Staff Picks

Reality Break: Funny TV on Hoopla

They say laughter is the best medicine, so why not take a break from reality by trying one of these TV comedies available on Hoopla and laugh the day away. Also, check out The Last O.G. with Tracy Morgan, and Search Party with Alia Shawkat.
Staff Picks

Reality Break: Get Creative Edition

Stuck at home? Starting to go a little stir-crazy? Why not use this time to learn a new skill like how to repair a flat bicycle tire, or get lost in a new-found hobby like paint pouring? Take a moment for some self-care action by making your own sugar scrub, or declutter your space so you can focus on what's important. Check out this small sampling to get those creative juices flowing, break out of the Netflix binge, (maybe change out of your pajamas?) and let yourself experience something new!
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Richland Library Main

Learning Computer Basics at Home

In-person classes are postponed, but that’s no excuse to stop learning! Check out these digital resources for learning computer basics.
Staff Picks

Comics Connections For Live-Action Series

A lot of popular shows are inspired by or spun off into graphic novels these days, including the titles below. Explore the comics roots and adaptations of several hot live-action shows via Hoopla. These titles are immediately available for digital checkout with no wait times!
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Richland Library Main

Resources for Jobseekers During COVID-19

Our Business and Careers team put together this great list of resources to help you find employment now, prepare you for online applications and interviews, and equip you with tools to earn supplemental income or find out if you qualify for unemployment.
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Richland Library Sandhills

Working Remotely Like a Boss

Look no further for tips for working remotely and tools you can use to connect with your team.
Staff Picks

E-Books Guaranteed to Make You Laugh

In this time of uncertainty we are all in need of a good belly-rolling, tears streaming down our cheeks, gasping for breath laugh. Practice your social distancing with this list of e-books, available for free with your Richland Library card, that are certain to whisk you away to a world of comedic comfort all without ever leaving your couch.
Staff Picks

Girls' Night In!

Chill out with some fun, easy romantic comedies. All the titles below are PG or PG-13, and are available 24/7 on Hoopla with no wait list! Did you know that you can view Hoopla on your computer, phone, tablet, or TV? Watch using the Hoopla app for smart devices, AppleTV, Chromecast, FireTV, or Roku. Need help? Contact us at 803.799.9084 or Ask Us online.
Staff Picks

How To Find Big Comics On Hoopla

Whether you're in the mood for a nice, long comic on Hoopla or are simply looking to maximize your last checkout for the month, here are some search terms that will go the distance in the search field: “Book One,” “Omnibus,” “Complete,” and “Deluxe Edition.” Some great examples of the results are listed below. Settle in and enjoy!
Staff Picks

Art Books For Gamers On Hoopla

Go beyond the surface of your favorite videogames with these art books and visual guides, often including commentary from the original creative teams.
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Richland Library Main

Whatcha Got Cookin'? 👩🏽‍🍳

Perhaps one of the things you can do with all this extra time on your hands is devote yourself to learning to prepare a new dish, cooking with the kiddos, and enjoying a leisurely home cooked meal with the family.
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Richland Library Main

I Want My MTV - That is, I Want My Mystery Television 📺 !

Stuck at home and didn't have a chance to load up on your favorite mysteries, thrillers, and crime drama TV on DVD or don't have access to streaming services such as Hulu, Netflix, and the like? Then you should definitely think about giving hoopla, one of our Stream and Download services, a try! #WatchFreely
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Richland Library Sandhills

Support for Small Businesses

Small and local businesses are working through COVID-19 with creativity. We've pulled together a list of assistance and resources for small business owners, and several ways the community can help during this time.
Staff Picks

Visit a Galaxy Far, Far Away

With a new game, the entire Skywalker Saga streaming online, and even more in the works, it's the perfect time to jump into the Star Wars Universe (without leaving home!). Below are some of my personal favorites, from both current canon and the 'Legends' titles. May the force be with you!
Staff Picks

Staff Picks: Sandhills

Enjoy this collection of books, music, movies, and more from the staff at Richland Library Sandhills.
Staff Picks

Leadership for the New Decade

Workplaces are rapidly changing, from how we communicate, to our physical spaces, to how we are evaluated and promoted. Try one of these titles on leadership for this new decade. Also, check out our eresources for thousands more titles- Overdrive, CloudLibrary and Hoopla!
Staff Picks

Reality Break: eaudio Edition

Reality got you down? Take a break from the news and the COVID-19 panic with these eaudiobooks available for free with your Richland Library card. The best part- you don't even have to leave your house, so social distance yourself and get lost in a good (eaudio)book!
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Richland Library Main

Stuck at Home? 👀

14 things that just might get you through an extended homestay
Staff Picks

Loonshots, Wildpreneurs, and Selling Naked

If you think business books are boring, you might want to take a look at some of the new business titles in our collection. Learn how to craft a rewarding entrepreneurial future for yourself (Wildpreneurs) or build a direct-to-consumer online business (Selling Naked). Read about how seemingly crazy ideas can lead to innovative breakthroughs (
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf: Sci-Fi eReads

