Telling the Story of Food: Why Food Literacy Matters to Your Library

Teens at the Chesterfield County Public Library prepare healthy snacks using the Charlie Cart from the South Carolina State Library

Over the past three and a half years of our food literacy initiative, SC Read Eat Grow, the one question I have heard over and over again is, “Why should a library be involved with food and nutrition?” For the South Carolina State Library and our statewide partner organizations, the answer is simple: food is a basic need for every person. Yet there is an incredible amount of information and ignorance surrounding the story of our food—how it is grown, the journey to your plate, how it affects your health now and later, and how the food we grow affects the planet at large as well as your neighborhood farmer. As a community institution that provides information, along with the knowledge to navigate that information, libraries are an ideal resource to bridge this gap. So why not libraries and food? Please visit WebJunction to see the full article by Rebecca Antill.

Upcoming Event

Len Lawson phot and the cover of his book, New Names for Stars.

Speaker at the Center Presents Len Lawson, Poet and Author

June 16, 2026, 6:00 PM

Please join us for our next Speaker at the Center talk on June 16th at 6:00 for our talk with Len Lawson, Poet and Author of New Names for Stars, accompanied by Miho Kinnas and Kathleen Nalley. Len Lawson is the winner of the Lit Fox Award (Lit Fox Books, 2026). He will be joined by Japanese poet Miho Kinnas and author Kathleen Nalley in reading selections from his newest release.