The Mermaid Princesses
The Jumbies
Staff Picks

Books Featuring Black Mermaids & Sirens

  • Ashley S.
  • Thursday, May 25
In celebration of Disney's release of the live action version of The Little Mermaid, check out these amazing titles that feature Black mermaids and sirens. Mermaids and sirens are fantastical creatures; however, they have religious and historical importance to the Black community. Some of these titles are light-hearted while others explore more complex themes such as grief, racism, misogyny, slavery, and more. What they all have in common is the celebration of the impact that mermaids and sirens have had on the Black community for centuries.
Blog
Richland Library Main

First Steps to the Library: You Did It! I Did It!

  • Heather M.
  • Tuesday, May 23
First Steps to the Library highlights the skills young children need to be ready for school and helps caregivers understand how they can grow these skills. This month's school readiness skill is about growing your child's self-esteem and confidence through connection.
Blog
Richland Library Main

First Steps to the Library: It's Okay to Play

  • Heather M.
  • Monday, April 24
First Steps to the Library highlights the skills young children need to be ready for school and helps caregivers understand how they can grow these skills. This month's school readiness skill is about the importance of play.
Blog
Richland Library Main

First Steps to the Library: Learning is Never Far Away

  • Heather M.
  • Tuesday, March 28
First Steps to the Library highlights the skills young children need to be ready for school and helps caregivers understand how they can grow these skills. This month's school readiness skill is about spatial awareness.
Blog
Richland Library Main

First Steps to the Library: Movers and Shakers

  • Heather M.
  • Wednesday, February 15
First Steps to the Library highlights the skills young children need to be ready for school and helps caregivers understand how they can grow these skills. This month's school readiness skill is about self-expression and creativity.
Blog
Richland Library Main

First Steps to the Library: Feeling the Feelings

  • Heather M.
  • Thursday, January 12
First Steps to the Library highlights the skills young children need to be ready for school and helps caregivers understand how they can grow these skills. This month's school readiness skill is about identifying, managing and expressing feelings.
Blog
Richland Library Main

What's your resolution?

  • Adele C.
  • Saturday, December 31
No matter what your resolutions are for the new year, we hope that the library can play a part in helping you achieve your goals.
Blog
Richland Library Main

Top Checkouts of 2022

  • Richland Library
  • Wednesday, December 28
2022 was chock-full of throwback picks from old favorites, a swath of romance and thrillers, and some pretty solid streaming queues for all ages. Here's a look at the top 10 books, movies, and songs by age group and format.
Blog
Richland Library Main

First Steps to the Library: Cuddle Up with a Good Book

  • Heather M.
  • Thursday, January 12
First Steps to the Library highlights the skills young children need to be ready for school and helps caregivers understand how they can grow these skills. This month's school readiness skill is developing an interest in books and a motivation to read.
I Love You a Latke!
Global Baby Playtime
Staff Picks

2022 Holiday Gifts for Babies & Toddlers

  • Richland Library
  • Sunday, December 04
Babies and toddlers are getting an introduction to the world of books. Reading to them on a daily basis helps them develop a routine where they begin to associate love, interaction, and family with books. Looking for even more good books? Check out our personalized recommendations or call us at 803-799-9084.
Blog
Richland Library Main

First Steps to the Library: Growing Healthy Habits

  • Heather M.
  • Thursday, January 12
First Steps to the Library highlights the skills young children need to be ready for school and helps caregivers understand how they can grow these skills. This month's school readiness skill is developing healthy eating habits.
True You
What Riley Wore
Staff Picks

Picture Books for Trans* Week of Visibility

  • Alex B.
  • Thursday, November 17
Trans* Week of Visibility (Nov. 13-19) is a time to celebrate gender diversity and examine the unique struggles members of the trans* community face. These pictures help normalize the full spectrum of gender identity because every child deserves to be represented in literature.
Music is a Rainbow
An Ordinary Day
Staff Picks

Read All About It: Death, Loss & Grief

  • Heather M.
  • Monday, November 07
"Son, life is full of holes. You may want to close them up to keep out the storm. But make sure to leave room for that rainbow to find you." --Music is a Rainbow by Bryan Collier
Mama Loves Me from Away
A Kind of Thief
Staff Picks

Books for Children with Incarcerated Parents

  • Jessica B.
  • Monday, October 10
According to PEW research, it is estimated that about 1.7 million children have at least one parent in jail or prison in the United States. Here is a list of books to help start that conversation with young people who are living through this experience.
Birds
Bateman's Backyard Birds
Staff Picks

Great Bird Books for Kids

  • Jenny D.
  • Saturday, August 13
Tweet! Tweet! Get outside and learn about the birds you see every day and many more. Explore the world of birds and become an expert with this selection of books for kids of all ages.
Blog
Richland Library Main

