The sixth-annual statewide summer reading kickoff presented by the South Carolina State Library will feature award winning author/illustrators Jarrett Krosoczka and Lauren Castillo on Saturday, June 4, 2016. Families from across the state will be able to celebrate the 2016 Collaborative Summer Library Theme “On Your Mark, Get Set…READ!” at a free event for families held all day at the State Museum in Columbia.

Making use of both local talent and skills from afar, the new Deckle Edge Literary Festival announces an ambitious roster of writing workshops for poets and writers of all levels, even including a family-oriented session focusing on reading and performing Shakespeare’s most popular plays.

The public can now view two new historical digital collections, thanks to a continued partnership with the Beaufort County Library’s Beaufort District Collection (BDC) and the Lowcountry Digital Library (LCDL).

The South Carolina Academy of Authors is pleased to announce the winners of this year’s fellowship competitions in fiction and poetry, which have been expanded to include student awards.

The South Carolina State Library’s Center for the Book is pleased to announce its upcoming author line up for the Speaker @ the Center series.  Download the flier here (jpg).

Thursday, February 25 - Eric Morris | Jacob Jump: A Novel | Story River Books, USC Press

Author and social worker Carla Damron discusses her latest novel, The Stone Necklace, chosen as the 2016 One Book, One Community read. One Book, One Community encourages residents to share their passion for reading with friends and neighbors. Every February, this initiative brings together readers from all over the Columbia area in an attempt to promote literacy and its importance to our community. This event is sponsored by Friends of Cayce-West Columbia Branch Library. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23 AT 6 PM | CAYCEWEST COLUMBIA BRANCH LIBRARY

February is African American History Month and the South Carolina State Library has created a webpage of resources available to cardholders, teachers, librarians, and the general public.  Check out these great resources today!

Registration is NOW OPEN for the 2016 PR & Marketing Exchange! Join us for a day filled with great PR ideas for libraries of all types. You will hear from library staff members responsible for getting the word out about their library’s programs and special events. Please bring 20-30 copies of successful brochures, handouts, bookmarks, or other PR materials to share with other attendees.

It's a new year and we've got a new look. Download the January 2016 issue of More - the newsletter for South Carolina libraries today!

Join Kiran Singh Sirah for “Telling Stories that Matter: Cultivating Community through Story,” a public presentation at Charleston Main Library at 6 p.m. on Feb. 5 to explore the role of storytelling as a tool for conflict prevention, community development and social change. Through examples of social justice, race relations and community cooperation, Sirah will explain how personal relations developed through storytelling can help residents better discuss and work through these difficult conversations.