Legislative Day

Every year, board members from the Abbeville County Library System join library supporters from around the state to head to Columbia and talk to our legislators about the need for library funding on the state level.

This year, with the support of Representative Paul Agnew, we had a victory during the house budget debates: Funding for libraries was raised from $2.00 to $2.25 per capita with a $60,000 minimum. This will raise state funding for the Abbeville System by almost $8000. In addition, lottery funds were allocated to public libraries at approximately $22,000 per county.

As the budget goes to the senate, we're hoping to see these figures raised to $2.50 per capita and $50,000 in lottery funds.

Thanks to all the legislators who voted to support this important increase for libraries! Locally, these funds help us provide staffing, technology, and materials for all three libraries in Abbeville County -- and we couldn't do it without your support!

Grant money at work -- and play!

You may remember one of the very first blogs on this site -- the one that shared the good news of LSTA grant money we had recently received. Well, take a look at some of those funds in action:





This is the Abbeville County First Steps Learning Bus at the Calhoun Falls library earlier today. Our "Step to the Library" Grant, which fosters collaboration between the library system and First Steps, brought the bus and Mopsie the clown to the Calhoun Falls library. We hosted a special pre-school storytime highlighting the bus, which is a mobile, educational tool which helps teach kids the skills they'll need to be ready for kindergarten.

Everyone had fun -- even the adults (but luckily, there are no photos of me playing hopscotch in my high heels!) Special thanks to the Library Service and Technology Act for funding this special day!

New CD's at the Abbeville Library

Check out what's new on compact disc:

B'day by Beyonce
From this Moment on by Diana Krall
The Green Album by Weezer
Futuresex by Justin Timberlake
Smile by Brian Wilson
Love and Theft by Bob Dylan
Sound Massage by Dean Evenson
Stand Still - Look Pretty by the Wreckers
American Idiot by Green Day
Love, Pain, and the Whole Crazy Thing by Keith Urban
and
Welcome Interstate Managers by Fountains of Wayne

**CDs circulate for three weeks at a time (just like books), so come on in and try some out -- you can have up to 5 CDs out at one time.**

The Librarians of the Future

Public libraries, school libraries, hospital libraries, law libraries -- we have lots in common, including the need for great staff. Two Abbeville County students got a chance recently to learn about what libraries do behind the scenes. Brittany Rhodes and Holly Campbell both shadowed at Abbeville County libraries recently, learning about library theories (how do you keep track of 50,000 items?) and library policies (what if someone loses a book?) . They sat in on storytimes, helped kids with craft projects, helped check out materials, learned to cover hardback books, and even attended a meeting of the local Rotary club. And who knows? We might have a few more librarians in the making!

What's new today?

As Jaime, one of our circulation assistants, says every week: "Happy Friday!"

To celebrate, we've added seven new books already this morning. Come check out:

New Fiction:

Whitethorn Woods by Maeve Binchy

Redemption by Jacquelin Thomas

The Accidental Florist by Jill Churchill

Dragonwell Dead by Laura Childs

Winterton Blue by Trezza Azzopardi

New Non-Fiction:

The Joy of Living: Unlocking the secret and science of happiness by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche

Chasing Justice: My story of freeing myself after two decades on death row for a crime I didn't commit by Kerry Max Cook

Have a great weekend --

--Mary Elizabeth