You may have seen the following article in Sunday's edition of The Item:
Library's SumterWorks Assists With Employment Issues
In the article, Ivy Moore states that 1 in 10 Sumter residents are unemployed. That is a large portion of the county population. In fact, the unemployment rate for Sumter County in December 2010 was 12.4%, higher than the state average of 10.7%. This is a staggering number. However, the Sumter County Library aims to help Sumter County residents learn the relevant skills needed to enter the workforce.
Thanks to a Library Services and Technology Act grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services administered by the South Carolina State Library, the Library has developed a workforce-development project entitled "SumterWorks". SumterWorks is a multi-faceted project designed to help Sumter residents be prepared to enter the workforce. The project features classes on the following subjects:
Resume Development
The Job Interview
Applying for Jobs Online
Setting Up An Email Account
With grant funds, the Library has purchased 4 new computers and an all-in-one printer for the public to use in our computer lab. Anyone may come into the lab during specified times and receive personal help in developing a resume or applying for jobs online.
All classes and lab times are located on the SumterWorks website:
http://www.sumtercountylibrary.org/sumterworks.html
The website features extensive local job listings, links to job search websites, online tutorials for resume development and computer skills and more.
In addition to our classes and lab hours the Library has purchased over 100 books related to career development and technology. Combined with our computer classes on relevant computer skills, the SumterWorks project is sure to help our community recover in this economic climate.
Ford Simmons
Reference and Information Services Coordinator
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
Advocating for public libraries can be a difficult and frustrating experience. Often you are called upon to explain what the library does in just a few minutes with as few words as possible. You try and focus on the big ticket items such as early childhood literacy and providing computers, internet access, and staff help for those looking for employment or filing for benefits online. Yes, these are very important, but they are only a few parts of a very big picture.
That picture includes the library patron who watched as our bookmobile navigated icy roads and a library staff member hand delivered books to a community center. The patron was moved enough to write a letter to the editor of the Item. The picture includes a patron who sent a staff member an email of thanks for helping her with a problem she was having downloading onto her e-reader, thanking him for his kindness and patience. The picture includes a new resident to Sumter who writes that they “came to the library every day and utilized the internet in my job search. It was through this search that I found my first job in Sumter.” The picture includes a family struggling through tough times that come to the library for study space and computer access. The picture includes youngsters from day care and head start centers who come to the library and listen while someone reads them a story. The picture includes parents who could not afford to send their daughter to college and came to the library for information on financial aid and scholarships. They later wrote back to thank the staff member who helped them and to let us know their daughter had obtained a scholarship and was beginning her freshman classes. The picture includes the senior citizen who came to a computer class at the library, and said “I can’t wait to go home and tell my family what I learned today.”
We are often told to focus on the “big” picture, but many times the big picture is made up of many small pictures, each important and significant on its own.
So even though it can be difficult and frustrating, please advocate for support of the Sumter County Library. Libraries are important. They are part of the picture of every community. And every community would be a poorer place without them.
Robert Harden
Director
That picture includes the library patron who watched as our bookmobile navigated icy roads and a library staff member hand delivered books to a community center. The patron was moved enough to write a letter to the editor of the Item. The picture includes a patron who sent a staff member an email of thanks for helping her with a problem she was having downloading onto her e-reader, thanking him for his kindness and patience. The picture includes a new resident to Sumter who writes that they “came to the library every day and utilized the internet in my job search. It was through this search that I found my first job in Sumter.” The picture includes a family struggling through tough times that come to the library for study space and computer access. The picture includes youngsters from day care and head start centers who come to the library and listen while someone reads them a story. The picture includes parents who could not afford to send their daughter to college and came to the library for information on financial aid and scholarships. They later wrote back to thank the staff member who helped them and to let us know their daughter had obtained a scholarship and was beginning her freshman classes. The picture includes the senior citizen who came to a computer class at the library, and said “I can’t wait to go home and tell my family what I learned today.”
