“No offense to any stuffy libraries but, we're not your mom’s library,” said Mary-Kate Quillivan. “Whatever you thought a library was, it’s not what we are.”
Quillivan is the Arts and Media Manager for Richland Library. As a traditionally trained librarian, she knows the library inside and out, and now heads up a team of folks working to push the boundaries of what a library can be.
For folks who grew up in Columbia, the Richland County Public Library and its regional partners created a network of learning spaces across the city’s neighborhoods. The Assembly Street hub, with its glass-fronted industrial architecture, offers a modern twist on stereotypical library aesthetics.
Beyond unconventional looks, the library boasts a vibrant children’s section in the open basement, with murals of Maurice Sendak’s "Wild Things." The upper floors are home to art gallery spaces, reference desks, workspaces and of course — books. But what makes the Richland Library stand out is the effort to keep itself centered as the people’s university.
Claire Sumaydeng-Bryan, Fiber Arts Coordinator, leads a group of event-goers as they make felted lapel pins on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023 at Richland Library's Overdue event. (Photos by Eden Prime/Special to the Post & Courier)
The downtown branch made strides in the past decade to present Columbia with alternative resources and designated spaces for community growth, entrepreneurship and creativity — all at the swipe of a library card. In 2013, library leadership initiated a plan to create “makerspaces” and a “library of things” for users to check out for hobbies, crafts, media arts, entrepreneurship and even large-scale woodworking projects — free to reserve, just as they would check out a paperback.
For the 2016 launch of the makerspaces, the library hosted an after-hours event for users over the age of 18 called Overdue. People 18 and up are statistically challenging to get through library doors, as they often rely on online resources or do not engage with the library at all.
The goal of Overdue was two pronged — showcase the newly minted makerspaces and make the library an inviting venue for young adult users.
A crowd of Overdue attendees watch Gamine perform on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023. Many event-goers dressed in Halloween-themed outfits or came in seasonally festive costumes. (Photos by Eden Prime/Special to the Post & Courier)
“County users pay taxes that pay for the library, so we want to represent all of our community members,” Quillivan said, referring to the 18-35 demographic. “So again, sort of trying to get them back into the building, to show them what we now can offer them that maybe, again, fit their needs more.”
Quillivan and her team host the makerspaces, which are home to a myriad of useful tools for artists and craftsmen.
“There's a laser cutter and all types of crafting tools,” explained Quillivan, “In addition to a makerspace where you can take photos, video, record music, podcast, voiceover, we have a fiber arts room where you can do pretty much anything textile related.”
Chantal Wilson, Research and Readers Advisory Manager, poses with the painting that the paint-by-numbers mural (behind) was based on at the Overdue Library event on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023. (Photos by Eden Prime/Special to the Post & Courier)
The library makes tools — literal woodworking tools and resources for other art forms — accessible to users, along with the gear they need to use each item safely and effectively.
“(They can) come here and use these resources for the price of a library card, which is free for most people,” said Cecil Decker.
Decker is the media arts coordinator for the library, working with people who want to use the makerspaces. They are on-call to assist with questions, technical difficulties and lead trainings for the spaces before people can book a room. Decker’s job is to keep users informed and efficient as they use the media arts rooms and library of things. Other teaching artists help to do the same in the woodworking and textile spaces.
Desirée Richardson leads Death Ray Robin with explosive (yet calculated) vocal expressions and groovy keyboard compositions at the library's Overdue event on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023. (Photos by Eden Prime/Special to the Post & Courier)
In 2020, the makerspaces closed as COVID-19 lockdowns persisted. During this period, users could still rent from the library of things. Since then, things have opened up slowly and many of the original users returned, but use was at a decline. Now, in 2023, Quillivan says that the community was “overdue” for another Overdue; to remind Columbia of what the library can provide.
On Friday, Oct.13, Overdue made a comeback. The Richland Library hosted what could only be described as a celebration. Replete with food, drink, live music and an army of creative 18+ people, the third floor overflowed with creative energy.
Each meeting room and makerspace offered a craft or activity for the event attendees. Live music was provided by local bands Death Ray Robin and Gamine, with lights and sound run by a team from Transmission Arcade. There was a shadow puppet show and food available on the first floor from Rambo’s Fat Cat Cafe.
Interactive games like checkers and giant Jenga were available in the open spaces on the third floor during Overdue on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023. (Photos by Eden Prime/Special to the Post & Courier)
In planning Overdue, Quillivan, Decker and the Arts and Media team wanted to incorporate emerging community artists, and showcase the talent that Columbia fosters. They reached out to arts community leaders for ideas of what artists to showcase, and what to highlight.
“Asking people in the community, thinking about things that would be interesting and that we haven't done and then just using the connections we already have,” said Decker, about planning the various pop-ups at Overdue.
The library hopes to keep hosting 18 and up events in the form of Overdue at least twice a year. Now that the makerspaces are re-established as a core part of the library’s diverse resources, Quillivan and her team are excited to dream up the next innovative event.