Worried about the coronavirus (COVID-19)? Instead of putting yourself at risk coming into contact with deadly germs, check out an ebook or eaudiobook from our downloadble collections from the comfort of your own home. Overdrive (Libby), Cloud Library, and Hoopla are great resources to keep yourself entertained during times of quarantine, or anytime! Try one of these titles to check off one of the prompts to get you closer to the tote bag raffle that is being offered to all who finish the #BroaderBookshelf challenge.
Staff Picks

New in Biography and Memoir

Check out this varied slate of new biographies and memoirs recently added to our collection. Standout titles include a new graphic-novel adaptation of Gertrude Stein’s The Autobiography of Alice B.
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Richland Library Sandhills

In Defense of DNF: The Case for Quitting Books

There are two types of readers: those who persist and those who DNF — or "do not finish." Although many folks insist on completing every book they begin, quitting could help you be a better reader.
Staff Picks

LibraryReads for March 2020

Each month, LibraryReads lists the top upcoming titles recommended by librarians across the country. All these books will be published in March 2020, so stay ahead of the curve and get on the holds list now!
Staff Picks

The Luck of the Irish

Try your luck with these works written by Irish authors. They are as lush and captivating as the Emerald Isle itself. Or, ask your local librarian for even more suggestions!
Staff Picks

For the Love of Dogs

Whether you are dog-obsessed or just dog-curious, there's a little something for everyone on this list. Sit. Stay. Read!
Staff Picks

#BlackGirlMagic

The #BlackGirlMagic movement took off in 2013 and has since "become a rallying cry and affirmation for black women all over", says originator CaShawn Thompson. Check out these out to keep the magic alive. It's just a tiny sampling of what Richland Library has to offer!
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Richland Library Main

For the Love of Dog(s)

My journey of losing a beloved family pet and finding a new purpose as a foster dog mom.
Staff Picks

Picks from the Belletrist Book Club

Check out these picks from Emma Robert's Belletrist Book Club. The April 2024 Pick is Memory Piece by Lisa Ko
Staff Picks

New in Science

What are science writers pondering these days? How about the genetic superiority of women, plant migration, and exploding stars? These are some of the fascinating topics explored in new books in our collection (some are currently on order, but you can place holds on these). Scan the following list to see what intrigues you most.
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Richland Library Main

March on Sisters!

In this moment, full of potential, in March, the month that comes in like a lion and is National Women’s History Month, I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude and to shine a light on five of the lionesses who have inspired and supported me.
Staff Picks

Strong Female Protagonists

Celebrate National Women's History Month with these great reads featuring strong female leads. Ask your local librarian for even more suggestions!
Staff Picks

Letter Recognition and Phonemic Awareness

Looking for ways to help your preschoolers with letter recognition and phonemic awareness? This booklist is full of playful and developmentally appropriate ways to help preschoolers at home. Want more books? Ask your librarian for their recommendations or call the Children's Room at Richland Library Main (803.929.3434). We can send books to your closest Richland Library location.
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Richland Library Main

Why Should I Care About the Census?

We are long-gone from traditional households, traditional family make-ups. More than a melting pot, we have become an all you can eat salad bar.
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2020 - First Contact Science Fiction

Fulfill the "Read a Science Fiction Book" prompt by choosing a book from your favorite subgenre or trying something new! First contact with an alien species is one of my favorite topics in science fiction - will the aliens be hostile? Friendly? Incomprehensible? The books in this list are as varied as the species they depict. This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2020 reading challenge. Find more lists here.
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Richland Library Main

Moments in Local Women’s History

Celebrate National Women’s History Month with a look back at events that shaped women’s roles in our community. Some moments moved us forward, others bring the glass ceiling into relief. In all we meet women who have made strides in expanding the role of women in our community.
Staff Picks

LibraryReads for February 2020

Each month, LibraryReads lists the top upcoming titles recommended by librarians across the country. All these books will be published in February 2020, so stay ahead of the curve and get on the holds list now!
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2020 - Space Opera Science Fiction

Fulfill the "Read a Science Fiction Book" prompt by choosing a book from your favorite subgenre or trying something new! Space opera is BIG science fiction - grand and dramatic, usually involving something like interstellar empires at war, massive alien civilizations, major ambition, big risk taking, and high adventure. This is the sci fi analogue of epic or high fantasy - these books usually come at least in a trilogy.
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Richland Library Sandhills

The Joy of Color: Alma Woodsey Thomas

From the classroom to the canvas, educator and painter Alma Woodsey Thomas was a force of encouragement, growth, and inspiration for her community in Washington, D.C.
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Richland Library Main

Talking to Children about Tragedy

Books are one of the best ways to open the door on a topic, to start a discussion with your children about tough issues.
Staff Picks

I've Read Everything by Danielle Steel...

