Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Is That What I Think It Is?

Are you feeling particularly anti-social? Sick of the staff's smiling faces and witty banter? Ashamed that all of your books are a month overdue, including the latest about the "Snookums the Cat" Detective Agency? Or are you simply too tired to get out of your car? Well if so, have we got a solution for you! Introducing the Charleston Library Society's new book return! It is constructed of durable steel, powdered coated in white paint, marked "Book Return" in large black letters (for our less observant members), and located beside the driveway. Now you can drive into our parking lot, turn around, and drive up to the book return without getting out of your car! It is also appropriate for videos, DVDs, and cash or checks (we hope for lots of the latter). We are sure that it will be a big hit.

If you joined the Library Society during the past year, Thursday is the day of our annual New Member Reception. We will have many of the Library Society's treasures on display, and staff will give behind the scenes tours of our collections (plus we will have refreshments). We hope that you can join us, and if not, we hope to see you soon!

Read a book!

Monday, August 18, 2008

"Tropical Storm Party" just doesn't have the same ring to it...

Well, summer is winding down. Kids are going back to school, third-stringers are trudging through pre-season football games, politicians are politicking, anglophile Library Society members are checking out Last Night of the Proms (now available on DVD)... all the typical late summer stuff.

And this week, nature herself is doing her end of August thing: sending us a Tropical Storm! Tropical Storm Fay is making landfall in south Florida (where Bill Parcells will attempt to sign it as QB for the Dolphins) and should be a glorified rainstorm when it comes to Charleston: more of a "Barry" than a "Hugo". Still, a good hard rain causes Charleston to do her best Venice impersonation... better to come by the Library Society early this week to stock up on books in preparation for the storm.

ACTUAL LIBRARY NEWS: Our annual New Member Reception is still on for August 28th. If you've joined in the past year, come by for tours and canapes and rare stuff from the collections and refreshments... Attire is business casual- better than flip-flops but less than than top hat and tails, and we'll probably let you in (we would let you in in tails, but you'd make the rest of us feel shabby).

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Would Someone Please Close the Oven?

Can it get any hotter? That, of course, is a rhetorical question. Yes it can get hotter, and it probably will in the near future. No matter how oppressive the heat (99 degrees yesterday), we are blessed to be located only minutes from a breezy river or beach. In Columbia, the temperature hit 102 yesterday, and relief for its residents is much farther away. The current conditions provide an excellent reason to visit the Library Society. While here, you can marvel at the awe-inspiring efficiency of our brand new air conditioning unit. It is whisper quiet, energy efficient, and very effective.

As the heat subsides we will begin our Fall programs schedule. First on the agenda is our annual New Member Reception on August 28. Members who joined the organization for the first time during the past year will have an opportunity to make new friends, meet the staff, and get a behind-the-scenes look at the Library Society and its great collections. Did I mention that there will be refreshments?

Two days after the reception, Clemson University will begin its 2008 football season in Atlanta, where they will play Nick Saban's University of Alabama team. This game has absolutely nothing to do with the Library Society, but the start of college football season is highly anticipated by Library Society staff (and all true Americans).

We have good news for patrons! The backhoe and jackhammers have moved on, and we are left with only the noise of passing autos and pedestrians, thus providing you with one more reason to stop by and spend some time with us. We hope to see you soon.

Read a book (and drink plenty of water) !

W.G. Hinson