By VICKI BROWN
Elizabeth Laney loves history, and said she always has.
As a Walterboro native, she has researched various old houses and historical buildings in the area, including the Old Jail and the Frazer House.
She has researched multiple families who have once lived in Colleton County, and she has also given walking tours of downtown Walterboro and the Live Oak Cemetery.
In the past, Laney could only answer questions about ancestry research in her spare time, but now she is working for the Colleton County Memorial Library, taking on a new role in order to help more people with genealogy as well as anything else they may need. She is the new Reference Librarian and Adult Services Coordinator.
“This is a dream come true for me,” said Laney. “I grew up here and spent time in this library. It is incredible that I can help people the way I was helped.”
She said she is excited about being able to help answer questions about ancestry, assist in the library’s historically-based South Carolina Room, and to help patrons with library needs.
“The chance to work in the South Carolina room with the wonderful resources and the unique collection we have there is another dream come true,” she said.
While she will be able to continue her work with genealogy, she will also be planning adult programming, leading workshops and book clubs, and generally answering questions from patrons.
The Walterboro High graduate used to work full-time as park interpreter for Redcliffe Plantation in Aiken and the Colleton County Museum. Laney is also curator of the Tuskegee Airman Exhibit at the Colleton Museum and the panels at the Walterboro Army Airfield Memorial Park.
“I am looking forward to this new chapter in my life, and I am eager to help patrons find what they are looking for in the library,” said Laney. “I am living my dream.”
