ways to reduce problems associated with social isolation in our most vulnerable population.
   
• Unbeleafable! A Kid-Friendly, Self-Led Guide to Identifying Trees in Harbison State Forest I South Carolina Forestry Commission.
  The South Carolina Forestry Commission children's tree identification guide is designed for families to use while visiting Harbison State Forest to learn more about the basics of tree identification. The guide includes leaf characteristics, types of fruit/flowers, bark characteristics, the difference between hardwoods and softwoods, common tree species found on Harbison, and fun facts from Serrated Sam, the leaf character found on the cover. The guide is intended to be completed alongside an adult with access to a smartphone and directs families to go on a fun tree ID activity to try to identify 10 different tree species.
      
• South Carolina Strategic Statewide Resilience and Risk Reduction Plan*  I South Carolina Office of Resilience. 
  The South Carolina Office of Resilience is responsible for developing and implementing a Strategic Statewide Resilience and Risk Reduction Plan (Resilience Plan). This Resilience Plan is intended to serve as a framework to guide state investment in flood mitigation projects and the adoption of programs and policies to protect the people and property of South Carolina from the damage and destruction of extreme weather events. The Plan identifies major flood risks around the state and potential losses that could occur as a result of extreme weather events, and provides guidance on ways communities can better anticipate, absorb, recover and thrive when presented with environmental change and natural hazards.
  *Note: This publication must be downloaded to open. Click on the PDF file on the Documents Depository page to download.
   
• Florence-Darlington Technical College Early College Academy Career Pathways  I Florence-Darlington Technical College.
  This informational booklet describes FDTC’s Early College Academy (ECA) program, an innovative way for high school students to earn both a high school diploma and complete an associate degree in the time it takes to attend high school.  Completing the program allows students quicker entrance into the workforce or entry into a 4-year college with junior status. FDTC's ECA program requires maturity and dedication, and is academically rigorous, but makes it possible for students to eliminate two college years and accumulated debt.
   
• Come Back to the Land: An Exploration of James and Johns Islands African American Settlement Communities Guide I South Carolina  Department of Transportation, New South Associates.
  This publication comprises a research study, completed by New South Associates (NSA), of multiple African American Settlement Communities on both James and Johns Islands in Charleston County, South Carolina for the South Carolina Department of Transportation’s (SCDOT) Mark Clark Expressway Expansion Project. This investigation sought to compile and create a “cultural atlas” of the identified communities that the respective communities can use for future cultural heritage preservation. 
  Oral history interviews were gathered from May through June of 2022. This report brings collected narratives and archival information together with historic images and maps to present a historic context for James and Johns islands. Specific examinations of each settlement community for which information was gathered follow that broader historic context. The report also includes an atlas, both visual and narrative, of identified sites and areas across both islands that are associated with the various settlement communities, as well as a bibliography.
   

  Serials

• Grown in SC* | South Carolina Department of Agriculture.
  Grown in SC is an annual publication by the South Carolina Department of Agriculture. Complete with striking graphics and photography, it is produced to promote and highlight agriculture and agribusiness in South Carolina. This year's issue features "Ag Facts," articles on the beekeeping experience, a quail habitat program, flower farming, sweet potato recipes, and much more. 
  *Note: This publication must be downloaded to open. Click on the PDF file on the Documents Depository page to download.
   
• Coastal Heritage | Sea Grant Consortium. 
  Established in 1978, the South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium was created to manage and administer the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Sea Grant College Program for the South Carolina and adjacent regions that share a common heritage. The South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium publishes Coastal Heritage, a quarterly publication that covers environmental policy, science, history, and culture.
  This issue, from Fall, 2023, features an extensive article on Carolina bays, which are shallow, elliptical depressions found in the unconsolidated sediments throughout the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Some believe they were created by a shower of meteorites. Also included are regular features exploring Consortium related news and happenings around the state.
   
• 2022 Annual Report | South Carolina Department of Children’s Advocacy.
  The South Carolina Department of Children's Advocacy (DCA) completely redesigned its FY22 annual report to more clearly communicate our program operations and overarching legislative duties, as well as to note the achievements and benchmarks we hit during the fiscal year and what we set out to achieve in FY23.
  The DCA began operation on July 1, 2019, and is an independent state agency that examines the care and services that other state agencies provide children. The agency recommends ways to improve the quality of those services through the development and promotion of a broad vision for statewide reform. 
   
• Statistical Profile FY 2021-2022 | South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs.
  This profile contains information on the fiscal year 2021-2022 demographic shifts in the 21st century, economic and employment trends, educational attainment and occupational selection, housing and homeownership, poverty, public assistance, and health insurance coverage, linguistic diversity, ethnic identities, and citizenship in SC's minority communities, and conclusions and suggestions. The purpose is to help ascertain certain areas where South Carolina's minority populations have consistently experienced socio-economic deprivations, particularly in educational attainment and homeownership.
  
  Websites
   
• South Carolina State Museum Website: scmuseum.org I South Carolina State Museum.
  The State Museum's website, rebuilt from the ground up this year with a focus on accessibility, showcases how guests can explore South Carolina's rich history in-person and online. This new website also features a digital collection database, launched this fall, which allows educators, students, researchers and others to explore the museum's collection digitally for the first time in its 35-year history. This new feature allows the museum to share more of the over 1.1 million artifacts, artwork, fossils and specimens in its care as only a small portion of their collection is on display in its galleries. Additionally, this robust website offers more opportunities to explore the state (and museum's) history through podcasts, deeper dive articles and more.
   
• South Carolina Arts Commission Website: southcarolinaarts.com I South Carolina Arts Commission.

  On June 7, 1967, Governor Robert E. McNair signed legislation that established the South Carolina Arts Commission. For more than 50 years, the agency has worked to build a thriving arts environment that benefits all South Carolinians.
  The newly redesigned website features the results of a nearly 18-month process to better represent the work of the Arts Commission and the people it serves. The Commission wanted a look that showed boldness, demanded attention, and was fresh and original. This new brand hints at a vibrant, dynamic team. Special highlights of the site are Arts Daily, which directs users to art events around SC; The Hub, reporting on news happening around the state related to the arts; and a grants directory for artists, organizations, and schools.

• South Carolina Secretary of State Website: sos.sc.gov I South Carolina Secretary of State.

  The Office of the Secretary of State is mandated to serve as the state filing office for business corporations, nonprofit corporations, limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships and limited liability companies. In addition to business filings, the Secretary of State’s Office examines and files state trademarks, maintains the state notary public database, and issues commissions for elected officials and those appointed by the Governor.
  The goal of the Secretary of State's website is to provide the public with easy access to information and services from the convenience of home or office. This website is designed to serve as a one-stop portal for accessing general information, completing important tasks online, and providing information specifically related to each division. Whether one is a new user who is visiting to learn more about this office and what is done there or a returning visitor who simply needs to complete a filing online, the public is invited to take advantage of this convenient resource.

View previous winners of the South Carolina Notable Documents Awards.