Every other year, the South Carolina Novel Prize recognizes one of South Carolina’s exceptional writers. The contest is highly competitive, and the winner is provided a book contract with Hub City Press. Submissions will be read anonymously by our readers and judge. Winner is awarded publication by Hub City Press in the form of a printing of no less than 2000 copies to be nationally distributed to the trade in 2021.

The Young Minds Dreaming Poetry contest submission deadline is March 13, 2020. Students in grades 3 through 12 are invited to enter and submit their poems. Pat Mora is this year's featured poet. Pat's focus on book joy and word joy inspired this year's theme. We want students to write a poem about the joy of words, the joy of reading, or the joy of books. Entries may be submitted in English or Spanish before 5:00 p.m. on March 13. Visit our contest page for rules and entry information.

Registration is now open for the South Carolina debut of WILLIE, an award-winning feature length documentary about Willie O’Ree, the first black player in the National Hockey League. The film will be shown Saturday, February 15, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. at the SC Archives and History Center, 8301 Parklane Road in Columbia, SC. While there is no fee to attend, pre-registration is highly recommended, as seating is limited for this community event. 

The SC State Library is pleased to announce four regional workshops focusing on the importance of reading. The “Every Child Ready to Read” Project, a joint project of the Public Library Association and the Association of Library Service for Children (ALA), provides research showing the importance of the parent’s role in young children’s early literacy skills.

Sessions will be held in four regional locations:

Join us on February 6 and February 27, 2020, for a two-day workshop that gets to the root of our shared value systems and uncovers the importance of understanding hierarchies of difference and ways to combat biases. Registration is $10 and covers both days. Audience: Library staff, SLIS students and alumni. Partners include SC State Library, USC School of Library and Information Science, and Augusta Baker Chair. Register today!

South Carolina voters will use a new voting machine in the democratic primary on February 29, 2020. The South Carolina Election Commission converted to a paper-based system. It is similar to the machines used in past elections, but there are a few differences. We have partnered with the Commission to create a short video to walk you through the process. Watch it and get prepared for election day.              

In January 2019, the American Library Association (ALA) on behalf of its members adopted sustainability as a core value of librarianship. To be truly sustainable, a community must embody practices that are environmentally sound AND economically feasible AND socially equitable.