We are often told to focus on the “big” picture, but many times the big picture is made up of many small pictures, each important and significant on its own.
So even though it can be difficult and frustrating, please advocate for support of the Sumter County Library. Libraries are important. They are part of the picture of every community. And every community would be a poorer place without them.
Robert Harden
Director
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
A New Year Equals New Events at Your Library
"The Year"
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
"What can be said in New Year rhymes,
That’s not been said a thousand times?
The new years come, the old years go,
We know we dream, we dream we know..."
Welcome to 2011, everyone. As we enter another year here at the Sumter County Library, we are grateful for the many great programs in 2010 such as "One Night At The Cotton Club", a Career Fair, "Everybody Eats Rice", the Summer Reading Program, Computer Classes, "A Gingerbread Christmas" and much more. We at your Library are extremely grateful for the support you all have provided and will continue to provide in 2011.
We would also like to give our most sincerest thanks and blessings to the Friends of the Library. The Book Sale, held at the Sumter Mall in November, was a complete success. Everything they do for the Library is crucial in continuing to offer the very best in service, programming and materials to the community. If you are not a member of the Friends of the Library, we encourage you to join and participate to help continue to make the Sumter County Library a true "community hub".
2011 promises new and exciting programming at the Sumter County Library.
Our Spring 2011 Computer Classes begin January 10th and stretch all the way through the end of May. The following classes are planned:
Computer Basics
Keyboarding
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Powerpoint
Ancestry.com
E-Mail
We have scheduled many, many classes to ensure everyone has a chance to sign up. If you are interested in taking a computer class, please visit the Reference Desk at the Main Library or call 773.7273. Computer Class schedules can be found at all library locations.
If you are interested in poetry, or simply want to learn and share poetry with others, please consider signing up for our Poetry Workshop. The workshop consists of 6 sessions, taking place once a month from January to June. Each session will feature a different type of poetic form. Only 10 spots are available, so to sign up for a spot please turn in 2 sample poems to Ford Simmons at the Reference Desk at the Main Library.
History your thing? Love genealogy? Our South Carolina History Room tours may be for you. The tour lasts one hour and consists of an explanation of the various resources available and how you may use them to conduct research. Dates for the tours are:
Thursday, January 27th @ 3pm
Thursday, February 17th @ 3pm
Thursday, March 10th @ 3pm
Monday, April 25th @ 3pm
Thursday, May 26th @ 3pm
Please sign up at the Reference Desk or by calling 773.7273.
As you can already tell, the Library is ready to help you master your information needs for 2011. So many more programs are in the works, so please stay tuned and continue to support the Sumter County Library. Thank you!
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
"What can be said in New Year rhymes,
That’s not been said a thousand times?
The new years come, the old years go,
We know we dream, we dream we know..."
Welcome to 2011, everyone. As we enter another year here at the Sumter County Library, we are grateful for the many great programs in 2010 such as "One Night At The Cotton Club", a Career Fair, "Everybody Eats Rice", the Summer Reading Program, Computer Classes, "A Gingerbread Christmas" and much more. We at your Library are extremely grateful for the support you all have provided and will continue to provide in 2011.
We would also like to give our most sincerest thanks and blessings to the Friends of the Library. The Book Sale, held at the Sumter Mall in November, was a complete success. Everything they do for the Library is crucial in continuing to offer the very best in service, programming and materials to the community. If you are not a member of the Friends of the Library, we encourage you to join and participate to help continue to make the Sumter County Library a true "community hub".
2011 promises new and exciting programming at the Sumter County Library.
Our Spring 2011 Computer Classes begin January 10th and stretch all the way through the end of May. The following classes are planned:
Computer Basics
Keyboarding
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Powerpoint
Ancestry.com
We have scheduled many, many classes to ensure everyone has a chance to sign up. If you are interested in taking a computer class, please visit the Reference Desk at the Main Library or call 773.7273. Computer Class schedules can be found at all library locations.
