Hiring Teen Interns

            The Calhoun County Library is now hiring paid positions for teen internships for the year 2027!

If you or someone you know is between the ages of 15 and 17 and looking for an opportunity to gain job experience, look no further! The Calhoun County Library’s internship will focus on time management, responsibilities, and workplace expectations; this is a job training program. Duties will include shelving books, making craft packages for schools, preparing for upcoming events, and managing other tasks.

Applications are available at your school (guidance office or library) and at the Calhoun County Library. The deadline to apply for this position is Friday, December 11, 2026.

We look forward to receiving applications and seeing how devoted these teens will be to working at the library!

Halloween Fright Aftermath

The Calhoun County Library participated in a Trunk or Treat and held an event to celebrate Halloween.

Over 200 people visited the Calhoun County Library booth at the county’s Trunk or Treat at the Calhoun County Sports Complex on Tuesday, October 27, 2026. The Calhoun County Library interns dressed our white car up as a hungry mummy with its mouth wide open, full of white spider webs even! We gave out so much candy!

Then, on Halloween night, we held our annual Boo Bash! celebration. Over 700 people stopped by! Together we played games, won prizes, indulged in freshly spun cotton candy, and received a Halloween book to enjoy after the fun of the night has ended. One of our biggest attractions was the Monster Mash Body Parts, an interactive sensory game that involves squashing items like Witches Fingers and Ghost Guts. It was both scary and funny!

Thank you to everyone who came to both of these events. We loved seeing all the costumes again this year! Some staff favorites were Michael Jackson, Dolly Parton, the Scooby Doo gang, Scream, superheroes, an astronaut, and all the pretty princesses!

To keep in the holiday spirit, make sure to check out or calendar full of events as we get closer to Cookies with Santa!

Local Author Fair

            Would you like to win an RTic Cooler as a door prize and support local authors at the same time? Calhoun County Library would love to invite everyone to an Author Fair in November!

Calhoun County is full of so many talented people and we would like to highlight some local authors. Join us on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, from 5 PM - 6 PM, as we give each author a chance to advertise themselves and their books. This event will feature Monica Roe and her newly released book, Wowrus Looks on the Bright Side. We will also be spotlighting local authors: Richard Hampton Thornton, Sr., Patricia Brandon, T.J. Harbour, Laeisha Bennett, Carolina Baccene, and M.J. Ellisor.

Come meet all the authors, buy a signed copy of their books, and enjoy refreshments. We look forward to seeing everyone encourage our local artists!

Chess Challenge Scores

            Checkmate!

We had an extraordinary turnout for our Chess Challenge on Saturday, October 10, 2026! 11 brave participants took on our Director at one time, all trying to win. It was just over an hour for the first person to get their king checked. How impressive is that? After two full hours of nothing but strategic chess moves, we handed out 11 participation T-shirts and 2 winning trophies.

With such a great turnout and after receiving many questions about it, we have made a decision. We have decided to start a chess club here at the library! Be on the lookout for more information coming soon. Until then, remember to keep your kings safe!

Halloween Pumpkins, Costumes, and Night

            The Calhoun County Library is happily celebrating all things spooky! In October, we have two very special events.

The first is a pumpkin contest! Bring your UNCUT pumpkin decorated as your favorite book character. This character can be anything your heart desires. Winnie-the-Pooh, Brown Bear, Pete the Cat, Katniss Everdeen, Percy Jackson, Dog Man, etc. As long as they are a book character! We will accept pumpkins until Thursday, October 22, 2026. Voting takes place now until Friday, October 30, 2026. Winners will be announced at Boo Bash! at the end of the month.

What’s Boo Bash! then?

Boo Bash! is an annual event that we hold on Halloween night every year. This year is no different! We are happy to announce that we are celebrating on Saturday, October 31, 2026, from 5 PM - 7 PM. We will play Halloween games, have fresh cotton candy from Twisted Sugar, and give away Halloween books!

We can’t wait to see everyone’s pumpkins and costumes and have fun together!

Painting Colorful Fall Landscapes

            The Calhoun County Library announces we have a painting class! Join us on the second Wednesday quarterly for Art Class with Amy Troutman!

On Wednesday, October 14, 2026, from 5 PM - 6:45 PM, we will be painting with Amy Troutman, a local artist. She will teach us how to create beautiful colorful fall landscapes! Please be aware that this is an adult only event. All attendees must call to register, as seats are limited. Call us at 803-874-3389 for a seat!

This event will happen quarterly so check out for the next announcement and painting topic!

Chess Challenge vs. The Champion

            Do you have what it takes to beat a chess master during a chess simul on National Chess Day?

On Saturday, October 10, 2026, from 11 AM - 1 PM, we will be holding a free chess simul. Firstly, what is a chess simul? It’s simple. A simul stands for a simultaneous exhibition where a main competitor, usually a grandmaster, competes against multiple players at one time. Sadly, we do not have a Grandmaster, but we are happy to announce that the competitor is one of our very own: our library Director! This event is open to all, from all experience levels. Entrants will receive a free T-shirt and those who beat the Director win a prize!

If you are good, think you are good, or just want to sit down and play a game of chess, join the chess challenge and see if you can win! We look forward to playing a lot of chess and seeing who has what it takes to beat the Director!