Read everything by Danielle Steel and don't know what to read next? Check out some of these read-alike authors and titles to find your new favorite! Ask your local librarian or check out Novelist for even more suggestions!
Staff Picks

Graphic Novels In Living Color

In Collaboration with Avery Harrison Enjoy these graphic novels that celebrate African American History Month, as well as the month of March. Make your way down to your local library or personal electronic device to check them out. Ask your local librarian for even more suggestions.
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2020 - Humor in Science Fiction

Fulfill the "Read a Science Fiction Book" prompt by choosing a book from your favorite subgenre or trying something new! Have you tried a funny science fiction book? Would you like to? Some of these have funny premises or are straight-out humor books, while others have funny protagonists or bleak humor about serious situations. This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2020 reading challenge. Find more lists here.
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Richland Library Main

March 2, 1961 at the State House

New discoveries from the Local History collections illuminate a March 2, 1961 civil rights protest in Columbia that led to a U.S. Supreme Court decision.
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Richland Library Main

Share the Love

Spread a little Valentine’s cheer ❤️. Download and print🖨 our timeless, literary themed Valentines. Link in profile. Xoxo
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2020 - Occupation Books about Clergy

Fulfill the "Read a Book About a Protagonist That Has Your Occupation" prompt by finding a book about somebody in your line of work. Of course we can't provide a list for every imaginable kind of job, so if you don't see anything close to what you do drop us a line and we'll try to find you one! Clergy in books are detectives, spiritual advisors, diarists, and persuaders - enjoy this list of books about priests, nuns, ministers, monks, rabbis, and other people with religious callings.
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2020 - Hard Science Fiction

Fulfill the "Read a Science Fiction Book" prompt by choosing a book from your favorite subgenre or trying something new! If you don't care for most science fiction because you keep saying "no way, that could never happen!" then hard sci-fi is for you. This subgenre sticks to technology and developments that are carefully plausible extensions of what's possible in the present day. While technology may bypass hard sci fi books (Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea was an early representative of the subgenre) and some authors extrapolate very far into the futur
Staff Picks

Melanin Poppin' Graphic Novels

This list features Graphic Novels that have Black or Brown Protagonists and/or Secondary Characters.
Staff Picks

Black Speculative Fiction

Speculative fiction explores the "what if." This list features Speculative, Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror books written by Black Authors.
Staff Picks

Party Games!

Enjoy this collection of video games, each aimed at supporting a crowd!
Staff Picks

12 Best Psychological Thrillers of January 2020

If you are addicted to Psychological Thrillers, here are 12 brand new titles published in January 2020. All of these books are gripping page turners which will keep you at the edge of your seat till the very end.
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2020 - Occupation Books about the Military

Fulfill the "Read a Book About a Protagonist That Has Your Occupation" prompt by finding a book about somebody in your line of work. Of course we can't provide a list for every imaginable kind of job, so if you don't see anything close to what you do drop us a line and we'll try to find you one! Of course there's no shortage of books about soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines - but just to get you started, we've provided this list of books about the military, past and present.
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2020 - Time Travel Science Fiction

Fulfill the "Read a Science Fiction Book" prompt by choosing a book from your favorite subgenre or trying something new! Time travel usually falls into the science fiction genre, although there are some fantasy exceptions and plenty of room to argue. Get medieval! Go too far into the future and get a front row seat to the heat death of the universe! It's up to you.
Staff Picks

Classic Sci-Fi

Enjoy this classic selection of science fiction works: From the macabre visions of Mary Shelley and H. P. Lovecraft, to the contemporary works of Andy Weir and James S. A. Corey, these pieces are a great start for anyone looking to get into Science Fiction, or to round out their bibliography as an existing fan.
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2020 - Cover Me, I'm Going In!

To fulfill the "Choose a Book Based on Its Cover and Read It" prompt you'll have to use your own judgment while browsing our displays, stacks, or book lists - but to help you out we've all chosen a few of our favorites. Here are some of the books I've read in the past few years with covers that made me look twice! This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2020 reading challenge. Find more lists here.
Staff Picks

AF AM Teen & YA Reads

Explore coming of age with these compelling novels centered around being young and black-- ranging from romance, psych thrillers, fantasy, and much more.
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2020: Covers Only

Fulfill the "Choose a book based on its cover and read it prompt" by picking a title from this list that looks interesting. Or come in to a branch, browse, and pick a book strictly based on it's cover. This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2020 reading challenge. Find more lists here.
Staff Picks

