Library Residents
The library's budding residency program connects the community with local working artists, entrepreneurs and writers.
Artist-in-Residence:
Richland Library’s Artist-in-Residence Program aims to connect the community with local working artists and to provide creative and educational opportunities to the community in a way that supports cultural and artistic exchange.
Created in 2015, the residency program gives artists, performers and makers of all types and disciplines the ability to work freely in their own studio space, share their works and artistic process with the community and provide learning opportunities and programs for library customers.
Due to the current pandemic, we are currently assessing the schedule for future residencies.
Current Resident:
Tammaka Staley
January - June 2021
Virtual Office Hours:
4 - 5 p.m. on Wednesdays | Find a Session
Tammaka Staley (she/they) is a spoken word artist and sex educator decolonizing the way people think about sex and social justice. She is a native of Columbia, SC and runs a performance art and speaking brand called Talks with Tammaka. She is also the Founder and Executive Director of Youth Affirming Sex Education (YASÉ), LLC.
She facilitates writing workshops to teach youth and young adults how to construct poems and improve stage performance. She also facilitates dialogues in public and online spaces about various gender, racial, and sexuality inequities. Her passion for social justice resonates in her writing. She leans on her personal experiences and the experiences of other Black womxn, non-binary femmes, and girls for inspiration. Tammaka wants her works to not only be a source of entertainment, but also a tool to educate communities and other artists on how to unlearn, relearn, and recreate social norms. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work with a concentration in African American Studies from Coker University and a Master of Social Work with a specialization in health and mental health from the University of South Carolina-Columbia.
As Richland Library’s Artist-in-Residence, Tammaka will host virtual poetry-writing workshops and artist meet-ups, coordinate monthly Artist Spotlights and assist the library in finding new ways of supporting local artists.
Entrepreneur-in-Residence:
The library's Entrepreneur-in-Residence supports, mentors, and educates new entrepreneurs and budding start-ups through office hours and public programs--building an ecosystem that sustains the development and growth of future entrepreneurs in the region. The program also aims to connect entrepreneurs with peers who have successfully designed, launched and run a new business venture.
Current Resident:
Shennice Cleckley
May - September 2021
Meet with Shennice | Find An Event
A graduate of Columbia College with her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Public Affairs, Cleckley is the CEO of Smart Cookie Coaching, a business development firm that helps entrepreneurs grow their business with strategic planning, digital skills training and lifestyle integration.
She's also a multimedia personality with her business lifestyle podcast, called Live Fully Expressed, an MC for 1 Million Cups, a member of the City of Columbia's Accommodation Tax Committee, and chair for the SC Whitmore School Board. To learn more about Cleckley, click here.
During her residency, she’ll share her expertise with others—helping them achieve work-life harmony while growing a small business and raising a family. Cleckley will also offer an array of free programs that focus on important issues and timely interests of entrepreneurs and small business owners.
Writer-in-Residence:
Noted children’s author, Dinah Johnson, served as the library's first Writer-in-Residence from September 2015 - November 2016.
The South Carolina native held weekly office hours at Richland Library Main--interacting with aspiring authors of all ages. Known for her poetic stories, including Black Magic, Johnson gathered inspiration from her surroundings during her residency and applied it to numerous projects.