April 2018

The Friends had a fabulous spring with fun events such as Movies Under the Stars with the Town of Moncks Corner and hosting Pictures with the Easter Bunny at all the library branches. We also hosted a Spring Book Sale at the Moncks Corner Library. It was a busy but profitable season. Thank you to all our wonderful volunteers who pitched in. Your dedication is appreciated!

If you were not able to help last month but still want to get involved, be sure to stay in touch with us on our website or Facebook page. We have many more opportunities to serve, including the final Movies Under the Stars event, another Book Sale at the Goose Creek, and helping with the upcoming Summer Reading Program. If you are able to donate your time, talent, or support, we would greatly appreciate it. Every little bit counts.

We now have new committees which offer a more hands-on commitment to help the Friends of the Library. If you would like to get more involved, please check our website under volunteer opportunities to see a list of upcoming events and more information about the new committees.

If you are not a member or you need to renew your membership. Please consider becoming a member of the Friends or encouraging others to join. There are membership envelopes available at the all BCLS library branches; you can also join through PayPal online on our website.

Next Meeting: April 24, 5 pm at St. Stephen Library

Upcoming Friends Events and Volunteer Opportunities

News from the Library

BCLS Celebrates Earth Day with New Initiative to Remove Plastic Bags from Library

A “Green” Project with the Berkeley County Library System to REDUCE plastic bag use, EDUCATE environmental matters and the available services in our community, and ENCOURAGE reduced waste and a mindset for recycling and reusing.

April 22 is Earth Day. We thought this would be the perfect time to launch this initiative by giving a free reusable bag to our customers and offering the first round of educational programs.

Starting Monday, April 23, all BCLS library branches will be giving away free reusable bags to library customers while supplies last. Customers can also receive a Reusable Bag Credit during the month of June this summer. This one-time credit will apply up to $1 towards any fees or fines on the customer’s account if a customer uses any reusable bag when borrowing library materials.

Read More »

On The Table with Berkeley County Library System and the Library Foundation of the Lowcountry

The Library Foundation’s On the Table is an annual forum designed to elevate civic conversation, foster new relationships, and inspire collaborative action across the region.

On Tuesday, May 1st, 2018 hundreds of Lowcountry residents will gather in small groups to share a meal and discuss the challenges and opportunities we face. These conversations can inspire new ways that we can work together to make our communities stronger, safer, and more dynamic.BCLS will be hosting 3 sessions on May 1, 2018. We hope you will join us for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Please pre-register for the session you wish to attend. Seating will be limited to 10 persons per session.

Register for a session or to Read More >>

BCLS wants your input for the new Cane Bay Library!

The Berkeley County Library System is excited to begin designing and planning the new 4,500 sqft library in the coming Cane Bay YMCA. As we begin this process, we want to hear from you.

Check our website to give us your input and to see a quick video on the building progress for this project. The estimated opening date for this new library is Fall 2018.

Give Input »

Rural Library Continues to Make Huge Impact on Community

Members of the St. Stephen Magistrate Court, which shares a building with the St. Stephen Library, comment, “We see the impact that the library has on our community every day. Lately, the library has been bringing in teens by the droves, and often in the mornings, there are people waiting by the door for the library to open. Judge Whaley (middle) says: Tina’s name is well known at St. Stephen Middle School because her niece often speaks of her and hears other kids speaking well of her.

BCLS Adds New Items and Services

In April, BCLS along with libraries nationwide celebrate National Library Week. In honor of the national campaign, “Libraries Transform,” we wanted to share a few ways we have been transforming our services and communities. BCLS has been very busy over the last few years adding new items, special collections, and innovated services for our customers. With an emphasis on removing barriers, many of these collections and services strive to serve our customers in a unique way while also banishing the bias that libraries are just warehouses of books.

Here are just a few ways BCLS is transforming>>

BCLS Recognizes April as Child Abuse Prevention Month

The month of April is recognized for Child Abuse Prevention Month. According to scchildren.org, “We use this month to acknowledge the importance of our communities working together to prevent child abuse and neglect and draw attention to the effective solution of prevention. The pinwheel symbolizes the carefree spirit of great childhoods when children grow up happy, healthy, nurtured and safe.”

Berkeley County Library System is pleased to join the efforts of raising awareness for this cause and has planted pinwheels and created displays with books and materials focused on recognizing and preventing child abuse and neglect.

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