Schweitzer, Small Branch Manager Edgar Allan Poe/Sullivan's Island Library (Credit: Steve Rosamilia)
Delores Schweitzer is waiting to go home—not to the childhood house on Sullivan’s Island where she now lives, but to another: a former Spanish-American War four-gun battery that taps into her creativity as a librarian at Charleston County Public Library (CCPL), her dedication to community service, and her ongoing curiosity about history.
The small structure, known as the Edgar Allan Poe Library at 1921 Ion Avenue, has long been Schweitzer’s workplace and is a cherished location, but it temporarily closed for renovations in August 2024.
Just a few blocks from her home, the library was the first place her parents allowed her to ride her bike to alone. She began visiting at the age of seven when the library first opened in 1977.
The Poe Library renovation is part of an $100.8 million project covering all 18 Charleston libraries. Funded by a taxpayer-approved referendum in 2014, the project includes the construction of five new libraries and renovations to 13 others. Some libraries have been updated, while others have undergone structural repairs or expansions. Enhancements to the Poe Library include fresh paint, new furniture, and renovations to restrooms and staff workspaces. A previous renovation several years ago improved the Wi-Fi service, overcoming the challenges of the building’s concrete structure. That Wi-Fi service will be accessible to those who sit at picnic tables and benches in front of the library once it reopens.
A few computers for public use are available inside the library, and some laptops are available for checkout. All staff and patrons are hopeful the reopening will occur soon.
The Poe Library is the second-to-last to be completed in the overall multiyear project, managed by Toni Lombardozzi, who was hired by CCPL as the project manager.
What remains is the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy before the space can be reopened to the public. The final phase of the challenging CCPL project will focus on the Charleston County Main Library on Calhoun Street.
During the renovation, Schweitzer has been working at the Wando Library, a facility where she was employed before coming to the Poe Library.
Schweitzer was familiar with the Poe Library building for decades before learning about the connection between Edgar Allan Poe and Sullivan’s Island, where he served as a soldier under an assumed name during the Spanish-American War.
For Schweitzer, however, the library was simply the place she went after school to select and check out books. She remembers the library feeling smaller than it actually is. Looking back, she believes the children’s room was eventually moved to a larger space in the back of the building. Schweitzer can still recall the spot where her favorite book was located.
“I took it out and read it again and again,” she said.
Years later, as a graduate student in a course on early childhood literature, Schweitzer drew the name Rosemary Wells out of a hat for a paper. Wells is the author of Benjamin and Tulip, Schweitzer’s favorite book.
“These days, I tell first-time parents, if their child loves a book and wants to hear it over and over, buy it and save it,” she said. “They’ll appreciate it when their child is in their 20s.”
What inspired her to become a librarian? As a college student, Schweitzer babysat for a landlord’s daughter in exchange for a rent reduction. The girl wasn't particularly interested in reading until Schweitzer introduced her to some of her favorite children's books, sparking the girl's interest. Schweitzer also discovered her passion for helping people find things while working at a video and music store.
“Someone would come in and hum a few bars, and I would help them find the song,” she said. “I enjoy helping people find things.”
Now, Schweitzer has her perfect job. She was a high school librarian in Georgia and a middle school librarian for Charleston County School District before joining CCPL. The Poe Library’s temporary closure has led to some adjustments in the scheduling of community programs, which continue to thrive. The Memoir Writing Group meets regularly at the Wando Library, as do the POE-etry Critique Group and the Beach Lovers Book Club. Beginning and advanced Mahjong games are held at the Baptist Church on Sullivan’s Island. Children’s programs will resume once the library reopens.
Other ongoing events include collaborations with the National Park Service and programming related to arts and crafts, bird watching, gardening, and local and natural history.
Schweitzer notes that hundreds of visitors tour the Poe Library each year, drawn by its unique architecture and its ties to the Poe legacy. She remains inspired to learn more about the man for whom the library is named. During its closure, Schweitzer visited Providence, Rhode Island, where Poe spent time in 1848 while courting poet Sarah Helen Whitman. She also traveled to the Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia, where visitors can see a lock of Poe’s black hair, along with other artifacts from the life of the writer, who died at just 40. Poe’s works, including The Raven, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Fall of the House of Usher, and The Gold Bug, continue to endure. The Gold Bug is a tale of a search for buried pirate treasure on Sullivan’s Island.
For program schedules and more information, visit ccpl.org/branches, contact the library during regular hours at 843-883-3914, or email poe@ccpl.org. For general information on CCPL, visit ccpl.org or follow the library on social media (@chascolibrary).