If you are interested in poetry, or simply want to learn and share poetry with others, please consider signing up for our Poetry Workshop. The workshop consists of 6 sessions, taking place once a month from January to June. Each session will feature a different type of poetic form. Only 10 spots are available, so to sign up for a spot please turn in 2 sample poems to Ford Simmons at the Reference Desk at the Main Library.
History your thing? Love genealogy? Our South Carolina History Room tours may be for you. The tour lasts one hour and consists of an explanation of the various resources available and how you may use them to conduct research. Dates for the tours are:
Thursday, January 27th @ 3pm
Thursday, February 17th @ 3pm
Thursday, March 10th @ 3pm
Monday, April 25th @ 3pm
Thursday, May 26th @ 3pm
Please sign up at the Reference Desk or by calling 773.7273.
As you can already tell, the Library is ready to help you master your information needs for 2011. So many more programs are in the works, so please stay tuned and continue to support the Sumter County Library. Thank you!
Monday, November 22, 2010
Friends Book Sale a Tremendous Success
A recent blog article brought to my attention contained the following:
"Whether it’s eBooks, websites or some other form of digitized distribution mechanism, the writing is on the wall for the printed “dead tree” medium."
If you were at our Friends book sale the first week of November and saw the throngs of people including pre-school, teens, young adult, middle-aged, and seniors grabbing up books, you might wonder if the writing truly is on the wall for the "dead tree" medium.
The sale was a tremendous success. Thanks to Library staff for manual labor, Sumter County Public Works for transportation, the Sumter-Lee Regional Detention Center for help in setting up and taking down, the Exhibition Center for tables, Sumter Mall for lending us the space, and especially to the Friends of the Library for their hard work and support in making the annual book sale an event the Sumter community looks forward to year after year. These include Friends members who sort through donations throughout the year, those who set up for the sale in advance, and those who volunteer during the sale itself. And thanks to everyone who comes out to load up on books and support the library.
Finally, very special thanks to Suzanne and Jess Begley for both chairing the sale (Suzanne), and all their hard work (Suzanne and Jess) in making it happen.
The Library appreciates your support more than you can ever know.
Robert Harden
Director
"Whether it’s eBooks, websites or some other form of digitized distribution mechanism, the writing is on the wall for the printed “dead tree” medium."
If you were at our Friends book sale the first week of November and saw the throngs of people including pre-school, teens, young adult, middle-aged, and seniors grabbing up books, you might wonder if the writing truly is on the wall for the "dead tree" medium.
The sale was a tremendous success. Thanks to Library staff for manual labor, Sumter County Public Works for transportation, the Sumter-Lee Regional Detention Center for help in setting up and taking down, the Exhibition Center for tables, Sumter Mall for lending us the space, and especially to the Friends of the Library for their hard work and support in making the annual book sale an event the Sumter community looks forward to year after year. These include Friends members who sort through donations throughout the year, those who set up for the sale in advance, and those who volunteer during the sale itself. And thanks to everyone who comes out to load up on books and support the library.
Finally, very special thanks to Suzanne and Jess Begley for both chairing the sale (Suzanne), and all their hard work (Suzanne and Jess) in making it happen.
The Library appreciates your support more than you can ever know.
Robert Harden
Director
Monday, October 25, 2010
An Update
Hello again. It is now Fall. The leaves have changed colors and in the morning you are now experiencing chilly weather. Its a comforting time of year, a time for being closer with love ones, or to even become acquainted with a new book. We have the best new releases available for you this Fall and we hope you come to your closest library location to see them for yourself.
Early in October was our Forrest Ray 5k Run and Walk. It was a great success. We had so many runners and walkers eager to take part and it could not have been possible without the support and hard work of our volunteers. We would like to thank all our sponsors, individuals who helped plan and set up the race, including members of the USCS Fire Ants athletes who held signs directing runners where to go. Thanks to Ken Lowden of the United States Track and Field Association for measuring and certifying our race route. Thanks to Strictly Running for everything they do for us as well. We hope to make the race even more successful next year!
