Ice and snow in the forecast! First stop the grocery store…next stop the Library!
By Jimmie Epling, Director, Darlington County Library System
Last Friday, the local weather prediction called for freezing rain, maybe some snow, and all around icy conditions. So what do you do?
First, you find out what will be closing due to the inclement weather.
If you have children, what will you do with the children?
Second, once you know where the upcoming storm will hit and who will be impacted, you swing into action you make sure you have those staples of life before travelling becomes treacherous and all traffic is banned from the roads, bread and milk. With your cupboard and refrigerator stocked with provisions, you believe you are ready for anything.
Have you given thought to how you will handle cabin fever when it strikes? Remember the last winter storm that paralyzed Darlington County? You were cooped up at home for two or three days, unable to get out due to the icy road conditions. Your cable or Direct TV went out. Remember how you looked to fill all those idle hours at home? If some of your memories are unpleasant, then let me make a suggestion. After making your stop at the grocery store, drop by one of the Darlington County Library’s locations, Darlington, Hartsville, Lamar, and Society Hill to stock up on books, DVDs, audiobooks, and more to prevent you contracting cabin fever during the coming days when you are virtually a prisoner in your own home due to the winter weather.
The Library has hundreds of thousands of books you can choose from. On a cold, wintery day there is nothing like curling up with a good book, with a warm beverage or glass of wine, in a comfortable chair. When you drop by on your way home, you might try the very popular “Girl on the Train” by Paula Hawkins or “All the Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr. If you want romance, pick up “See Me” by Nicholas Sparks, “The Man You’ll Marry” by Debbie Macomber, or any of thousands of others. If action is what you crave on a cold wintery day, then “The Guilty” by David Baldacci and “Command Authority” by Tom Clancy and Mark Greaney are for you.
Load up on books for your children as they can suffer from cabin fever too! Your children might enjoy Drew Daywalt’s stories of colors coming alive in “The Day the Crayons Came Home” and “The Day the Crayons Quit,” Maybe a tale of hard working machines getting ready for bed by Sherri Duskey in “Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site,” or Kevin Henkes’ book about toys cooling their heels on a windowsill, “Waiting,” will help them stretch their imagination.
The Library also has a large collection of game and craft books with ideas suitable for adults and children to do on a snowy, frosty day. You might try Amanda Kingloff’s “ProjectKid” for 100 ingenious crafts for family fun or “2-Hour Crafting Treasures” by Laura Scott for ideas to keep your children busy and happy.
Don’t forget the Library has thousands of movies on DVD . You will find drama, romance, action, horror, and science fiction for yourself and lots of wholesome and entertaining movies for children of every age. A snowy day is just the time to binge watch a season of one of your favorite television series!
While the Library’s four locations may be closed due to the foul weather, our “Digital Branch” is always open 24/7 for you to visit at www.darlington-lib.org. As long as you have an Internet connection, you can visit the “Digital Branch.” And it is all free!
When you prepare for the next storm, after stocking up on beard and milk, head to the Darlington County Library!
