a publication of the Greenville County Library System
Meet the Artist
Children's book illustrator Alice Ratterree
Family Gardening with the Seed Library
Pump It Up Playlist
with the Greenville Drive
SPRING/SUMMER 2020
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In This Issue
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Greenville at Play A pictorial history of sports and recreation in Greenville.
Spring/Summer 2020 Mission
To champion literacy, inspire learning, and foster
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Meet the Artist: Alice Ratterree Local artist and illustrator shares her work.
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community connection.
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Vision To be Greenville County's first choice for exploration, discovery, and information.
About this Publication
Pump It Up
Library Now is produced by the Greenville County
Check out these selections designed to put some pep in your step.
Library System and partially underwritten by the Friends of the Greenville County Library System. Email communications@greenvillelibrary.org to request copies of this publication for your
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Family Gardening
organization or business.
with the Seed Library.
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My Little Sprout House
Library Board of Trustees
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Mr. Brian Aufmuth Ms. Laura Baker Mr. Kenneth Baxter, Treasurer Mr. S. Allan Hill, Chair
Plant a seed and watch it grow.
Mr. Tommy Hughes Mr. Dick Jensen Mrs. Glenda Julian
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Support Your Library Buy used books and order your Summer Reading t-shirt.
Mrs. Deryl Paradis, Secretary Mr. William Pinkston Mr. Joe Poore, Vice Chair Mr. Dan Wooster
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Library Executive Director Beverly James bjames@greenvillelibrary.org Greenville County Library System 25 Heritage Green Place Greenville, SC 29601
Summer Reading 2020 June 5-August 1
greenvillelibrary.org
Register for Summer Reading at greenvillelibrary.org or in person at any library system location. Spring/Summer 2020 // LIBRARY NOW
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Steve Allen, (pictured third from right, middle row) local business owner and former Brandon Mill football team player. "Shoeless" Joe Jackson pictured below.
A Library Patron Remembers Brandon Mill… At the age of 15, Steve Allen became one of the fourth generation of cotton mill workers in his family when he began working for Brandon Mill in Greenville, SC. The mill, constructed in 1901, was well past its heyday, and just eight years away from closing its doors when Allen started as a spare hand. “I did a little bit of everything. I daubed cloth, worked in the spinning room, worked in the warper room,” he remembers. Brandon Mill, for which Steve Allen played football from 1969 to 1971, is forever intertwined with the legacy of Greenville-born Joseph Jefferson "Shoeless" Joe Jackson who honed his skills playing baseball here during his formative years. Shoeless Joe Jackson went on to fame, and then, notoriety, playing first for the Philadelphia A's and later, for the Chicago White Sox. While Shoeless Joe reported (in 1949) that he’d earned his moniker while playing barefoot on a field due to blisters gained from a pair of shoes that had not been broken in, play without shoes was not an uncommon situation for
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Greenville at Play Explore the pictorial history of sports and recreation in Greenville when you visit the "Greenville at Play" exhibit at the Hughes Main Library in downtown Greenville this June, July, and August. Highlighting teams, players, and athletic milestones from the late 1800s to present day, discover the faces of the past through images curated by the historians and Librarians of the South Carolina Room. Featuring preserved archival items like photographs from The Nautilus 1923 Yearbook for Greenville High School, and sports memorabilia including a program from the 1938 Carolina vs Furman game and two Parker High School letterman sweaters.
"I learned how to push the limits of what I thought I could do."
Greenville at Play: An Exhibit at the Hughes Main Library
young boys on textile mill teams in the south. “Didn’t have shoes… we only had school shoes and church shoes. Didn’t have any play… shoes.” Allen recalls the experience of his first football game for Brandon Mill, adding that he only played that one game without them, but that he was not alone among the shoeless boys. Though Jackson passed away over a decade before Allen began playing for Brandon Mill, community pride for having been the home of the great Joe Jackson means that shared anecdotes still linger many years later. “They said his brother could hit a baseball further than he could. But a shuttle come out of a loom and broke his arm and he never got it fixed right so he never got to play.” Allen’s hearsay may be rooted in some truth as Joe Jackson's younger brother reported during his registration for the WWI Draft that his "arm has been broken and is crooked."
