5 new libraries later, Charleston County's existing libraries are getting renovated (2024)

Throughout Charleston County, libraries are getting a makeover.

A $108.5 million referendum voters passed in 2014 supported the construction of five brand-new libraries along with renovations for several others in the Charleston County Public Library system.

The McClellanville Library, 50 miles north of Charleston, is the latest location getting an upgrade. The former house-turned-library is getting a new carpet, an update to furniture, more shelving and a paint job.A desk is also being removed to make better use of the limited floor space, as the entire library is only 1,280 square feet.

The location had a grand reopening on May 17.

All of the other new libraries supported by the referendum have already been built and opened in the past five years, including the Wando Mount Pleasant Library, Baxter-Patrick James Island Library, Bees Ferry West Ashley Library, St. Paul’s Hollywood Library and the Keith Summey North Charleston Library.

The library system iscurrently in the process of renovating all of the already existing branches. While there is no timeline to complete all of the renovations, Charleston County Public Libraries is in the early stages of planning for the main library's renovations, which will be the last library to be updated.

Angela Craig, executive director of Charleston County Public Libraries, said it’s fun and transformative to renovate the libraries because they’re able to curate an updated collection of books and be more intentional with floor space through changes in furniture.

“(The libraries) aren’t bigger after the renovations, but they just feel bigger because they’ve been programmed more effectively,” she said.

Craig said they wanted to reopen both the McClellanville and Folly Beach libraries before the summer as summer reading is an important part of supporting students who are out of school.

“We want to make sure they’re reading and engaged so they don’t let the summer slide of literacy and knowledge,” she said.

Craig added that with these two libraries reopened, the Edisto Island Library recently closed for renovations. The Poe/Sullivan’s Island Library will also close for renovations after the summer.

Charleston County Councilman Larry Kobrovsky, whose district includes the McClellanville Library, said he grew up going to that exact location, as did his parents and grandparents. He considers time at the library a central part of his upbringing and even still remembers where the “Dr. Dolittle” books were.

Craig said when CCPL talked to the community about what they wanted from their public libraries, she noted that in addition to access to books and computers, people wanted to have a gathering space.

“Thing like our meeting spaces and floor space with tables is really important for the community so they can just have a place to sit down and be with people or do their work or read their book or whatever it is they want to do, just not in their house or their office,” Craig said.

Craig said they see a huge boost in circulation with every single new library or renovated space, as well as a boost in library card sign-ups. Charleston County Public Libraries currently has over 212,000 library card holders.

Because of how much Charleston County is growing, Craig said CCPL will probably pose another referendum to county voters to ask where they should expand and where residents would like to see another library. She added they’ll start looking at any areas that need more coverage after all of the libraries are fully renovated and the current referendum is complete.