Richland Library — Main
🏢 Richland Library · Columbia, South Carolina
Richland Library — Main
The crown of South Carolina's Midlands, Richland Library Main fills 242,000 square feet in downtown Columbia with recording studios, a Fabrication Shop, an authorized Maurice Sendak mural, on-site social workers, and a weekly farmers market — all free with a library card.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–8pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–8pm |
| Wednesday | 9am–8pm |
| Thursday | 9am–8pm |
| Friday | 9am–6pm |
| Saturday | 9am–6pm |
| Sunday | 2pm–6pm |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 1431 Assembly Street, Columbia, SC 29201
Phone: (803) 799-9084
Website: richlandlibrary.com
Plus Code: 866W2X37+M2 (Columbia, SC)
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👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Richland Library — Main
Richland Library Main anchors 1431 Assembly Street in downtown Columbia, at the corner of Assembly and Hampton Streets in the city's business district. The 242,000-square-foot building opened February 14, 1993 — designed by Houston architect Eugene Aubry — and was renovated in 2018–2019 by Boudreaux, McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, and Margaret Sullivan Studio at a cost of $18 million. The renovation reoriented the four-story landmark around a 'library as studio' philosophy, transforming traditional stacks into thematic floors devoted to arts and literature, career advancement, education and growth, and teen engagement. The library traces its roots to the Lend-A-Hand Club of 1895 and became Richland County Public Library in 1934; it shortened its name to Richland Library in 2012. In 2017 it received the National Medal for Museum and Library Service from IMLS — the nation's highest library honor.
⭐ What makes this library special
- 242,000 sq ft downtown landmark opened Feb. 14, 1993; $18 M renovation completed 2019 by Boudreaux / McMillan Pazdan Smith / Margaret Sullivan Studio
- Only location in the world where Maurice Sendak authorized his artwork as public art — a 46-foot mural by his set designer Michael Hagen in the Children's Room, installed 1993
- Full Studio Services: Fabrication Shop (3D printing, Glowforge laser cutter, woodworking), Fiberworks Studio, Production Stage, Post-Production Lab, and Artist-in-Residence space
- Walker Local and Family History Center — Richland County and SC Midlands genealogy, State Newspaper Photograph Archive, Russell Maxey collection, Vivid-Pix scanner
- 2017 National Medal for Museum and Library Service (IMLS) — the nation's highest honor for libraries and museums
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Richland County cardholders have unlimited access to these digital resources — all free with your card:
📚 Services
- Studio Services: Fabrication Shop (3D printing, Glowforge laser cutter, woodworking power tools), Fiberworks Studio, Production Stage & Post-Production Lab, Art Studio, Seed Library, Artist-in-Residence Studio (Second Level, 803-929-3445)
- Walker Local and Family History Center — genealogy books, Columbia city directories, SC Midlands newspapers, Vivid-Pix Memory Station scanner, obituary request service (First Level, 803-929-3402)
- Business, Careers & Research Center — job-search resources, business databases, career coaching, small-business support (Third Level, 803-929-3401)
- Social Work Department — on-site licensed social workers connecting patrons with food/SNAP, housing, legal aid, Medicaid, prescription assistance, veterans benefits; walk-ins Mon–Fri 9 AM–Noon and 1:30–4 PM (Third Level, 803-509-8371)
- Teen Center — dedicated space for ages 12–18, makerspace access, programming (Garden Level, 803-929-3470)
- Children's Room — storytimes, puppet stage, Montessori manipulatives, Kimi Maeda Shadow Play Tunnel (Garden Level, 803-929-3434)
- Library of Things — cameras, projectors, tools, sewing machines, coding/robotics kits, zoo passes (cardholders 18+ with waiver)
- Teaching Kitchen — hands-on culinary learning programs
- Empathy Lab — virtual reality tools for immersive perspective-taking experiences
- Free notary service (no library card required)
- Auditorium (150-seat) and 24 flexible meeting rooms (reservable with library card)
- Hampton Street Plaza — 8,000 sq ft outdoor green space with seating and Wi-Fi; seasonal Wednesday farmers market 9:30 AM–1 PM
- Books to You — homebound delivery service
- Free printing (first 10 pages free per visit)
🎸 Programs
- Weekly farmers market at Hampton Street Plaza — Wednesdays 9:30 AM–1 PM (seasonal, local producers)
- Studio orientations and open-lab sessions in Fabrication Shop, Fiberworks Studio, and Production Stage
- Children's storytimes (all ages, newborns through families) and puppet shows
- Teen programming, maker workshops, and author events in the Teen Center
- Ask an Attorney legal aid clinics (through Social Work Department)
- SNAP enrollment assistance events
- Career and small-business workshops (Business, Careers & Research Center)
- Genealogy research assistance and appointments (Walker Local and Family History Center)
📍 Nearby Libraries in the South Carolina Midlands
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Columbia · Browse all South Carolina libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Maurice Sendak mural in the Children's Room, and why is it unique?
