The Heritage Library, History and Ancestry Research Center

http://heritagelib.org/about-us

The Heritage Library, History and Ancestry Research Center is located on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. Here is a description from the website.

The Heritage Library is a private reference library and research center which is open to the public at a modest daily fee of ten dollars. 

It is one of the most comprehensive libraries of its kind in the region, with microfilm readers, computers, high-speed Web service and collections of books, microfilm, microfiche, CD-ROM, manuscripts, periodicals, video tapes, audio tapes, and maps. South Carolina materials account for about 10 percent of the holdings. The balance covers other states and many countries. 

The Library houses the records of The Hilton Head Island Historical Society containing a wealth of historical information, old photographs, and maps of Hilton Head Island and the Low Country. 

The library is an affiliated library of the Family History Library operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Here you view microfilm and microfiche maintained by the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.

Also, patrons of the Library have access to major online databases at ancestry.com, fold3.com (formerly footnote.com), americanancestors.com (formerly NEHGS), and HeritageQuest Online through the Library’s network.

Historical society libraries are all essentially "private" collections maintained by the society. This particular library is typical of such organizations. These types of organizations can often provide unique information about a particular geographic area. For example, if my family came from Annapolis, where I am now living, I would do a Google search for a local historical society or genealogical society using the location. As genealogists, we sometimes forget that we are really historians and that historical organizations also have valuable genealogical information and documents. 

By the way, it appears that the South Carolina Heritage Library has moved and will reopen in January 2018. Please check the website for an update on the opening and the location.