1923 Greenville High School boys basketball team
Many years later, Allen affirms that his time playing for the mill football team taught him “how to push the limits of what I thought I could do. I learned to challenge myself to do better on things.” Today, Allen roots for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Clemson Tigers.
Want to share your experience playing on an Upstate textile mill team? We want to hear your story. Contact communications@greenvillelibrary.org.
1923 Greenville High School swimming club
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1943 Sterling High School cheerleaders
1923 Greenville High School girls basketball team
1943 Sterling High School football team
1943 Sterling High School girls basketball team
Visit Greenville at Play - an exhibit at the Hughes Main Library during June, July, and August. 1938 Woodside Mill softball team
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Greenville at Play
Want to learn more about the history of athletics in Greenville? Visit the South Carolina Room of the Hughes Main Library and start your journey today.
Books:
Copies of the following titles are available for checkouts as well as for in-library use in the South Carolina Room.
The following resources are part of the South Carolina Room collection and are available for in-library use only.
• Shoeless: The Life and Times of Joe Jackson (B Jackson)
• Frank Selvy: Coal Miner's Son (SC B Selvy)
• Golf in the Upstate since 1895 (796.3520975 Finley)
• Assorted yearbooks (ARCHIVE SC 317.805)
• Textile League Baseball: South Carolina’s Mill Teams, 1880-1955 (796.357 Perry) • The Southern Textile Basketball Tournament: a history, 1921-1997 (796.323 Kirkpatrick) • High School Football in South Carolina: Palmetto Pigskin History (796.33262 Boyanoski)
1922 Greenville High School football team from the 1923 Greenville High yearbook.
Digital Collection:
The following resources may be viewed in the South Carolina Room or at home via greenvillelibrary.org/digitize-greenville > Digital Collections > Greenville County Library System.
• Joe Jackson Baseball Reference Book
In the Archive:
The following pamphlet is part of the South Carolina Room collection and is available for in-library use only.
• Carolina vs Furman: Saturday, November 12, 1938, Sirrine Stadium (ARCHIVE SC Pam Box- 67 Carolina)
Vertical Files:
Explore assorted topics curated by South Carolina Room staff. The sports section of the South Carolina Room's vertical files features the histories of various sports in Greenville and the state and includes newspaper clippings, photographs, brochures, and other items.
• Textile team images • Furman football team images Spring/Summer 2020 // LIBRARY NOW
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While pairing pictures with stories is a practice that has existed almost since humans began writing, it was not until 1658 that the first illustrated book specifically for children was written—Orbis Sensualim Pictus by John Comenius. While early picture books were almost entirely created for educational purposes, in 1866 Alice in Wonderland, written by Lewis Carroll with illustrations by John Tenniel, was published and truly opened up the world to the idea that children’s books with pictures could be works meant for entertainment and imagination. Since then, publishing children’s books has become a nearly three billion dollars a year industry in the U.S. alone. Breaking into the picture book market as a career can be hard to do, but one local artist has found success in a way she did not imagine when she first entered the art world. Alice Ratterree is an Upstate native, growing up in Spartanburg. She ventured outside the state for college, training to be a classical vocalist, and working primarily Drawing from The Wolf Keepers by Elise Broach
in the performing arts. However, after returning to Greenville, she found her calling not in music but in illustrating books for children. The first book for which she provided the illustrations is Lilliput by Sam Gayton. The book is primarily for middle school age children, and is inspired by the Lilliputians in Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels. In this book, Ratterree’s illustrations bring a fantastical sense of scale to the story of a tiny Lilliputian escaping London to return to her homeland. Her next work was for a young adult novel called The Wolf Keepers by Elise Broach which features more realistic illustrations which tell the story of a young girl who lives at a zoo in California and teams up with a runaway to solve the mysterious deaths of wolves in the zoo. Her most recent work, Dangerous Jane by Suzanne Slade, is aimed at a younger audience and is a biography of the pioneering social worker and activist Jane Addams.