20 Best Multicultural Fiction Books of 2019

Multicultural fiction books are interesting as they take you on incredible journeys to exotic new lands and immerse you into different cultures. However, the human emotions are universal and one can relate with the stories despite the different races and backgrounds of the characters. Do browse and checkout some of the best multicultural fiction titles published in 2019.
Staff Picks

Christian Living Ebooks

In these ebooks authors share their wisdom on how to understand scripture for what it is--not what we want it to be. Tag along on a journey of navigating spiritual life and overcoming the doubts that keep us from living a devoted Christian life.
Staff Picks

Indie Games for Everyone

Enjoy this diverse collection of games from smaller developers and publishers. Just because these games are made by small studios (or even just one person!), it doesn't mean they're any less great. From well-known crafting sims to isolating space adventures, to living a small-town farming life, these games offer something for every game.
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2020 - Utopian Science Fiction

Fulfill the "Read a Science Fiction Book" prompt by choosing a book from your favorite subgenre or trying something new! Utopian sci fi features a setting that, at least on the surface, is a more or less perfect future. Of course, actual happiness is boring - expect most utopias to have a dark underbelly or a nasty neighbor bent on conquest! This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2020 reading challenge. Find more lists here.
Staff Picks

Fight with Your Friends!

Beat up your friends in this assortment of Fighting Game titles!
Staff Picks

Fantasy in Your Fantasy - Part 2

If you'd like to spice up your Romance reading with a few ghosts, vampires, werewolves and others, check out these paranormal romance titles. Part 2 of 2
Staff Picks

Fantasy in Your Fantasy - Part 1

If you'd like to spice up your Romance reading with a few ghosts, vampires, werewolves and others, check out these paranormal romance titles. Part 1 of 2
Staff Picks

New Year, New You - Be Happy

It's a new year! Check out some titles that will inspire you to live your best life!
Staff Picks

New Year, New You - Finances

It's 2020! Look at some of these titles to get your new financial house in order.
Staff Picks

Spark a Conversation

As Americans continue to confront the inequities that plague our community when it comes to race and diversity, we continue to become more aware of innate biases and prejudices, and are looking for ways to change the stranglehold that racism has on our society. Whether we get there by looking deeper within ourselves to make changes to the way we think and act, or search outside our bubbles to create a positive impact in the broader sense- these books will help move the conversation forward. Audiobooks, ebooks, eaudio, and book club sets may be available.
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Richland Library Main

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Columbia

The city of Columbia has felt the impact of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in countless ways. We are lucky to have some photographs of the great man in our local newspaper archive.
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2020 - Dystopian Science Fiction

Fulfill the "Read a Science Fiction Book" prompt by choosing a book from your favorite subgenre or trying something new! Dystopian sci fi explores its protagonists' response to a broken world. It can feature a future which has technologically regressed back to the Stone Age or a future where all humans are pure consciousness enslaved by computers - if it's in the future and it's bad, it's a dystopia.
Staff Picks

Role-Playing Games That Will Keep You Gaming

These RPGs are long and immersive experiences, each with their own rich world and characters. Ranging from delightful reimaginings of well-known video game icons, to notoriously difficult and dark Action-RPGs, this list has something for everyone.
Staff Picks

10 Best New Books of January 2020

Are you looking for new books to read in the new year? Do browse these titles published in January 2020. All of them are interesting and popular reads with great reviews from critics and readers.
Staff Picks

Essential Metal Albums

Enjoy some of the best heavy metal that Richland Library has to offer! From the very beginnings with Black Sabbath, to the contemporary albums of Mastodon and Dragonforce, this cross-section of notable metal albums should be more than enough to satisfy any headbanger.
Staff Picks

These Graphic Novels Will Shock and Horrify You!

These works are not for the faint of heart! These are some of the best of the best of horror comics and manga, each one more horrifying than the last. Readers, beware! CN: Blood, Gore, Language, Nudity (They're not for kids!)
Staff Picks

The New Roaring Twenties

Get out your flapper dresses and bob your hair! The 20's are back! Celebrate the start of the new decade by checking out some of these Jazz Age inspired reads. They'll have you doing the Charleston in no time! Ask your local librarian for even more suggestions!
Staff Picks

I've Read Everything by Heather Graham...

Read everything by Heather Graham and don't know what to read next? Check out some of these read-alike authors and titles to find your new favorite! Ask your local librarian for even more suggestions!
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2020 - Feminist Science Fiction

Fulfill the "Read a Science Fiction Book" prompt by choosing a book from your favorite subgenre or trying something new! Feminist sci fi tends to deal with themes like reproduction, gender inequality, and sexuality, providing contrast with contemporary gender relations by using science fiction's "what if" potential. This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2020 reading challenge. Find more lists here.
Staff Picks

Contemplative Picture Books

These picture books feature introspective characters and themes, allowing young and developing readers to explore not only their thoughts, but the world around them. These range from simple poems on top of beautiful photographs and illustrations, to wordless expressions of art and narrative.