The Children's Room at Richland Library Main houses a 46-foot mural featuring characters from Maurice Sendak's 'Where the Wild Things Are,' executed by Sendak's own set and stage designer, Michael Hagen, and installed in 1993 when the building opened. Richland Library is the only place in the world where Sendak personally authorized his artwork to be used as public art — a gift funded by The Columbia Academy. Two freestanding sculptural 'Wild Things' greet visitors at the Children's Room entrance.
How was the Main Library building transformed in the 2019 renovation?
The original 242,000-square-foot building — designed by Houston architect Eugene Aubry and opened February 14, 1993 — underwent an $18 million renovation completed in 2019 by a team of Boudreaux (lead), McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, and Margaret Sullivan Studio. Rather than tall shelving, the redesign organized four floors into distinct experience zones — Arts & Literature, Career Advancement, Education & Growth, and Teen Engagement — and added a Fabrication Shop, Fiberworks Studio, Production Stage, Post-Production Lab, and the 8,000-sq-ft Hampton Street Plaza. The project earned a 2022 AIA Columbia Honor Award and a 2020 AIA South Carolina Merit Award.
Does Richland Library Main have on-site social workers, and what can they help with?
Yes — the Social Work Department (Third Level, 803-509-8371) is staffed by licensed social workers available Monday through Friday, 9 AM–Noon and 1:30–4 PM. They connect Richland County residents with food and SNAP enrollment, housing support, legal assistance, Medicaid, prescription-cost programs, Social Security Disability, transportation, veterans benefits, and vision/dental resources. Programs include on-site Ask an Attorney clinics and SNAP access events.
What can I make or record in the Richland Library Main studios, and do I need a library card?
Studio Services (Second Level, 803-929-3445) include a Fabrication Shop with a Bambu Carbon X1 3D printer, Glowforge laser cutter, table saws, sanders, and routers; a Fiberworks Studio for sewing, dyeing, and quilting; a Production Stage for filming and live recording; and a Post-Production Lab with professional audio, photo, video, and game-development software. All Richland Library cardholders age 18 and older may use the spaces after completing a free orientation workshop.
📋 This library offers notary services. See what a library notary can do — what to bring, fees and appointments — and find other libraries with a notary notary services by state.
🎨 This library lends museum passes. See how library museum passes work and find other libraries that lend passes museum passes by state.
📜 This library has genealogy & local-history resources. See how library family-history research works and find other libraries with genealogy collections genealogy libraries by state.
🧰 This library lends a “Library of Things.” See what you can borrow besides books and find other libraries with a Library of Things Library of Things by state.
🔨 This library has a makerspace / 3D printing. See how library makerspaces and 3D printing work and find other libraries with a makerspace makerspaces by state.
🖨 This library offers printing, copying & fax. See how library printing, copying, scanning and fax services work — costs and mobile printing — and find other libraries that offer them printing & fax by state.
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