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Meet the Artist
Ratterree finds that her work for older audiences “create[s] moments in time and dive[s] a little deeper” into scenes in the book, while working on a picture book (where the audience includes those who aren't able to read the words yet) means "a little bit more of an authorship duty.” Since the audience for picture books includes those who may not be able to read the story, the illustrations carry more of the narrative and keep readers moving from one page to the next.
"Ultimately, you can’t have a good painting without a good drawing." Although Ratterree attended school as a vocalist and enjoyed success in that area, she could never quite leave behind her passion for drawing. She honed her skills in a wide range of venues and mediums including portraits for private clients; posters, costume and set design for the theater; and even illustrations for greeting cards. Eventually she was contacted by an educational publisher to compose drawings for their activity books, which was her first taste of the world of children’s publishing. Despite her apparent change in artistic outlets, Ratterree really sees a connection between the two art forms. “My background in music and in the theater has laid the foundation for a lot of my illustration work…as a voice student, every piece of music that I studied was a narrative...and ultimately that’s what I liked most about it—telling a good story and conveying emotion—and that’s what a good children’s book does.” She adds that her favorite part of being an illustrator is “getting to know the characters...that is what we all want…we want to feel like we are not alone, and that is why we read.” One of the unique aspects of the children’s book industry is the fact that most books are not written and illustrated by the same person. Further, according to Ratterree, the author and the illustrator often times don’t even meet or speak to each other during the process. Typically, it is the job of the art director at a publishing house to take the finished story and match it to an artist. In some cases, publishers may match more famous artists with emerging writers to give those new Drawing from Lilliput by Sam Gayton. writers a boost, but often the process can simply come down to timing— which artists are available when the book needs illustrations. Once the artist receives the manuscript, it can take a fair amount of time to complete the illustrations. For a nonfiction book
A look inside Ratterree's Greenville studio.
like Dangerous Jane, Ratterree says it can take even more time since she has to do research into the time period to make sure that she portrays details like clothing and backgrounds accurately. In Ratterree’s experience, the process can take from nine months to a year (once the publisher has received the text of a book) to select an artist, compile completed illustrations, and send the book out to be published, and then, it can take up to another year for final checks on the manuscript and for the book to actually be printed. For her own artistic practice, Ratterree says she likes to keep it old fashioned. “I love the way a pencil feels running across a paper. A simple drawing is really the source from which springs everything else. Ultimately, you can’t have a good painting without a good drawing. There’s no amount of wonderful painting that can fix a bad drawing.” She says that she does sometimes use a tablet for doing quick sketches and really enjoys how easy it can be to manipulate the digital images, including the ease of deleting mistakes, but she always returns to the real tactile sense that she gets from putting a pencil on paper. For those seeking a career as a book illustrator, Ratterree strongly recommends making peer connections and connections with others in the industry. When she was first considering becoming
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an illustrator, she attended the conference for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCWBI) and met many like-minded people who were passionate about illustrating, and that really inspired her to believe that she could be successful in the field. Conferences are also a great way to meet industry professionals such as agents and publishers who can help new artists get paired with writers. She also suggests learning about children’s books and using them as a way to think about your own art. “Buy a lot of children’s books, first of all, and study them and know them and know what it is that you love about them.” Perhaps most importantly, though, is practice. “Find a way to draw every day,” she says. Something Ratterree truly loves about the field is the fact that children’s illustrators come from diverse backgrounds, not necessarily just visual arts, and are able to be successful. Being a great illustrator, she says, is “not always about knowing how to draw perfectly; it is about ideas.”
Explore the work of Alice Ratterree during a visit to the Art in the Library exhibit on display at the Hughes Main Library on Heritage Green in downtown Greenville throughout April and May.
Read / Watch / Listen
Download books, movies, and music free at greenvillelibrary.org/downloads.
Pump It Up Playlist Download & listen with Freegal Music and Hoopla.
Pump It Up playlist by Brandon Howlett (Greenville Drive third baseman) and Tyler Dearden (Greenville Drive right fielder) 1. Imagine Dragons – Natural Available on Hoopla
2. Blake Shelton – God’s Country Available on Hoopla
3. Lil Nas X – Panini This summer, kids and teens who sign up for and complete the Summer Reading challenge with the Library will earn a ticket voucher to a Greenville Drive Reading All Stars baseball game.
