Blog
Richland Library Main

DIY: Pressed Flowers

  • Morgan R.
  • Tuesday, July 14

From saving wedding bouquet flowers to just clipping a few blooms from your yard, pressed flowers make for an easy way to create beautiful art.

Blog
Richland Library Ballentine

Visible Mending

  • Melissa Sprenne
  • Friday, June 24

Do your favorite jeans have a rip? Do you have a shirt you're bored with? Don't throw them out! Learn how to mend and embellish your clothing - and save money, too.

Blog
Richland Library Main

Conversation Starters

  • Richland Library
  • Friday, July 10

Books to help you gain a better understanding of race and inclusion. 

Blog
Richland Library Sandhills

DIY Personalized Notebook for Teens

  • Emily Barber
  • Thursday, July 09

What's better than colorful notebooks? A personalized colorful notebook! Check out this tutorial for a DIY notebook that costs as little as $1.

Transforming Your Life Through Self-care
The Self-care Solution
Staff Picks

Season of Self Care

  • Ariel H.
  • Tuesday, June 30
Although it is important to prioritize your body's health, it is especially important now more than ever. Included below are titles that range from meditation to other alternative ways of healing your mind, body and soul. Take a deep breath and know that you are not in this journey alone. Hope you enjoy!
Blog
Richland Library Ballentine

Create Your Own Jump Rope

  • Lynsey C.
  • Friday, August 28

Jumping rope is an iconic summer activity. It is great exercise and has a long and award-winning history in South Carolina. Follow along with this tutorial to learn how to make your own jump rope out of plastic bags and help save the environment at the same time!

Blog
Richland Library Main

Who's Ready for Some Sports?

  • Emily Stoll
  • Friday, June 26

If you're looking for a little dose of sports, our staff has some great titles that may be up your alley.

Blog
Online

World Refugee Day: Create Your Own Atypical Doll

  • Diana Farfán
  • Saturday, June 20

Celebrate the strength and courage of refugees worldwide with artist Diana Farfan. In her doll making workshop, she will lead you through the creation of symbolic textile and mixed media characters, exploring the concepts of identity and belonging.

Blog
Richland Library Main

iRead: Coming-of-Age Stories for Tweens, Teens & Adults

  • Children's Room
  • Saturday, June 27

iRead features the best ebooks and eaudiobooks for children and teens curated by the Children's Room and Teen Center staff. 

Delve into these stories of growing up and self-discovery set in a world filled with judgment and possibility.  

Like Vanessa
Finding Langston
Staff Picks

Let's Talk Race for Children & Families

  • Children's Room
  • Saturday, June 13
Share these #OwnVoices picture books and middle grade novels together and begin the practice of having regular and honest family conversations about race.   Embrace Race offers 10 Tips for Teaching and Talking to Kids About Race that will help you get started.  
Free Lunch
Path to the Stars
Staff Picks

Read All About It: Memoirs & Biographies for Middle Schoolers

  • Heather M.
  • Friday, June 05
Memoirs and biographies are real life stories that inspire.  From samurais to cowboys, writers to activists, this list is full of people who have faced hardship and triumphed.  Download one of these amazing ebooks or eaudiobooks to start reading or listening today. 
Blog
Richland Library Main

iRead: Let's Talk Race for Children & Families

  • Children's Room
  • Friday, June 05

iRead features the best ebooks and eaudiobooks for children and teens curated by the Children's Room and Teen Center staff.  

When it comes to children, adults have the opportunity, through literature and stories, to help children form attitudes which support equity and inclusion, so we have not only an opportunity, but an obligation, to share books reflecting the black experience and written by black authors, with children.

The Poet X
The Poet X
Staff Picks

Let's Talk Race for Teens & Adults

  • Children's Room
  • Friday, June 05
Talk about race and the black experience in America with these #OwnVoices titles for teens and adults.
Blog
Richland Library Main

iRead: Celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

  • Children's Room
  • Friday, June 05

iRead features the best ebooks and eaudiobooks for children and teens curated by the Children's Room and Teen Center staff.  

