Viola Davis Book Club

            “I ain’t never found no place for me to fit. Seem like all I do is start over. It ain’t nothing to find no starting place in the world. You just start from where you find yourself.”

            -August Wilson

            The Calhoun County Library met last week for their monthly Book Club meeting and the book of choice this time was Viola Davis’s memoir Finding Me.

            On Thursday, September 19, 2024, from 1 PM - 2 PM, a group of avid readers met at the library for Book Club. We discussed a variety of books and this month we chose to read and discuss Viola Davis’s memoir that was released in 2022. Viola Davis is a very well-known and successful actress whose memoir has won many awards, including Oprah’s Book Club and even a Grammy for the audiobook, which she recorded herself! This book gave her a status that is called EGOT, which means that she has won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony throughout her career.

            “He who has a ‘why’ to live for can bear with almost any ‘how.’”

            –Friedrich Nietzche

            For those who don’t know, Viola Davis was actually born right here in St. Matthews, South Carolina to a horse groomer and a maid; however, she was not raised here. Viola’s childhood was not a pleasant one. Throughout the book, she talks of struggles, horrors, and being afraid. She was often bullied by multiple groups of people and her family and home life were no better. Viola’s father was abusive to her mother, and she had a brother who abused her own sisters. Her sisters and the sisterhood they shared were her light in the dark and because of them, she persisted.

            “May you live long enough to know why you were born.”

            –Cherokee Birth Blessing

            We don’t want to give too much away, but her story was emotional, heartbreaking, and inspiring. One of our Book Club members even said that some days she thought that this was just a crazy story for entertainment, but then she remembered it was real - that this was Viola Davis’s real life. Another member said that she was once told that for every nonfiction, crazy story you read, you should read a biography to understand that every story has some truth within it.

            Books like these are the reasons that we love our Book Club and our members. We have great conversations and great company. We meet once every month on the third Thursday for an hour from 1 PM - 2 PM. Our book next month is Gold Coast by Nelson DeMille. Come pick up a copy of the book and join us on Thursday, October 17, 2024, at 1 PM!

Game On, Gamers!

            The Calhoun County Library recognizes how video games are a growing sensation and create a world of fun for the player. So, we have jumped on the bandwagon and upped our gaming! We now have a Nintendo Switch for teens to play when they visit, Nintendo Switch games to check out, and a brand new gaming program for younger kids.

            One of the biggest video game systems out right now is the Nintendo Switch. We have heard how much fun these can be and how people love them. We had to figure this out for ourselves and bought a Nintendo Switch as we are redesigning our teen area at the library. Complete with a big flat screen TV and gaming chairs, we have a few games to play on the Nintendo Switch along with four controllers and four headsets. That means we can have four players at once! If you would like to come race your friends in Mario Kart or win mini games in Mario Party, come visit our Teen Zone and get to playing!

            If visiting the library and playing on the Nintendo Switch for hours isn’t your speed, we have something that might work better. We now have a handful of Nintendo Switch games for you to come check out and take home to play on your own time! With titles like Lego, Minecraft, Mario, and more, we have something for everyone. Each game can be checked out for one week so that is one full week of playing your favorite video games for FREE!

            Another way that we have included gaming into the library is by starting a new program. Gaming Group is for grades 2 – 6 and features a game called Picoo, an interactive, screen-free game that allows up to 12 players to play together. You might be wondering how someone can play a video game without a screen? Well, you simply take the controller, find the game card you wish to play, scan the card with the bottom of the controller, and start. It’s that simple! Games include Zombie Run and Red Light Green Light. If you are between those grades or know someone who is, feel free to join us! We meet on the 2nd Thursday of the month from 4 PM – 5 PM.

            We know that games are entertaining, just like a good book, and we want to make sure that our community has everything we can offer to make sure they are staying happy. We hope to see more people in the library playing games, checking out games, and playing at our Gaming Group program soon!

Congrats on Your Babies

            The Calhoun County Library is getting ready to host its annual Community Baby Shower in September for new parents.

Are you a new parent? Are you expecting, adopting, or did you have your baby within the last year? Are you a Calhoun County resident? If you answered yes to all three of those questions, we would love for you to come to this year's Community Baby Shower! This event will take place on Thursday, September 26, 2024, at 5:30 PM at the Calhoun County Library.

We have many community resources here in Calhoun County for parents and there are numerous professional healthcare offices that you might not know are here. We will have representatives from the area to give you free goodies and information. Places such as Early Learning Academy, OCAB, Family Health Centers, Inc., and others are here to make your life easier with a new baby. Of course, we will also be serving light refreshments and giving away door prizes. As a thank you for attending our event, every parent will receive a goodie bag with diapers, wipes, bibs, blankets, multiple board books to start your very own library for your little one, and more!

We are also asking that if you or anyone you know has any gently used baby items, we are collecting these to give away as some door prizes during the shower. All donated items must be in good condition and we are not able to accept any clothing at this time. If you have any items that you would like to donate for this event, please call us at 803-874-3389 and bring these items to the library at least two days prior to the event.

You must register to attend the Community Baby Shower. If you are interested in coming, please give us a call at 803-874-3389 to reserve a spot. We look forward to celebrating all of our new parents and seeing all the new babies we will be adding to Calhoun County!

Join our Gaming Group at the Library!

            Do you like to play games? We’ve got a new one at the Calhoun County Library and it is called Picoo. To go along with the new game, we are starting a new program!

            We’re starting an after-school program on the 2nd Thursday of the month called Gaming Group. It is for kids in 2nd - 6th grades. Our first day meeting will be on Thursday, September 12, 2024 and will be from 4 PM - 5 PM. We will be playing Picoo for the very first time.

            Picoo is an interactive gaming system known as “the first game console for outdoor play.” It promotes physical activity and social interaction among children. Each player will have their own controller with lights, sounds, and vibrations to make the games exciting. There are traditional games with a modern twist such as tag and new games like Dodge the Zombies and Spyhunt. These interactive games are especially designed for elementary aged children and gets them moving and playing without a screen!

            If you or your child is in Grades 2nd - 6th, come play with us! We look forward to playing interactive, educational games together for an hour each month!