Director's column: Happy winter to you! I love this time of year for fireplaces and for snuggling under blankets with a hot cup of chamomile tea and a good book. A bowl of homemade soup can't be beat, either. I'm particularly excited about learning some new recipes and cooking tips at "Soup It Up!", which will be held in Camden on January 16 if you'd like to come join us. For a fun, free indoor event for the kids, bring them to our "Block Parties"! All libraries host Lego parties for kids to build, learn, and collaborate together with lots and lots of Legos, and the kids love it! Parents, the bonus for you is that you don't have to worry about cleaning up, or about stepping on a stray Lego buried in the carpet. (You know how much that hurts!) Please see our calendar for more information on dates and times. Our staff is working hard to refresh our collections. Recent changes include the children's nonfiction area in Camden, which is receiving all kinds of new titles. The Bethune library is undergoing numerous shifts with new audiobooks, DVD's, large print, and nonfiction, in keeping with patron demand. We want to offer what you want to check out! Many thanks to our Friends of the Library for their success with our fall book sale! Led by Friends President Bob Giangiorgi, the core book sale team included Al Reed, Anthony Hawkesworth, Phyllis Higgenbotham, Lori Kornegay, and Kate Denton, who put in enormous effort for the Friends' largest fundraiser of the year. We are also grateful for all of the volunteers who sorted books throughout the year and helped conduct the sale, and for those who donated items for the sale. Kershaw County Library is fortunate and thankful to have a community who cares so much about our services. Thank you so much! Lastly, we will be closed several days for Christmas, New Year's, and President's Day, but never fear! Our website is open 24/7 to download magazines, music, movies, ebooks, audiobooks, and much more to enjoy on your phone, tablet, or computer. Enjoy!
Friends of the Kershaw County Library Update The recently concluded annual book sale was very successful. In addition to the sales revenue we were able to add new Friends members. Many thanks to all that supported the sale – the community, Friends, volunteers, library staff, Kershaw County Parks and Recreation Department and the Wateree River Correctional Institution. The Friends are working with the library to identify needed areas of support. We should receive guidance once the new strategic plan is finalized. Meanwhile, we continue to support projects such as reading programs, BookPage subscription renewal, Repair Café, etc. The library has started collecting books once again. Please refer to the guidelines for book drop-off posted at the library. As you know, this is our main source of books for the sale. Our sorting/storage area in Dusty Bend is working well. The 2018 Friends membership drive will start early 2018. Your membership in the Friends organization provides important funding for numerous library projects. 2017 membership was off and we hope all past members renew in 2018. Membership flyers will be mailed and membership forms will be available at all branch locations. Become a Friend – your library counts on you!
Any comments/questions regarding Friends activities can be directed to Bob Giangiorgi at bgiangiorgi@pmgco.com. Thank you! - Bob Giangiorgi, Friends of Kershaw County Library 2