Camden, SC – The Kershaw County Library is pleased to announce the completion of the new Growing Readers Center (GRC) at the Camden library location. The center includes reading stations, materials and information for growing readers, and a mural painted by Colt Shirley and Summer Reading Program participants.

The GRC will provide space for beginning readers or people of all ages experiencing reading difficulties. Inside the space are private reading stations, and new resources such as books with audio, hands-on literary skills cards, games to support reading education, and educational information and handouts. The information addresses emerging literacy, learning challenges like dyslexia, and includes directories to area resources.

The Camden library is also hosting a series of programs introducing the GRC to parents, teachers, and people who work with children. The programs will talk about the benefits of the center and how to use it. The first program will be “Introducing the GRC” and will be held on Tuesday, September 26 at 6 PM at the Camden branch. Guest speakers include Kershaw County School District’s Director of Elementary Education Ginger Catoe and Doby’s Mill Elementary Librarian Betsy Long. The topic will be “Help Your Child Get Ready to Read.” The GRC program series continues on Tuesday, October 24 with KCSD Reading Coach Deahnna Lane speaking about the process of learning to read and Tuesday, November 28 with Jennifer Neese, the director of the Dyslexic Resource Center (in Columbia) presenting a program entitled “What is Dyslexia?” All programs are scheduled at 6 PM at the Camden branch library location.

For more information on the Growing Readers Center or the GRC programming, contact Lauren Decker, Youth Librarian, at 803-425-1508 or by email at laurend@kershawcountylibrary.org For media inquiries, contact Hanna Gustafson, Publicity Coordinator, at 803-438-7881 or by email at hannag@kershawcountylibrary.org