Available on Freegal Music
4. Post Malone – Wow. Available on Hoopla
5. Eminem – Venom Available on Hoopla
Seventh Inning Stretch
6. The Outfield – Your Love
Take a break with a good movie.
Available on Freegal Music
7. Future – March Madness Available on Freegal Music
8. Drake – Jorja Interlude Available on Hoopla
9. Rag’N’Bone Man – Human Available on Freegal Music
Rudy DVD Rudy
Hoop Dreams DVD 796.323 Hoop
Warrior DVD Warrior
10. Led Zeppelin – Ramble On Available on Hoopla
11. The Killers – Mr. Brightside Available on Hoopla
12. Jon Pardi – Dirt on My Boots Available on Hoopla
13. AC/DC – Thunderstruck Rocky DVD Rocky
Bend It Like Beckham DVD Bend
A League of Their Own DVD League
Available on Freegal Music Spring/Summer 2020 // LIBRARY NOW
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Family Gardening
The Diaz family
In February of 2019, the Greenville County Library System and Greenville County Soil and Water Conservation District (GCSWCD) joined forces to introduce the Upstate’s first Seed Library at the Sarah Dobey Jones Branch Library in Berea. Community Relations Coordinator for GCSWCD, Shelby Cohen, shares that the Seed Library was created “to provide education on growing food, flowers, and native plants; increase local food production and promote healthy diets; and help preserve plant diversity with heirloom seeds.” The Seed Library houses over 60 varieties of seeds donated by Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, High Mowing Organic Seeds, Seed Savers Exchange, Slow Food Upstate, and Sow True Seeds. The seeds are stored in packets featuring the name and variety of each seed; when to plant the seed; the amount
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of sun and shade needed; and spacing, planting depth, and days until harvest;— taking the guess work out of planting and care. Visitors to the Seed Library select up to ten seed packets, present their selections and their library card at the circulation desk, and take their seed packets home to plant and enjoy. According to Cohen, last fall, the Greenville County Soil and Water Conservation District received a grant from Duke Energy that “has allowed for the expansion of the Seed Library”—incorporating a Pop-Up Seed Library which is making appearances at various library events and Bookmobile stops throughout Greenville County during 2020. For individuals who still aren’t sure what to do with their seeds, Greater Greenville Master Gardener, Chair, Speakers
Bureau, Ann Werner offers tips to help get those spring gardening plans underway. Werner suggests starting with a small and simple project, such as a small raised bed. “As with any beginner project, be kind to yourself,” Werner says. Newer and experienced gardeners alike may want to begin by creating a visual plan. Werner advises, “Peruse your local nursery or garden magazine to find plants that appeal to you. Draw it on paper or in a gardening notebook.” Adding organic material to your soil (such as compost, manure, or leaf mold) provides extra nutrients and improves water holding capacity. Adding organic material 1-2 times yearly supplies all the nutrients a plant needs to grow. Best practices used by Werner include knowing and adhering to a plant’s sun/shade requirements as well as applying 2 inches of mulch around plants, starting 2 inches away from the stems. This helps keep the soil cooler, reduces weeds, and deters pests. Consider drip irrigation which waters directly near the plants root zone. “Avoid use of strong herbicides or insecticides on your plantings, which can affect beneficial insects, birds, and butterflies,” she notes. Warner advises regular monitoring as your seeds become plants with blooms. “Every one to two days do a walk around your plantings,” states Werner. “Pulling weeds, ‘dead-heading’ spent
Shelby Cohen of Greenville Soil & Water Conservation District with the Seed Library.
“The seed library encouraged us to try new things, to enjoy beauty, and to give from the abundance. We had so much fun spending time together as a family outdoors by the gardens we planted from these seeds.”
blossoms (removing the wilted flower heads from plants to encourage new growth), inspecting the top and undersides of the leaves for chew holes or small pests, and doing a ‘finger test’ to check whether watering is needed (stick your dry finger two inches into soil; water if your finger comes up dry).’’
