On a sweaty, slightly tear-filled Wednesday, I set aside our moving boxes and headed to the library with my four kids in tow. After seven moves in ten years, our ceremonial first trip to the library is always a special one. Sometimes before we even have a physical address, we’ve got library cards! It’s always exciting to meet our new librarians, find books about our new hometown, and check out the next book in a series right where we left off at our last stop.
I remember venturing to the children’s area for the first time with my oldest child. He was just a wee thing and I was so nervous the other moms might judge me. Was my son really old enough to join the Kid Section Club? What happened if another mom talked to me and found out he couldn’t even read yet!? Well, needless to say neither of those things turned out to be an issue. On that first visit, I discovered the library had board books! I had never imagined board books at the library. My mind was blown! My baby ended up checking one out that day and I loved every second of discovering something new together from the comfort of our own couch, even if it was just Goodnight Moon. We were hooked! Finally, a place with space for my stroller, a diaper changing table, nice people, and a clean floor for the baby to crawl on… and all for free!
A couple of years later, we started attending storytime. I loved going to the same time every week and once in a while would work up the courage to introduce myself to another mom deep in the throes of toddlerhood. Oh, how I treasured those short boosts of conversation in the middle of another monotonous day.
Now, my oldest is seven. He just got his own library card and uses it to check out books like Bad Guys and All About Microscopes. My youngest, on the other hand, is just about the age he was at his first visit. She pulls books from the shelf, screams much louder than she should, and loves pulling up a chair to the table just her size.
The Berkeley County Library System
We call the Berkeley County Library System home now. We live for the above and beyond librarians, tasteful books on display, beautiful bulletin boards, incredible take-home kid crafts, and bubble-filled story times. Bubbles for a one-year-old that I don’t have to blow or get spilled on me!? I am so there!
While each library has its own flavor, all the libraries in Berkeley have something totally rad for kids. My toddler loved the board book cart in Hanahan, while I loved their large selection of Spanish resources. My five-year-old just about died when he saw the I-Spy Box at the Goose Creek branch and never did make it back far enough to see their cute play kitchen or chunky puzzles. If you find the stuffed animal Franklin at the Cane Bay library, you win a prize! I’m telling you, it’s magic people! The library is magic!
Ok, so maybe you’re not into all that other amazing stuff I’ve mentioned. Would it be worth finding your driver’s license or a piece of mail with your address on it if I told you, you can check out free passes to the Children’s Museum, Aquarium, and State Parks?
Or maybe you’re a Dorchester County resident so you think none of this applies to you anyways? Wrong! Berkeley County Libraries want you and your kids too! Come on in and utilize their in-person resources or add another library system to your Libby account to get even more content delivered right to your phone or Kindle. Long drives across town just got that much more fun with an unlimited supply of free audiobooks! Charleston County friends, check out our guide to your libraries here.
I’ve only scratched the surface of our fantastic libraries in Berkeley County. If you haven’t taken a trip to the library with your kids yet, give it a try! Snuggle into one of those overstuffed chairs at the Daniel Island branch or just bask in the murals at Moncks Corner. A trip to the library can be a stand-alone activity, especially on hot days, or once you’ve practiced a few times you can easily pair it with a walk or trip to the playground. Consider library hopping this summer: story time, LEGO hour, knitting, Chess, Pokemon GO, and music classes are just a few of the events that await you and your family.
For easy reference, here’s a list of all the Berkeley County Library locations:
Cane Bay (1655 Cane Bay Blvd., Ste A, Summerville, SC 29486)
Daniel Island (2301 Daniel Island Drive, Daniel Island, SC 29492)
Goose Creek (325 Old Moncks Corner Road, Goose Creek, SC 29445)
Hanahan (1216 Old Murray Court, Hanahan, SC 29410)
Moncks Corner (1003 Highway 52, Moncks Corner, SC 29461)
Saint Stephen (113 Ravenell Drive, Saint Stephen, SC 29479
Sangaree (595 Sangaree Parkway, Summerville, SC 29486)
M.O.R.E Bookmobile (Various locations)
Let’s help each other out and fill the comments with awesome kids’ books! What books are popular at your house right now? Any family favorites? I can’t wait to hear what you’re loving and put some good books on hold.
