Boo Bash! at the Calhoun County Library!

            BOO! Did we scare you? Don’t be scared to come to the Calhoun County Library on Halloween night!

            The Calhoun County Library is hosting Boo Bash! on Monday, October 31, to celebrate all of our spooky, cute, and funny patrons who will be out trick-or-treating.

            Our Boo Bash! will take place on Halloween night from 4 PM - 7 PM at the library! We know that children don’t want to stop in one place for too long because that limits the amount of candy they may get while trick-or-treating, so we have a quick plan in place to make sure everyone has fun. Come through the main doors of the library and work your way through for crafts, games, a free book, and, of course, CANDY! We will have activities like sensory squirm, ring the skeleton, pin the spider in the web, and much more to keep you entertained while taking a break from walking.

            We hope to see everyone here at the Calhoun County Library on Halloween night!

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 with a fun class.

            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!

            There will not be a yoga class on Monday, October 24, 2022. This class has been rescheduled to Friday, October 28, 2022, at 9:30 AM.

(Photo by Rachel B. Ficek)

Staff Pick!

Janice Baskin

            Here at the Calhoun County Library, staff gets to express their creativity and enjoyment to promote fun reading and learning on a daily basis.

            “When I first read the Harry Potter series years ago, I was blown away. I read it along with my oldest daughter and we both fell in love with the books. Not only are the books magical and very adventurous, but multiple life lessons are hidden among the pages as well,” says Janice Baskin, Programs & Outreach Coordinator.

            Out of this mischievous group of friends, who are always managing to stumble into problems at every turn, Hermione is 9 times out of 10 saving the day. How did she get so smart? The answer is pretty simple actually. Since she was born to muggle parents, she nor her family had any idea of the wizarding world. They had to research to learn! I can only imagine how many hours Hermione stayed awake late at night, definitely using the Lumos / Nox spells, and reading to find out about the power she possessed.

            One scene that always stuck with Janice is when Hermione was petrified in the second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. She was found near the library and eventually Harry and Ron found a piece of paper balled up in her fist. Hermione’s passion for the library saved the day!

            Follow Hermione’s example: come by the library, pick up a book, and learn something new. 

Community Baby Shower Success

            Calhoun County Library hosted its second community baby shower the last Sunday in September to celebrate parents in our community.

            We were excited to host our second Community Baby Shower on Sunday, September 25, 2022, from 3 PM until 5 PM. Babies are such a joy and we want a happy community with healthy babies. The Calhoun County Library and supporting partners throughout our county want to make sure every child is welcomed home with all the necessities. Therefore, we gifted each family with diapers, wipes, a bib, a reading calendar, and five brand-new board books to start the baby’s home library. Not only do we want to provide some necessary items, but we also want to connect our parents with the many resources we have in our community. Our partners, Calhoun County First Steps, DHEC/WIC, SafeKids, and Family Health Centers, are valuable assets to these families, and this shower is the first time many of these parents are learning about each organization’s wealth of knowledge and support. Attendees enjoyed a lunch followed by cupcakes while listening and learning about newborns with various professionals from our community. 

            Javonna Lewis, Cassidy Gleaton, and Quinetta Garner attended representing Calhoun County First Steps. Donna Williams and Latasha Priester were representatives of DHEC/WIC. LaShayla Vernable, Dr. Sandra J. Stephens, and James Rickenbaker were representatives of Family Health Center.   Patricia Funderburk, a representative of SafeKids, supplied gift bags for the parents.  All of these community professionals provided essential information to our expectant or new parents as well as relevant answers during our question and answer sessions.

            The community baby shower welcomed 30 attendees, which included 13 expectant or new mamas. Parents had the opportunity to sign up for the library’s 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program and for First Steps’ Dolly Parton Imagination Library program. These two programs expose infants and toddlers to books and the love of reading by celebrating reading milestones and by providing a free book delivered to each child’s home every month.

            The Calhoun County Library would like to thank everyone who came as attendees, volunteers, staff, speakers, and supporters. Thank you to our community members who graciously donated baby items for door prizes. We were thrilled to be part of this community project and we look forward to the next baby shower!

            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.