“We have a small family garden in our yard and each of the children have a small plot where they can choose what they grow,” Diaz states. “From watermelon to peanuts and okra to peppers— we have truly enjoyed discovering how things grow, taste, and smell from the Seed Library.”
“Have patience and enjoy your garden. Plants don’t grow overnight, and it pays to be patient. Take pride in the small things. A new bud or an open blossom can make your hard work worthwhile and break us into a smile. Allow plants ample time to be ‘show offs’ in your garden,” encourages Werner.
She says the Seed Library has also led her family to grow a new kind of garden. “Because of the Seed Library, we decided to grow a pollinator garden. We loved seeing the butterflies and bees hovering around the blooms. It also turned into a double blessing because the zinnias we planted were so prolific we could make bouquets weekly to give out to family, friends, and neighbors.”
Visitors to the Seed Library don’t need to be Master Gardeners, however, to develop a green thumb. Library patron Elizabeth Diaz says the Seed Library has allowed her family to discover new food and plants for their garden.
“We are very thankful for this program and hope it has encouraged others to learn, grow, and give back,” Diaz says.
Spring/Summer 2020 // LIBRARY NOW
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Instructions • Color the house. • Cut out the house. • Cut out this square. • Get some fast sprouting seeds, such as large lima beans. • Soak 1 or 2 of them in a cup of water overnight. • Wet a paper towel and fold it so it will fit into a Ziploc sandwich bag. • Lay the seeds on the paper towel and slide it into the bag. Seal it. • Tape the plastic bag on the back of the house over the open space. • Tape the house to a window that gets sunlight. • Observe what happens to your seeds each day. • Make a daily chart of your observations if you’d like to. Visit greenvillelibrary.org/Seed-Library for more information about gardening and sustainability events throughout the year.
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Support Your Library
Join the Friends
AND ADD TO YOUR COLLECTION USED BOOK SALES ALL YEAR LONG The Friends of the Greenville County Library System host used book sales throughout the year. Become a member of the Friends and enjoy early access to the Spring Used Book Sale as well as First and Third Thursday Sales each month.
April 24-26 • Spring Used Book Sale
SUMMER READING T-SHIRTS Online ordering for Summer Reading t-shirts begins May 1 at greenvillelibrary.org/summerreading.
Book lovers, beware or rejoice! The Friends Spring Used Book Sale is a three day bookbuying extravaganza featuring over 70,000 books, movies, and music CDs—as well as specialty items like record albums, puzzles, and board games. Rare, antique & vintage books • New York Times Bestsellers • Mystery • Romance • Local History Cookbooks • Children & Teens • Classics Religion • Travel • U.S. & World History Biography • Popular Young Adult Series • Poetry Music CDs • Movies • Art & Photography
Order t-shirts for everyone in your family ($10 per shirt). Pick up at the library location of your choice.
Merovan Center 1200 Woodruff Road, Suite E-2
Wear yours to the Summer Reading Kickoff on Friday, June 5 at the Hughes Main Library or buy one at the event!*
Visit greenvillelibrary.org/friends to find out more about the Spring Used Book Sale and how to become a member of the Friends of the Greenville County Library System.
*While supplies last.
SUPPORT YOUR LIBRARY! The Friends of the Greenville County Library System, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports the Library System through volunteer and financial efforts, is selling the Summer Reading t-shirts. Proceeds from t-shirt sales help to fund Greenville County Library System Summer Reading events. Spring/Summer 2020 // LIBRARY NOW
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NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 656 GREENVILLE, SC 29601
25 Heritage Green Place Greenville, SC 29601-2034 864-242-5000 greenvillelibrary.org
Commemorative Bricks We invite you to leave a lasting legacy of your support of the Jean M. Smith Branch of the Greenville County Library System with the purchase of a commemorative brick. The bricks will be engraved with your messaging and placed near the entrance of the branch.
Jean M. Smith Branch - Greer, SC
Reserve your brick by visiting your Greer Branch or greenvillelibrary.org/greer-bricks.
LIBRARY NOW SPRING/SUMMER 2020