"May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM), celebrating the achievements and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States."--The Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies, apaics.org

 

Blog
Richland Library Ballentine

5 Films for Free: Birds, Bugs, and Botany

  • Melissa Sprenne
  • Friday, June 24

This weekly blog series, published each Friday evening, features five films from streaming services which you can access for free using your library card. The five selections this week are nature documentaries - just because we're stuck inside doesn't mean we can't still enjoy some of the wonders of our world!

Blog
Richland Library Main

Uncover These Mysterious Titles

  • Emily Stoll
  • Wednesday, May 20

Richland Library staff is recommending some thrillers that are full of loaded questions and may just leave you on the edge of your seat.

Database

Academic Onefile

This premier periodical resource provides millions of articles from scholarly journals and other authoritative sources with extensive coverage in multiple subject areas.

Read More | Access
Blog
Richland Library Main

iRead: Fast Friends

  • Children's Room
  • Friday, May 15

iRead features the best ebooks and eaudiobooks for children and teens curated by the Children's Room and Teen Center staff.  

Whether it's true blue friends or even a new friend, friendships deeply impact our lives.  They teach us about the world and about ourselves.  Sometimes we're not ready to learn the lesson until that friend is gone.

Discover your own fast friends in this week's iRead picks featuring two middle grade novels and one teen title.  

Blog
Richland Library Main

iRead: World at War

  • Children's Room
  • Monday, May 11

iRead features the best ebooks and eaudiobooks for children and teens curated by the Children's Room and Teen Center staff.  

These new middle grade novels and graphic novel explore the world at war.  Revealing that even in our darkest hour, we can still find the light.  

Blog
Richland Library Main

Switch up Your Summer Reading List

  • Emily Stoll
  • Thursday, July 02

Are you searching for a reading recommendation this summer? Our staff is ready to introduce some new titles to your home library.

Blog
Richland Library Main

iRead: Murder, Magic and Mayhem

  • Children's Room
  • Friday, May 01

iRead features the best ebooks and eaudiobooks for children and teens curated by the Children's Room and Teen Center staff.  

Fans of fantasy will devour these delicious new titles recommended by our Teen Center staff featuring murder, magic and mayhem.

Blog
Richland Library Main

iRead: Searching for Home

  • Children's Room
  • Friday, June 05

iRead features the best ebooks and eaudiobooks for children and teens curated by the Children's Room and Teen Center staff.  

In these stories, religious differences or war drive each of these young women away from the country they know and force them to find a new home.

Blog
Richland Library Ballentine

Crafty How-To: Canvas and Thread Wall Art

  • Melissa Sprenne
  • Wednesday, May 27

Learn how to make piece of art for your wall! This craft is suitable for anyone who can safely hold a needle and use a ruler!

Blog
Richland Library Ballentine

Common Backyard Birds

  • Melissa Sprenne
  • Wednesday, May 27

Learn about our most common backyard birds and how to identify the uncommon ones

Blog
Richland Library Main

iRead: The Raymie Nightingale Trilogy

  • Children's Room
  • Saturday, April 18

iRead features the best ebooks and eaudiobooks for children and teens curated by the Children's Room and Teen Center staff.  

Check-out these books by one of our favorite authors, Kate DiCamillo, and recommended by one of our favorite librarians, Ms. Leslie.

 

Blog
Richland Library Main

In Need of a Good Laugh?

  • Emily Stoll
  • Thursday, April 23

Enjoy a good laugh with these comedic book, music and movie recommendations from Richland Library staff.

Blog
Richland Library Main

iRead: Guys Take the Lead

  • Children's Room
  • Saturday, April 25

iRead features the best ebooks and eaudiobooks for children and teens curated by the Children's Room and Teen Center staff.  

This time, our staff shares some powerful stories where guys take the lead.

Blog
Richland Library Main

iRead: It's Complicated...

  • Children's Room
  • Saturday, April 11

iRead features the best ebooks and eaudiobooks for children and teens curated by the Children's Room and Teen Center staff.  

