Richland Library is the public library system of Richland County,

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

. In December 2012, the library shortened its name from Richland County Public Library. It has 11 branches including its Main Library. In 2001, it was named the National Library of the Year by the ''

Library Journal ''Library Journal'' is an American trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey. It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional prac ...

'' and the

Gale Group Gale is a global provider of research and digital learning resources. The company is based in Farmington Hills, Michigan, United States, west of Detroit. It has been a division of Cengage since 2007. The company, formerly known as Gale Research a ...

History

The library began as a private charity in 1896. In 1924 the City of Columbia took over the operation and financing of the library, and the Columbia Public Library was born. Having been housed in a number of storefront locations, in 1929 the library moved into the former home of Dr James Woodrow, the uncle of President

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was the 28th president of the United States, serving from 1913 to 1921. He was the only History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democrat to serve as president during the Prog ...

. The library added a bookmobile, and a

Phillis Wheatley Phillis Wheatley Peters, also spelled Phyllis and Wheatly ( – December 5, 1784), was an American writer who is considered the first African-American author of a published book of poetry. Gates Jr., Henry Louis, ''Trials of Phillis Wheatley: ...

branch in the

African-American neighborhood African-American neighborhoods or black neighborhoods are types of ethnic enclaves found in many cities in the United States. Generally, an African American neighborhood is one where the majority of the people who live there are African American ...

of Waverly in 1930. In 1933 Richland County began financing the library, and in 1934 the

South Carolina General Assembly The South Carolina General Assembly, also called the South Carolina Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of South Carolina. The legislature is bicameral and consists of the lower South Carolina House of Representatives and ...

approved the takeover, so the name was changed to Richland County Public Library. The library was granted nonprofit status in 1982. In 1986, the RCPL, together with the

University of South Carolina The University of South Carolina (USC, SC, or Carolina) is a Public university, public research university in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1801 as South Carolina College, It is the flagship of the University of South Car ...

, began an annual event, "A(ugusta) Baker's Dozen: A Celebration of Stories" in honor of

Augusta Braxton Baker Augusta Braxton Baker (April 1, 1911 – February 23, 1998) was an American librarian and storyteller. She was known for her contributions to children's literature, especially regarding the portrayal of Black Americans in works for children. E ...

, a pioneering children's librarian originally with the

New York Public Library The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second-largest public library in the United States behind the Library of Congress a ...

. Over the decades the library added branches, and by 1989 had outgrown its main branch. On February 14 of that year, that voters of Richland County approved a $27 million bond referendum. Exactly four years later the new Main Library opened at 1431 Assembly Street. The project had been shepherded by C. David Warren, library director since 1979. The remainder of the bond proceeds were used for other improvements, including the addition of seven new branch buildings. In 2001, the ''Library Journal'' and the Gale Group named Richland County Public Library the National Library of the Year.

Main Library

Costing $11.6 million, the four story, Main Library, designed by architect

Eugene Aubry Eugene Edwards Aubry (November 15, 1935 – December 9, 2023) was an American architect, based primarily in Houston, Texas and later in Orlando, Florida.Stephen Fox and Eugene Aubry''Born on the Island: The Galveston We Remember'' Texas A&M Univ ...

, was the chief reason for the bond issue. Aside from the striking exterior, the Children's Room, which is located in the building's basement, has a mural of characters from

Maurice Sendak Maurice Bernard Sendak (; June 10, 1928 – May 8, 2012) was an American author and illustrator of children's books. Born to Polish-Jewish parents, his childhood was impacted by the death of many of his family members during the Holocaust. Send ...

's ''

Where the Wild Things Are ''Where the Wild Things Are'' is a 1963 children's picture book written and illustrated by American author and illustrator, Maurice Sendak, originally published in hardcover by Harper & Row. The book has been adapted into other media several ti ...

''. This is the only place in the world where Sendak approved such use of his work.

References

External links

Richland Library
{{Authority control

Education in Columbia, South Carolina Buildings and structures in Columbia, South Carolina Education in Richland County, South Carolina 1924 establishments in South Carolina