#OWNVoices: Shady Baby

  • Cassie G.
  • Wednesday, July 06
From the New York Times Bestselling Duo Gabrielle Union-Wade and Dwayne Wade Jr.
Ghosts, Toast, and Other Hazards
Flowerheart
Staff Picks

Youth Titles to Read for Mental Health Awareness Month

  • Ashley S.
  • Thursday, May 12
Since 1949, Mental Health Awareness month has been celebrated in the United States each May. Every single year millions of adults, teens, and children face the reality of living with a mental health condition. Books are a great place to start to better understand and build empathy towards those with these lived experiences. Check out the list below for youth titles that have released in the past two years that bring awareness to mental health conditions like OCD, anxiety, depression, and more.
Change Starts with Us
On the Go with Mother Goose
Staff Picks

Great Books for Babies | 2022

  • Richland Library
  • Wednesday, May 11
"Change starts with learning about the world."--Change Starts with Us by Sophie Beer Snuggled in your lap, babies love books with photographs, simple, bright illustrations, rhyming and the sound of your voice. Find your little one's new favorite story from our list of books to share.
Blog
Richland Library Main

Finding the Right Book for Your Child

  • Richland Library
  • Thursday, May 26
Choosing books for your child is a bit like a match-making process. Not all children will love the same books. To help you find the right match, we’ve curated some recommendations to try on and see what fits.
No More Plastic
Reuse This Book!
Staff Picks

Read All About It: Taking Care of Mother Earth

  • Heather M.
  • Monday, April 18
"She took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and decided to make a change."--No More Plastic | Alma Fullerton Discover how pollution and litter damage the air, land and seas and what you can do each day to take care of our planet. Earth day is every day when you read one of these books. Find more great stories when you Read All About It: This Land is Our Land.
Southwest Sunrise
Wonder Walkers
Staff Picks

Read All About It: This Land is Our Land

  • Heather M.
  • Friday, April 15
"This land was made for you and me."--This Land is Your Land | Woody Guthrie Whether it's camping with family or finding tiny, perfect things right in your own neighborhood, these stories will remind you of the wonder and beauty that's all around us. Earth day is every day when you read one of these wonderful picture books. Find more great stories when you Read All About It: Taking Care of Mother Earth.
Jabari Jumps
Violet Shrink
Staff Picks

StoryWalk®: Jabari Jumps Read-Alikes

  • Richland Library
  • Thursday, April 14
Visit Richland Library's Jabari Jumps StoryWalk® at Caughman Road Park or pick up the book from your neighborhood library and find your courage to try something new. Next, check out some of these good books to continue the stories at home! Looking for even more good books? Check out our personalized recommendations or call us at 803-799-9084.
Soul Food Sunday
Food
Staff Picks

Read All About It: Tasty Treats

  • Heather M.
  • Monday, April 04
Check out these tasty treats that look good enough to eat--I mean, read. Whether it's a delicious thick red stew shared with neighbors, a food truck rodeo or applesauce in your hair, these books offer a veritable buffet of cuisines and experiences to share together. (Some of these books even offer recipes so you can make food with your friends and family!)
We Shall Overcome
Soul Food Sunday
Staff Picks

CSMCL's Best Multicultural Picture Books of 2021

  • Caitlin B.
  • Tuesday, February 01
The following picture books were all named in the Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature's Best Multicultural Children's Books of 2021. Want to learn more about diverse books? Check out this blog post. Want more books? Ask your librarian for their recommendations or call the Children's Room at Richland Library Main (803.929.3434). We can send books to your closest Richland Library location!
Off to See the Sea
I Want to Be an Astronaut
Staff Picks

Great Books for Toddlers

  • Children's Room
  • Friday, January 07
"Monsters straight ahead! Watch out for the yellow rubber ducky!"--Off to See the Sea by Nikki Grimes Toddlers are on the move, but they still love a good story. They're learning new words every day and will ask to hear their favorite book again and again (and again). Check out some of these toddler-tested titles to share with your mover and shaker.
Pete the Cat and the Cool Caterpillar
Pete the Cat's Groovy Bake Sale
Staff Picks

Top Checkouts 2021: Children's Fiction 📚

  • Richland Library
  • Wednesday, December 29
Curious as to what your friends' and neighbors' children were reading or being read in 2021? Long story, short. It was a good year to be Mo Willems.
Blog
Richland Library Main

Top Checkouts of 2021

  • Richland Library
  • Thursday, December 30
2021 ushered in a year of stellar new releases from old favorites, a barrage of debut authors, and lots of titles that broadened our bookshelves (and minds) and filled up our streaming queues. Here's a look at the top 10 books, movies, and songs by age group and format.
I Am a Bird
They Call Me River
Staff Picks

StoryWalk®: I Am a Bird Read-Alikes

  • Richland Library
  • Friday, November 12
Visit Richland Library's I Am a Bird StoryWalk® at Doko Meadows Park or pick up the book from your neighborhood library and get your family soaring and gliding while enjoying a great story. Next, check out some of these good books to continue the fun at home!