1. From the Director - May/June 2013

   April 18 , 2013 by Melanie Huggins

   A smart lady I know with two beautiful and equally smart little boys, stopped me in the grocery store and asked how things were going at the library. I replied, as I always do, that I have the best job in the best library system and that things were terrific. “Oh good,” she said, furrowing her brow, tilting her head and looking very concerned.  “Someone told me that libraries wouldn’t be around in the future and I didn’t want to believe it. I can’t imagine life without libraries.”
   
   
   As I finished shopping, I tried to imagine our community without libraries—an empty parking lot and boarded up windows at Cooper, the new Eastover location halted, mid-construction, and our beautiful downtown library, still and quiet, emptied of its books, computers and people. I roamed the aisles and let my mind erase all 11 locations. With the buildings gone, I tried to imagine what life would be like without us.
   
   
   I imagined the nearly 2,000 children from rural South Carolina who recently took a field trip to the Children’s Room. Their eyes wide and jaws slack, they explored the more than 160,000 books before them. These children were just starting to understand the worlds they could visit beyond their hometown, the things they could know, just by reading. Who would make sure these children had access to free books?
   
   
   I wondered who would have helped Stacey and her husband, when they followed a job prospect to Columbia that ended unexpectedly after just two months. Their meager resources not enough to sustain them they found themselves in a temporary shelter. Stacey sought help from our Business and Job Center, and with the assistance and the encouragement of staff got a new job.
   
   
   As I drove home, I thought of the countless times when the library has been there for people who need us. How we’ve been there for you, your family, friends and neighbors—the people who make our community and our country strong and vibrant.  If you take these stories and multiply them by the more than 2 million visitors the Richland Library welcomes each year and then multiply that by the number of libraries and their visitors all over the country, that’s powerful stuff.
   
   Thinking back to my grocery store encounter, I wish I had memorized and shared author Bill Peschel’s quote with my friend in response to her concerns: “Libraries are society’s workhorses, making available what is good and worthy and open to all who need information, reassurance or a kick in the imagination. A town without a library is irredeemably impoverished.”   Wish I could have recited that right there in the cereal aisle.
   
   But instead here’s how I responded:                  

2. From the Director - March/April 2013

   March 13 , 2013 by Melanie Huggins

   Our Main Library has a fantastic reputation, abroad as well as right here at home. Its contemporary architecture, green-tinted windows and trees growing inside the building, make it a landmark for downtown Columbia. The Main Library alone sees more than 1 million visits a year and more than 36% of all print books checked out in our library system come from this one facility. Each year, more than 20,000 children and families enjoy our world-class Children’s Room programs and top notch customer service. Since it opened a little over two and a half years ago, our Business and Job Center staff have worked with more than 30,000 people to provide one on one assistance with job and career support. The music and movies in our collection are outstanding, and people check out more than two million nonprint resources a year.
   
   Yet among some residents, the impression of Main is not a positive one. When I tell people where I work, it breaks my heart when they say “I don’t use that library. There are too many homeless people there.” There was a time where these remarks made me want to defend my library. Now I find myself wanting to defend the homeless. When I get the opportunity to listen to people talk about their concerns with homeless people in the library, I’m trying really hard to discern what the real issues are.

3. From the Director - January/February 2013

   December 12 , 2012 by Melanie Huggins

   Have you ever caught sight of yourself in a mirror and thought “Maybe it’s time for a new look?” Could be those acid washed jeans you can still rock (good for you!) or that closet full of plaid flannel shirts and Doc Martens that are still your go-to wardrobe staples. Or maybe you have a haircut that could just as easily be from 1963 as 2013? On the outside, you look dated and out of touch, but inside you still feel young and vibrant? That’s exactly how we felt.
   
   Guess who’s starting the year with a makeover? It’s your very own library! Noticed? We sure hope so. We’ve got a new, contemporary look that better reflects how we and our customers feel about what we do. Hopefully you’ve noticed the new logo on our signs and the shortened name – bringing the focus to the word “library.” Our new tagline, “Access Freely,” is exactly how we want you to use and think of all the wonderful resources we offer.
   
   But while much of this may sound cosmetic, our makeover is more than skin deep. For the past two years, our staff has been working hard to change who we are from the inside out. Like any good company, we understand that we have promised things to you and we intend to deliver. We promise to be:
   
   Welcoming – We are not only friendly, we are familiar. We pride ourselves on our hospitality and treat our customers like guests.
   Caring – You use the library because you need something we have to offer – but the reason you’ll return is because you know we care.
   Committed to Offering You the Best – We are passionate about what we do. We pride ourselves on being ahead of the curve.
   Helpful – We jump at the chance to help. We are flexible and try to eliminate barriers. We always work to put “Yes” before “No.”
   Fresh and Fun - We work to be current and interesting. We look for ways to have fun at work, to share our passions and interests with you.
   
   Ever used the saying "Pretty is as pretty does?" That's what comes to mind when I read our promises. No matter how exciting our makeover is, how we act is what people will remember.
   
   Warmly,
   
   Melanie Huggins, Executive Director

4. From the Director - July/August 2012

   July 1 , 2012 by Melanie Huggins

   Dear Friends,

5. From the Director - September/October 2012

   September 1 , 2012 by Melanie Huggins

   Dear Friends,

6. From the Director - November/December 2012

   November 1 , 2012 by Melanie Huggins

   Dear Friends,

7. From the Director

   November 15 , 2012

   Melanie Huggins
   Executive Director of Richland Library

   Thanks for using Richland Library. Regardless of how you use library resources or services, I want to be certain you find the library to be useful, usable and enjoyable!

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