Library Programs

The Charleston County Public Library will offer the following free programs.

SYSTEMWIDE

Be Creative: Children's Summer Reading Program (ages 11 and younger): Through July 31. All Charleston County Library branches. Children are awarded prizes for reading or being read to at levels of 5, 15 and 30 hours. Prizes include the S.C. reading medal, passes to community events, T-shirts and branch grand prizes.

S.C. Teens Read: Teen Summer Reading Program (students entering grades 6-12). Through July 31. All Charleston County Library branches. Read whatever you want and win prizes. The more you read, the more you can win. Weekly prize drawings, Grand Prize drawings and rewards. Fill out an S.C. Teens Speak Out survey and get a treat.

Reading Wave: Adult Summer Reading Program (ages 18 and up). Through July 31. All Charleston County Library branches. Reading Wave rewards adults for reading with weekly prizes and a grand prize package. Read alongside Charleston County's youth and cash in.

CHARLESTON AND THE ISLANDS

-- Main Library, 68 Calhoun St., downtown: 805-6930.

Saul Alexander Gallery Art Exhibit: Through July 31. Margaret Wood Atwood, a Charleston photographer, will be exhibiting her black and white photographs in the Saul Alexander Gallery. The exhibit called "The Past is Present," includes images of icons no longer in Charleston, such as The Cavallaro in its original form and the expanse of the old Cooper River bridges, and those that give the impression that they will be here long after we are gone, such as the Sheldon church.

Small Business Counseling with SCORE (adults): 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday. Get free, confidential counseling for your start-up idea or existing business from the Charleston Coastal chapter of SCORE.

Preparing Your Nonprofit for a Crisis: 10 a.m.-1 p.m. today. A crisis can happen anytime and impact any organization, even nonprofits. Learn from experts how to prepare your organization for a crisis and the potential of a media and public firestorm.

Networking Night for Entrepreneurs (adults): 6-7 p.m. today. Need to grow your network? Bring your business cards and practice the art of networking at this monthly event.

The Magic of Houdini II: 10 a.m. Tuesday. This crowd favorite returns to entertain.

Lives of Famous Composers in Cinema Series: "The Strauss Family." 1 p.m. Tuesday. The Strauss family is as famous for scandal as it is for music. Their saga spans more than 85 years. This week view Part One: Anna and Part Two: Emilie.

Contemporary Fiction Book Discussion: 7 p.m. Tuesday. "Fieldwork" by Mischa Berlinski.

Creative Cinema: 10 a.m. Wednesday. "Pinocchio" (rated G; 88 minutes).

S.C. Teens Watch & Play: 2-4:30 p.m. Wednesday. Escape the heat and come watch a movie on the big screen. Bring a lunch or snack; free popcorn and soda will be provided. Watch "Knowing" (rated PG-13) then play "Guitar Hero" with friends after the film.

Read-A-Thon: 7-8 p.m. Wednesday. Meet your neighbors and bring the family for the Trident Literacy Association's Read-A-Thon, designed to bring the community together and reinforce the importance of reading. Special guests Chief Chris Seabolt of the James Island Fire Department and Trident Literacy Association Board member Kristal Hudson-Randall will share their love for the written word, and read aloud from their favorite books.

Lives of Famous Composers in Cinema Series: "The Strauss Family." July 28 at 1 p.m. The Strauss family is as famous for scandal as it is for music. Their saga spans more than 85 years. This week view Part Three: Schanni and Part Four: Revolution.

"Guitar Hero" Tournament (ages 10-18 only): July 29 at 3 p.m. Test your skills and rock out on the monster screen. Prizes include a $50 Best Buy gift card for the top player. Player registration starts at 2:30 p.m.; tournament begins at 3 p.m.

-- John L. Dart Branch Library, 1067 King St.: 722-7550

Win, Lose and Draw: Library Style (ages 12-17): 10:30 a.m. today. Can you draw? Well enough that someone can guess the title of popular books? Come to the Dart Library and show off your drawing skills and maybe you can lead your team to victory.

The Magic of Houdini II: 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. This crowd favorite returns to entertain.

Early Bird Theatre: "Inkheart" (ages 12-17): July 23 at 10 a.m. Meggie's father, Mo, has the power to bring characters from books to life just by reading those books aloud. When he sets free some nasty characters from a medieval story, it is up to Meggie to join a group of friends to set things right. Rated PG; 106 minutes.

Date Night Cinema: "Nights in Rodanthe" (adults): July 24 at 6 p.m. Adrienne is trying to decide whether to stay in her unhappy marriage. Paul is a doctor who is traveling to reconcile with his estranged son and checks into an inn in a North Carolina beach town, where she is staying. Rated PG-13; 97 minutes.

-- Folly Beach Library, 55 Center St.: 588-2001

Summer Reading Finale: July 31 at 4 p.m. Grand prize drawings, games and pizza. Registration is requested by July 24.

-- James Island Branch Library, 1248 Camp Road: 795-6679

The Magic of Houdini II: Noon Tuesday. This crowd favorite returns to entertain.

-- Johns Island Regional Library, 3531 Maybank Highway: 559-1945

Quilted Wall Hanging Display: Through July 31. A quilted wall hanging titled "Three Generations" was designed and quilted by Master Quilter Nora R. Williams. She used an African-inspired fabric titled "Shield," designed by Kaye England.

Lowcountry Dolls: Through July 31. Sculptured Lowcountry dolls with faces made of pecan shells and other handmade dolls created by Master Quilter Nora R. Williams will be on display.

Photography Exhibit: Through July 31. Kiawah Island Photography Club will display photographs covering a range of subjects.

Wired (rising sixth- through 12th-graders): 2:30-4:30 p.m. Wednesday. Teens get wired-up for fun and games at the library. Enjoy board games, card games, video games, movies and more on Wednesdays.

Knitting Group (adults): July 23 from 6-7:30 p.m. Enjoy the company of other adult knitters. Meet to exchange ideas. Bring your projects and knit with friends. Open to knitters of all skill levels.

Club Anime! (ages 12-19): 3-4:30 p.m. Saturday. It's viewers' choice on Saturday. Club members will have a choice of enjoying three episodes of "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya," "Ouran High School Host Club," "Chobits," "Mushi-shi" or "xxxHolic."

The Magic of Houdini II: 2 p.m. Monday. This crowd favorite returns to entertain.

Sea Islands Book Club (adults): 2 p.m. Tuesday. Group will be discussing "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen. Enter the world of 90-something-year-old Jacob Jankowski, who recalls life in the circus as a young man during the Great Depression, his friendship with Marlena, the equestrian act star, and Rosie the elephant, who gave them hope. Copies of the book may be obtained from the reference desk for check out while supplies last.

Read-A-Thon: July 25 at 11 a.m. Meet your neighbors and bring the family for the Trident Literacy Association's Read-a-Thon, designed to bring the community together and reinforce the importance of reading. Special guest Connie Walpole Haynie, author of "Images of America: Johns Island," will read her favorite book for story time for families.

Summer Reading Finale: July 27 at 2 p.m. Say "so long" to Summer Reading with ice cream, games and the unveiling of the new Children's Quilt with squares decorated by patrons and sewn together by Nora Williams.