St. Matthews K-8 Lower School Art Reception

            The Calhoun County Library loves encouraging students from our local schools to express themselves. We especially love to place the art on display here at the library.

Join us on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, from 5 PM - 6 PM as we celebrate the artwork provided by St. Matthews K-8 Lower School students. These students are mentored by art teacher Ms. Tiffany Bochette. While we gather around the art in awe, enjoy light refreshments.

Come show your support of our very own St. Matthews K-8 school in an Art Reception. We look forward to seeing everyone there! Also, keep an eye out for announcements for the Art Receptions for the other schools!

September Homeschool Hangout

            The Calhoun County Library loves spreading joy to students throughout our community! Along with visiting local schools for story times and STEM activities, we’re excited to “hang out” with our homeschooled friends right here at the library!

We invite all local homeschooled children to join us for Homeschool Hangout on Monday, September 28, from 12 PM - 1 PM.

Wear your favorite jersey or team colors and show your team spirit!

Get ready for pizza, team-building activities, and plenty of opportunities to make new friends!

Can’t make it by 12 PM? No problem! Come to the library when you can. We know some co-ops don’t get out until noon, so we’ll keep the event going a little past 1 PM to make sure everyone has a chance to enjoy this quarterly hangout.

We can’t wait to see you and your team spirit at the library!

Free Classes at the Calhoun County Library

            The Calhoun County Library has been thriving with many different types of free classes for the community!

You have asked and we have answered. Join us for our new Strong & Limber night class! This class will be a bit harder than our typical Strong & Limber classes and is meant for adults. This Strong & Limber class will take place on Mondays from 5:45 PM - 6:45 PM. We will continue to have Strong & Limber during the week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM as well.

Adult Computer Class is still going strong here at the library. If you have a new phone or computer and need help with it, we would love to teach you! Every Wednesday from 3 PM - 5 PM, we give you the best information to learn all about your electronics!

Due to popular demand, we are expanding our beginner Guitar Class to the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month! Each class starts at 5:30 PM and the guitars are available on a first come, first serve basis. If you own a guitar, you may also bring your own. Let’s learn or elevate your guitar skills!

In case you can’t make it to one of our other exercise classes, we have another on Thursday nights! To get your heart rate pumping, participate in Zumba with Gyptsie from 5:45 PM - 6:45 PM. This class is all about high-energy music, easy-to-follow moves, full body workout, and burning calories while having fun!

All of these classes are free and do not require you to sign up. Just show up ready to go. We look forward to seeing you all!

Book Vending Machine

            Introducing a new way to check out books!

The Calhoun County Library has a new, first ever book vending machine! This vending machine is located inside the Palmetto Express Travel Center (located at 494 State Rd S-9-31, Gaston, SC 29053), serving the Sandy Run community. All you need to check out a book from this machine is your Calhoun County Library card! Just like a normal vending machine, you decide which item you want, click the numbers on the screen, and receive your item. Instead of payment, all you have to do is scan your library card to release the book. Easy as that!

We are excited that we are able to spread accessibility to more of our community!

Zumba at the Calhoun County Library

            Rhythm! Dance! Step! Squat! Bend! Swing!

These are just a few words you might hear if you join us at the Calhoun County Library for our new Zumba class on Thursday nights! We are exercising with Gyptsie at 5:45 PM for an hour every week for FREE. There will be all kinds of music to get your body moving with an experienced teacher who helps at every step of the way. You do not have to register to join! Just show up ready to get your heart pumping! We look forward to seeing you in class!

Dinosaurs Gone at the Calhoun County Library

 Summer Reading Program Finale

The Calhoun County Library has said goodbye to junior dinosaurs as the Unearth a Story Summer Reading Program ended in July.

On Thursday, July 30, 2026, the library celebrated the completion of a fantastic Summer Reading Program. It’s been a wild summer full of dinosaurs, archeology, and, of course, reading! This year, we had over 200 people register, 89 people complete the challenge, and around 80,000 minutes read by our 1,700 attendees in June and July. That was huge! We are so proud of our community!

During the Finale, The Ukaloonies, our local ukulele orchestra, performed. They played classics like “Row, Row, Row Your Boat,” “Hokey Pokey,” and “Rockin’ Robin.” A giant sing-along with over 100 people made it amazing!

Every person that completed the Summer Reading Program by reading 300 minutes received a certificate. Beth Rast, our awesome Youth Service Librarian, took these certificates to another level. She coordinated with local schools that each student who received one of these certificates would turn it into their teacher for credits! A free test grade, free homework pass, etc. We hope this helped get the school year off to a great start. PS: Some certificates are left so don’t forget to pick yours up!

Congrats to our Summer Reading Program Grand Prize winners! Early Readers division: Rocklyn Rivera and Asa Grimball; Children's division: Anna Moss Perrow and Mason Martin; Teens division: DaMeah Parker and Matthew Neil; Adult division: Ashley Lark and Christie Williams (not pictured).

Thank you to everyone who participated in our 2026 Summer Reading Program. It was our greatest year yet with lots of reading, entertaining programs, and huge dinosaurs everywhere!

This program wouldn’t have been possible without the support from the South Carolina State Library and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Also, a special thanks to the Ukaloonies for putting on a great show​ and Jeffcoat Injury and Car Accident Lawyers for giving away 200 backpacks full of school supplies!