SUMTER, S.C. — The Sumter County Library is trying to incentivize reading with its new children's library cards. The colorful cards are designed by Sumter native Savannah Hynes.
When Julie Hynes heard the library wanted to make a special card for kids, she knew exactly who to call.
"My director, Robert Harden, he thought it was time that we get a new card for the children. Since we've, you know, COVID happened, things are a little bit different, and so this is kind of a fresh new look," Julie explained. "I was thinking, 'Well, you know, I know someone who likes to draw and create things' and that was Savannah, my daughter."
Savannah is a junior at Winthrop University studying graphic design. She just switched to that area of study last semester, so when Savannah heard about this project, she was excited.
"I switched to graphic design last semester. So I haven't been in the major for that long, and I haven't really done any designs outside of schoolwork-related, so actually doing something that's going to be used and like put out is really cool. I was really excited about that," she shared. "It's exciting like, being like, ‘Hey, I can do this and like you can use my abilities."
The colorful card is for children up to 12-years-old. Julie is the head of children services at the library and she knows just how important it is to encourage reading starting at a young age.
"It's very important that you get them excited about it because then when there might be a book that's a little hard or difficult, they don't get too much of a stumble going in, you know, put the book down and don't want to read again," Julie shared. "So I just thought [this library card is] what we wanted. It was something bright and colorful, but yet simple, simple enough to know what the motto is: read, learn and grow."
Elizabeth Barber is trying to instill that love for reading in her daughter, Bea. She tells me this new library card might help.
"I love it. I think it's so bright and colorful and I feel like if I were like a kid I would like kind of be bragging like ‘Look at this cool library card! Like it's so cute," Barber said. "I think it's very important to make things kind of bright and cheerful. And I think that that's what that card is is really bright and cheerful and I think it might make kids more interested. Like, that's kind of cool."
The free card is available to pick up at the Sumter County Library.