Our top overall winners hailed from Wilson Hall. Josh Jennings (18:48) and Anne-Davis Shaw (22:18) ran an excellent race. Wilson Hall also took home the Forrest Ray 5k Travelling Cup.
We would like to remind everyone our Friends of the Library Book Sale will be taking place November 3rd through the 7th at the Sumter Mall. This year's location is right beside JCPenney, across from LensCrafters. We have so many books this year for you to purchase so make your way out. The dates and times are as follows:
Wednesday, November 3rd (Friends Preview Night) 6pm to 8:30pm
Thursday, November 4th 4pm to 8:30pm
Friday, November 5th 4pm to 8:30pm
Saturday, November 6th 10am to 6pm
Sunday, November 7th (Bag of Books Day) 1:30pm to 5pm
If you are not a member of the Friends yet, please consider. The Library has faced significant budget cuts that have impacted our ability to purchase new items. Thank you for supporting your Library. We hope to see you at the Book Sale!
Early in October was our Forrest Ray 5k Run and Walk. It was a great success. We had so many runners and walkers eager to take part and it could not have been possible without the support and hard work of our volunteers. We would like to thank all our sponsors, individuals who helped plan and set up the race, including members of the USCS Fire Ants athletes who held signs directing runners where to go. Thanks to Ken Lowden of the United States Track and Field Association for measuring and certifying our race route. Thanks to Strictly Running for everything they do for us as well. We hope to make the race even more successful next year!
Our top overall winners hailed from Wilson Hall. Josh Jennings (18:48) and Anne-Davis Shaw (22:18) ran an excellent race. Wilson Hall also took home the Forrest Ray 5k Travelling Cup.
We would like to remind everyone our Friends of the Library Book Sale will be taking place November 3rd through the 7th at the Sumter Mall. This year's location is right beside JCPenney, across from LensCrafters. We have so many books this year for you to purchase so make your way out. The dates and times are as follows:
Wednesday, November 3rd (Friends Preview Night) 6pm to 8:30pm
Thursday, November 4th 4pm to 8:30pm
Friday, November 5th 4pm to 8:30pm
Saturday, November 6th 10am to 6pm
Sunday, November 7th (Bag of Books Day) 1:30pm to 5pm
If you are not a member of the Friends yet, please consider. The Library has faced significant budget cuts that have impacted our ability to purchase new items. Thank you for supporting your Library. We hope to see you at the Book Sale!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
A Summer Reading Success
Thanks to everyone who enrolled in the Summer Reading Program or attended events as part of the program. 1481 children enrolled in Summer Reading while 2116 people attended Summer Reading Events, a record! That is over 3500 people who enriched their minds over the Summer break. These numbers truly show how important Summer Reading Programs are to our community's youth.
During the Summer, it is far too easy for children to dislodge their minds from the day-to-day academic activities found in school. Instead of reading a book or learning new concepts from activities or presenters, children stare at television screens. The mind forgets all of the lessons learned during a school year. This is not a good thing for a child. A child must continue to learn and grow all year long so they have healthy and productive lives as adults.
Children who participate in Summer Reading events have better grades because they are more confident and prepared. Minds are focused because they have been learning and growing all summer. And this happens due to the hard work of library staff and community members willing to form a positive community. We hope you continue to support the Sumter County Library in its mission to enrich the lives of children and adults through knowledge.
A Summer Reading success is a success for the community.
During the Summer, it is far too easy for children to dislodge their minds from the day-to-day academic activities found in school. Instead of reading a book or learning new concepts from activities or presenters, children stare at television screens. The mind forgets all of the lessons learned during a school year. This is not a good thing for a child. A child must continue to learn and grow all year long so they have healthy and productive lives as adults.
Children who participate in Summer Reading events have better grades because they are more confident and prepared. Minds are focused because they have been learning and growing all summer. And this happens due to the hard work of library staff and community members willing to form a positive community. We hope you continue to support the Sumter County Library in its mission to enrich the lives of children and adults through knowledge.
A Summer Reading success is a success for the community.
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