This week, explore some of the newest Teen titles about complicated relationships.

Blog
Richland Library Sandhills

Finding Meaning in Weird Times

  • Emily Barber
  • Wednesday, April 08

We're in the midst of a crisis, but for the luckier ones, it might just feel like a really weird time. How do we make meaning and find a purpose when the best thing we can do is stay put?

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful
Staff Picks

Immerse Yourself in a Full Cast Audiobook Today!

  • Jennifer N.
  • Monday, April 06
Right now seems like a perfect time to take a voyage through space (Illuminae), travel into a fantasy world (Princess Academy and Redwall), or maybe just lose yourself in a mystery (Sadie, The Graveyard Book), a charming romance (Meet Cute, Boy Meets Boy), or some award-winning realistic fiction (Monster, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl).  With full cast recordings, these eaudiobooks will transport you into your new favorite story.  
Blog
Richland Library Main

iRead: 2020-2021 SC Book Award Nominees

  • Children's Room
  • Friday, April 03

iRead features the best ebooks and eaudiobooks for children and teens curated by the Children's Room and Teen Center staff.  

This week, check out some of the best titles from the 2020-2021 SC Book Award Nominee lists.

 

Blog
Richland Library Main

Join Forces with Staffing Agencies for Successful Employment

  • Sylvie G.
  • Friday, April 10

Now more than ever, you don’t have to go it alone to find essential and life-sustaining work. You can partner with staffing agency recruiters whose job it is to find potential employers seeking your specific valued skill set and experience.

 

The Poet X
The Wizards of Once
Staff Picks

Listen to an Odyssey Award Winner!

  • Jennifer N.
  • Monday, March 30
Looking for a great audiobook that you can download to your phone, computer, or tablet?  Richland Library's got you covered!  The Odyssey Awards and Honors are given annually to high quality audiobooks for children and teens - learn more here.  Check out the titles below on Overdrive and Hoopla.
The Complete Beginner's Guide to Drawing
Creative Pep Talk
Staff Picks

Reality Break: Get Creative Edition

  • Morgan R.
  • Friday, March 27
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!
Not If I Save You First
Not if I Save You First
Staff Picks

In the News: eBooks for Children & Teens

  • Heather M.
  • Tuesday, March 24
Check out these great ebooks and audiobooks recently featured on WIS News 10 and curated by our Children's Room and Teen Center team. Want more eaudiobook or ebook recommendations?  Call Richland Library Main (803) 799-9084 from 9 am-4 pm Monday-Friday or Ask-a-Librarian.  One of our staff members would be happy to create recommendations just for you.
Road to Riverdale Volume 1
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Staff Picks

Comics Connections For Live-Action Series

  • Thomas M.
  • Monday, March 23
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!
Blog
Richland Library Main

Resources for Jobseekers During COVID-19

  • Sylvie G.
  • Friday, August 07

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.

Blog
Richland Library Main

Pandemic Parenting

  • Sarah Sawicki
  • Thursday, March 26

Pandemic Parenting, or "You're not very good at this, are you?"

Chocolat
Emma
Staff Picks

Girls' Night In!

  • Jennifer N.
  • Friday, March 20
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.
The Complete Wimmen's Comix
Planetary. Issue 1-14, All over the World, and Other Stories
Staff Picks

How To Find Big Comics On Hoopla

  • Thomas M.
  • Thursday, March 19
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!
The Hazel Wood
Not if I Save You First
Staff Picks

For Your Listening Pleasure: Teen Audiobooks from the SC Book Awards

  • Jennifer N.
  • Thursday, March 19
We love audiobooks for long days at home- they're a perfect companion for cleaning, cooking, or working on a new maker project.  Check out some of the Teen Center's favorites from this year's SC Book Award nominees.  The best part?  They're all available on Hoopla, 24/7, with no wait list.  Happy listening!
The Art of Anthem
The Art of Splatoon 2
Staff Picks

Art Books For Gamers On Hoopla

  • Thomas M.
  • Thursday, March 19
Go beyond the surface of your favorite videogames with these art books and visual guides, often including commentary from the original creative teams.
Guitar Notes
Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings
Staff Picks

Six Great Clean Teen Reads On Hoopla

  • Thomas M.
  • Thursday, March 19
If you are looking for a good, clean read for the teens in your life, these six titles are available in Hoopla, which means there's no wait list. Even better, read them together!
Blog
Richland Library Main

Whatcha Got Cookin'? 👩🏽‍🍳

  • Chantal W.
  • Monday, March 23

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. 

