Buzz! Buzz!

            The bees are back and buzzing at the Calhoun County Library thanks to the generosity of the C.F. Evans Construction Charitable Giving Committee and their gift of $500. Committee Chairman, Kendall Perrow, has shown a particular interest in the Library’s observation hive, and this is the second time this committee has sponsored our beehive revitalization. Last year, our hive unfortunately got into some pesticides and did not survive. We hope that this year’s new family of honeybees finds a safer food supply as they venture out from the safety of their library home.

            C.F. Evans Safety Director Hank Rhame is also our own kind of safety director as he handles the heavy lifting of our Library’s beekeeping program. As part of our pollinator initiative that began in 2016, the Library worked with The Bee Cause to install an observation bee hive that displays eight frames of honeybees in a safe manner. In April, Hank helped install this new hive after a little hardware renovation and spring cleaning. It is located in the children’s section of the library with special access to the outside world. Peek behind their protective cloth to see the busy bees at work. You might even get to see the queen bee in action. Will you be able to spot her laying her eggs?

            In 2015, the Calhoun County Library raised awareness about the importance of pollinators through the creation of the Gressette Children’s Garden for Pollinator Education. This garden brought together people of all ages as they worked together to create something beautiful and educational. The Calhoun County Library urges you to come to walk through the Gressette Children’s Garden to try to spot all kinds of pollinators and come inside to watch a bee colony hard at work. At the library, we have many books on the importance of bees and pollinating so come pick up a copy today to learn more!

            Thank you again to the C.F. Evans Construction Charitable Giving Committee for the donation so we could bring back our bees, and thank you to Hank Rhame for being such a fantastic beekeeper!

(Hank Rhame and Benjamin Young assisting with the observation hive installation)

(From left to right: C.F. Evans Construction Charitable Giving Committee’s Safety Director Hank Rhame and Chairman Kendall Perrow and Calhoun County Library’s Melissa McLeod.)

Yoga: Connecting Mind and Body

            Although Monday’s are considered one of the worst days of the week, Calhoun County Library might be able to change that opinion! Experience mindfulness on and off the mat with yoga. Start your week off right by attending a yoga class taught by Kathie Goodwin. Every Monday from 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM, we get out our yoga mats and focus on connecting our minds and bodies.

            Exhale to strengthen. Focus on balancing. Square your hips. Back to center.

            Through multiple stretching and breathing techniques, Kathie will guide you through movements that provide mental and physical benefits.  These classes focus on your inner awareness and your body’s present capabilities and emphasize the development of mind and body strength. Her instructions will challenge you without making you feel overwhelmed. Instead of feeling pressured to immediately perform correctly, the class feels more like a group of people encouraging each other. The energy is beautiful.

            It is only $2 a class or $7 for the entire month! All of us yogis (people who partake in yoga) meet every Monday first thing in the morning. We hope you join us for a class!

(Photo by Rachel B. Ficek)

Music & Movement

            We were movin’ and groovin’ at the Calhoun County Library on Saturday, May 14! Our kickoff for Music & Movement was filled with fun, and children learned how amazing they really are.

            The program will be held every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month from 11 AM - 11:30 AM for children ages 0 - 5 and is funded by the State Library and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Representatives from SC State University’s Early Childhood Education Department instructed the program including an animated reading of Amazing Me!: Music! by Carol Thompson. While the book was being read aloud, participants were able to look at their own copy and read along; this board book was a take-home gift to help develop their home libraries.

            Following the read along, instructors mesmerized children with musical talents and a unique song which coincided with the Amazing Me! book. They had them swinging and swaying and singing all about how amazing they were.  They marched, hopped, and wiggled to the beat and didn’t even notice that they were actually learning and appreciating music. 

            Parents left the program with a board book, free diapers and wipes, and a meal coupon for a free meal at Town & Country Restaurant. 

            Don’t miss out on all the fun at our next Music & Movement program on May 28 at 11 AM!

            This project is made possible by a Library Services and Technology Act grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services administered by the South Carolina State Library.

Purple Martin Parade and Festival

            Calhoun County Library had such a great time at the Purple Martin Parade and Festival on Saturday, April 23, 2022. Attendance was outstanding with music, vendors, and entertainment for all ages. Calhoun County has a lot to offer!

(Photos by Richard Hall)

Día de los Niños Celebration

            “¡Lo pasamos muy bien al Día de los Niños!”

            “We had a great time at the Day of the Children!”

            We did have a great time celebrating our Spanish-speaking community at the Calhoun County Library on Saturday, April 30, 2022. We celebrated Día de los Niños, Children’s Day, from 11 AM – 2 PM with delicious food, fun, music, and friendship. Since 1925, Día de los Niños has grown into a celebration throughout Mexico, and it focuses on the importance of children in society while ensuring their well-being. The day was spent honoring children, their home languages and cultures, and promoting multilingual and bilingual literacy. The festivities were made possible through a multilingual collection development grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

            Along with tables displaying new bilingual and Spanish books for all ages, DVD’s, Launchpads, and Playaways, the library offered several crafts, Mother Goose on the Loose in Spanish, and Music & Movement including a picture book read in Spanish and English by our very own director, Kristen Simensen. Outside, children enjoyed face painting, games, relay races, parachutes with beach balls, and ended the day breaking open a beautiful handmade pinata in the shape of a piñata. Everyone enjoyed a tasty lunch from Pedro’s Mexican Restaurant and topped it off with a frozen treat from Randolph Artisan Italian Ice.

            Attendees, vendors, volunteers, and staff all had a wonderful time embracing Mexican culture, making new friends, and having fun!