2026 Summer Reading Program Schedule

            The Calhoun County Library is ready to announce that they have a dino-mite summer planned with an Unearth a Story Summer Reading Program!

Starting the year off with a bang, we will have a Dino Run Kickoff on Thursday, June 11, 2026. Let’s run through an obstacle course and get “powdered” with colors as we pretend to be dinosaurs. This will take place from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM at the Calhoun County Sports Complex (600 Chestnut Street, St. Matthews, SC, 29135). Enjoy a hot dog from HotDog’On Hamilton, and Randolph’s Italian Ice will be there to cool you down; FREE while supplies last! The St. Matthews fire truck will also be there to spray you down when you least expect it! We also have a BIG surprise that will be making an appearance at the kickoff! You don’t want to miss it!

Thursday, June 18, 2026, at 10:30 AM, we will welcome Tim Sonefelt, humorist, puppeteer, and storyteller. Come watch him perform tricks and illusions all about dinosaurs.

The Critter Keeper is coming Thursday, June 25, 2026, at 10:30 AM and 1:30 PM. He’ll  be bringing some interesting creatures. Don’t miss some scaly relatives of dinosaurs that might  scare you, so be prepared for a creepy, crawly fright. Enjoy some delicious Randolph’s Italian Ice from 11:30 AM- 1:30 PM!

Thursday, July 2, 2026: we will not be having a program this week in observation of the Fourth of July.

Thursday, July 9, 2026, at 10:30 AM, we will be at the Calhoun County Museum (313 Butler Street, St Matthews, SC, 29135) for Porkchop Productions’ performance of Dinosaur, Dinosaur, WOLF!, a rendition of the Boy Who Cried Wolf. Their new version of the story has more prehistoric creatures!

Thursday, July 16, 2026, at 10:30 AM, visit us at the Calhoun County Museum (313 Butler Street, St. Matthews, SC, 29135) again for The Story Ship. This theatre company has a “top secret” discovery featuring Paleontologist Diggery showing off his dinosaur fossils.

Thursday, July 23, 2026, at 10:30 AM, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources will be at the library with a hands-on experience for kids ages 8 and up. They’ll be using mini-excavation blocks in a workshop with fossils. Again, this event is for ages 8 and up.

To end the summer, we are having a Grand Finale to celebrate all the reading everyone did! Come get your prizes, certificates, listen to the Ukaloonies perform well-known sing-alongs, and enjoy tasty, free Randolph’s Italian Ice.

We are looking forward to a rawr-some Summer Reading Program this year!

Busy Bees at the Library

            The Calhoun County Library has recently hosted numerous events and outreach activities, keeping everyone very busy.

On Saturday, April 18, 2026, the Calhoun County Library Bookmobile took part in the Purple Martin Parade. We handed out purple candy to the crowd and had a great time waving to all the friendly faces along the route. After the parade, we headed to our tent where participants painted purple martins on canvases. We had an excellent turnout, with nearly 300 people stopping by to paint and learn about what we offer at the library.

Then, the following week, we continued with our regular programs: Yoga on Monday; Strong & Stable on Tuesday; Mother Goose on the Loose and Adult Computer Class on Wednesday; Yoga and Half & Half on Thursday; and Strong & Stable on Friday. In addition, we expanded our schedule with even more programs and outreach.

During the week, we also hosted Bee Field Trips, where fourth graders from our community schools visited the library to learn all about our in-house bees. Each student had the opportunity to observe and learn about the roles of real bees, perform the waggle dance, create a bee-themed craft, and explore the outdoor pollinator garden. Students from St. Matthews K-8  and Calhoun Academy learned fun facts about honey bees and were able to actually see bees doing the waggle dance in our hive! Every student left with a Magic Schoolbus book about beehives and a goodie bag including beeswax lipbalm,  honey sticks, and honey-filled hard candies. In total, we welcomed around 90 fourth-grade students, and we are already looking forward to hosting this experience again next year.

Also on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, we hosted an art reception featuring artwork from the lower school students at Calhoun Academy. The springtime theme brought a delightful display of bunnies and floral scenes, which guests enjoyed while partaking in light refreshments. Approximately 140 people attended the reception, and it was heartwarming to see families gathering to admire their loved ones’ artwork—some even brought flowers to celebrate the occasion.

On Thursday, April 23, 2026, we visited the Calhoun County Council on Aging. To celebrate the start of spring, we led a plant-themed craft activity. Participants decorated their own planters using pots, sunglasses, bandannas, googly eyes, and markers to create unique faces on each pot. Once finished, each planter was filled with two begonias, giving everyone a personalized spring plant to take home.

We had a very busy week and we loved every second of it. Be on the lookout for announcements for our Summer Reading Program soon!