Jedi Search
A Crash of Fate
Staff Picks

Visit a Galaxy Far, Far Away

  • Jennifer N.
  • Wednesday, March 18
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!
Blog
Richland Library Main

Stuck at Home? 👀

  • Laura Bliss Morris
  • Monday, March 30

14 things that just might get you through an extended homestay

Blog
Richland Library Sandhills

In Defense of DNF: The Case for Quitting Books

  • Emily Barber
  • Tuesday, March 10

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.

A Ballerina's Tale
Black Girls Rock!
Staff Picks

#BlackGirlMagic

  • Morgan R.
  • Monday, March 09
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! 
Americanah
Little Women or Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy
Staff Picks

Strong Female Protagonists

  • Kristin A.
  • Friday, February 28
Celebrate National Women's History Month with these great reads featuring strong female leads. Ask your local librarian for even more suggestions!
The Gods Themselves
The Martian Chronicles
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2020 - First Contact Science Fiction

  • Sara M.
  • Wednesday, February 26
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.
Blog
Richland Library Main

Moments in Local Women’s History

  • Margaret D.
  • Thursday, February 27

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.

The Undefeated
The King of Kindergarten
Staff Picks

The Best Multicultural Children's Books of 2019

  • Caitlin B.
  • Friday, February 21
The following books were all named in the Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature's Best Multicultural Children's Books of 2019. This list offers a variety of picture books, novels, and nonfiction for children and teens.
Prador Moon
Use of Weapons
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2020 - Space Opera Science Fiction

  • Sara M.
  • Wednesday, February 19
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.
Blog
Richland Library Sandhills

The Joy of Color: Alma Woodsey Thomas

  • Emily Barber
  • Wednesday, February 19

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.

Black Panther. Long Live the King
Luke Cage
Staff Picks

Graphic Novels In Living Color

  • Helene F.
  • Friday, February 14
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.
The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Martians, Go Home
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2020 - Humor in Science Fiction

  • Sara M.
  • Wednesday, February 12
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.
Blog
Richland Library Main

March 2, 1961 at the State House

  • Margaret D.
  • Monday, February 10

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.

Rendezvous with Rama
Leviathan Wakes
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2020 - Hard Science Fiction

  • Sara M.
  • Wednesday, February 05
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
African-American Classics
Abbott
Staff Picks

Melanin Poppin' Graphic Novels

  • Desire'e Thomas
  • Monday, February 03
This list features Graphic Novels that have Black or Brown Protagonists and/or Secondary Characters. 
Six Goodbyes We Never Said
Kiss Kill Vanish
Staff Picks

Anti-Valentine 💘

  • Kimberly Jones
  • Saturday, February 01
Not so in love? Getting over a breakup? These books get you through this mushy mess of a day because we are not all love-struck. 
FIFA 20 [XBox One]
Hasbro Family Fun Pack [PlayStation 4]
Staff Picks

Party Games!

  • Bryan B.
  • Friday, January 31
Enjoy this collection of video games, each aimed at supporting a crowd!
Band of Brothers
Black Hawk Down
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2020 - Occupation Books about the Military

  • Sara M.
  • Wednesday, January 29
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.
A Sound of Thunder and Other Stories
Kindred
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2020 - Time Travel Science Fiction

  • Sara M.
  • Wednesday, January 29
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.
2001, a Space Odyssey
I, Robot
Staff Picks

Classic Sci-Fi

  • Bryan B.
  • Tuesday, January 28
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.