Special to The T&D

COLUMBIA -- The South Carolina State Library has launched a family literacy activity calendar titled "South Carolina Day by Day."

The calendar is designed to be a tool that families, caregivers, educators and librarians can use at home and in the classroom to further develop early literacy skills that help young children become prepared for or do better in school. The goal is to provide families and caretakers a full year's worth of activities so that it can be used more like an activity book than simply a calendar. It includes lists of recommended books that encourage everyone to use their local public library. Craft projects are designed to use simple items easily found in the home.

The calendar is a project of the State Library, working in partnership with many agencies and organizations, and primarily funded by a Library Services and Technology Act grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services. The original artwork depicts sights and scenes of South Carolina painted by Spartanburg County artist Helen Correll. The design was created by Colleen Coletta, a Columbia-based graphic designer, and includes many different elements to spark creativity and enthusiasm in children and families.

"South Carolina Day by Day" is a perpetual calendar, meaning that the calendar is undated and has no date-specific material so it never becomes outdated. The calendar starts with September because that is the time that most children are getting back to school and programming begins.

A preview was introduced at a recent Literacy Leaders Awards Event sponsored by USC's School of Library and Information Science and the S.C. Center for Children's Books and Literacy, both program partners. Other partnering agencies include the SCSL Foundation, Reach out and Read, S.C. Department of Education, Education Oversight Committee, The Humanities Council S.C., S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, and S.C. First Steps to Kindergarten Readiness.

Calendars will soon be distributed through a variety of events at public libraries, agencies and day care centers so families most in need will have them. Later this year, there are plans for introducing an online interactive version.

For information on how to purchase calendars, visit scln.statelibrary.sc.gov/index.php/Literacy. The State Library will continue to seek partners and funding opportunities so that all S.C. families and caregivers will have an opportunity to benefit from this resource. Individuals, groups or businesses interested in being a partner in this effort should e-mail Denise Lyons at dlyons@statelibrary.sc.gov or call

803-734-6061.

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