Have you had a chance to visit the newly renovated Johns Island Library on Maybank Highway? If not, you might want to stop by and get acquainted with this beautiful new facility. September is Library Sign-Up Month and will find that a Charleston County Public Library (CCPL) Card is the key to unlocking a wide variety of resources.
The John’s Island Library closed in August 2020 to undergo renovations as part of the ongoing $108.5 million referendum-funded project passed by Charleston County voters in 2014 to build five new libraries and renovate all existing branches. It reopened in August 2021 and now the communities of John’s Island, Kiawah, Seabrook and Wadmalaw have access to a modern, state-of-the-art library, equipped with resources, services, and technology that extend well beyond books.
Updates at the library include:
- new interior finishes
- replacement of shelving
- refreshed collection items (40,000 volumes, DVDs, audiobooks, music CDs, and a telescope)
- new furniture
- technology upgrades (approximately 40 computers and Chrome Books for public use, hotspots, and copy machines with mobile printing capability)
- new designated children and teen areas.
While the Johns Island Library facility is impressive, you might prefer to access CCPL resources from the comfort of your computer or phone. All you need is a library card to get yourself started. There are several ways to access materials digitally using any of the following:
- The Libby app is a free app that allows you to borrow ebooks, digital audiobooks, and magazines from your public library. You can stream titles with Wi-Fi or mobile data, or download them for offline use and read anytime, anywhere.
- Flipster is a next-generation magazine service that allows people to browse digital versions of the latest issues of magazines, courtesy of the library. With Flipster, patrons have the option of accessing the content at the library or remotely. Magazines can also be downloaded to phones and tablets, for offline reading anytime, anywhere.
- Hoopla is an online streaming service that offers free access to e-books, comics, audiobooks, music, films & television. To use hoopla, all you need is a valid CCPL library card and a web browser or mobile device. Each user gets 10 downloads per calendar month for the available formats.
In addition, with a CCPL library card, you gain digital access to current and past issues of The New Times, The Post and Courier, USA Today, and Consumer Reports.
Also, check out Explore with CCPL! A CCPL card gives you access to parks, museums, and devices that can help you explore the Lowcountry, the state, and even the Milky Way. You can check out an Orion telescope and obtain free passes (when available) for local museums and parks.
Finally, the next time you go to Charleston, allow extra time to visit the main branch of CCPL at 86 Calhoun Street, which houses additional educational, cultural, and historical resources. For example, the Saul Alexander Gallery exhibits the works of artists on a monthly basis and the Holocaust Collection provides references on the persecution and destruction of European Jewry and other minorities. If you are interested in delving into South Carolina History, visit the South Carolina Room on the second floor, which houses a non-circulating collection of books, maps, microfilm and other research materials on the history and genealogy of South Carolina.
And remember…
The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go!
Dr. Seuss
–Tidelines Editors
(Image credit: Johns Island Library)