Giving Tuesday with RMS Beauty & Charleston Library Society: Building a Brighter Future Through Books and Beauty

Our theme for this holiday season was based around the classics—classic holiday nostalgia, our classic, clean makeup, and classic gifts. So when it came time to choose a Giving Tuesday partner, we thought, what’s more classic than the gift of a good book? That’s why this Giving Tuesday, we’re proud to partner with the Charleston Library Society to help foster a love of reading and learning in underserved communities near Charleston, South Carolina (our hometown!). For every purchase made on December 3rd, proceeds will go toward installing a Free Little Library in a neighborhood in need, providing access to free children’s books and fostering early literacy for kids aged birth to five.  

As the second-oldest circulating library in the country, the Charleston Library Society has been a beacon of enlightenment and lifelong learning since 1748. Through their innovative “Book Drop" program, they bring books to families who otherwise have little to no access. South Carolina, along with parts of Georgia and Alabama, comprise a “literacy desert” where children sorely lack exposure to books at an early age—often because their caregivers have limited means and/or time to foster reading, or because there is simply no access to affordable or free books. The Charleston Library Society’s program directly addresses this “literacy desert” that affects parts of the region.

So, why focus on children’s books specifically? In the greater Charleston community, there are many resources and support for literacy from Kindergarten onward, but Early Childhood remains the largest gap. Even the simple act of making books available to children below the age of five, such as through the Little Libraries, can make a difference because just the tactile experience of holding or touching a book alone supports babies’ cognitive development. 

We had the privilege of speaking with Jenna Simpson, Director of Engagement and Outreach, to learn more about the Charleston Library Society’s mission, the importance of early access to books, and how programs like Little Libraries are making a difference. Read on to discover more about this impactful initiative and how you can support literacy this Giving Tuesday and beyond.  

RMS: Give us a brief history of the Charleston Library Society and what makes it so special to the community and the country

Charleston Library Society: Established in 1748, the Library Society was formed by nineteen young men united in a mission to seek enlightenment by acquiring the best of the latest books, pamphlets and periodicals from Great Britain. Membership and the collection grew quickly - much of its early volumes remaining in the archives.

Today, the Library Society has over 3,000 members, holds over 200 lectures and education programs annually, and continues to curate a circulating collection of books, magazines, and periodicals, in addition to maintaining a vast archive of historically important collections.

Since its founding, the Charleston Library Society has been fostering lifelong learning in pursuit of enlightenment. After 276 years, the Charleston Library Society remains the oldest cultural institution in the South and second-oldest circulating library in the country.

The Library Society continues to search for ways to give back to its ever-supportive community, thus creating our Book Drop initiative: a giving bookmobile to foster early literacy in the greater Charleston community by supplying ongoing access to free books for underserved children, particularly those aged birth to Kindergarten.

RMS: Tell us about the literary drought in areas outside of Charleston, and why you’re doing something about it with the Book Drop.

CLS: South Carolina, along with parts of Georgia and Alabama, comprise a “literacy desert” where children sorely lack exposure to books at an early age before beginning public school—often because their caregivers have limited means and/or time to foster reading, or because there is simply no access to affordable or free books (particularly in rural communities). With the Library Society’s direct access to such a giving and charitable community through our membership base and local supporters, we have launched the Book Drop, whose mission is to strategically place access to free books for children ages birth to five in these underserved areas of our greater Charleston community.

RMS: How can Little Libraries support literacy in areas in need?

CLS: The key piece to getting free books to young children is strategically placing the Little Libraries with community partners who are already attracting those in need. We are meeting the young future readers where they are—at local food banks and pantries, pregnancy support centers, and other family support organizations. 

RMS: Outside of Giving Tuesday and this partnership, how can our customers and others support literacy in areas in need? 

CLS: Buy from your local booksellers! Many independent booksellers give back to their local communities to have an impact and reach literacy deserts. “Reading Partners” and “Reach Out and Read” are also great organizations that have a presence nationwide and are always looking for volunteers. 

RMS: We know many classic books are on your shelves at CLS. What are some classics that you and your team count as favorites, for the holidays or otherwise?

CLS: In addition to the Little Libraries, CLS’ Book Drop has published our very own First Library Book Set—a board book set of three (colors, numbers, and letters) books that cater to newborns. We have pulled from our archives and collections to make this book set super special. A few of our classical favorites include Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Seas, by Jules Verne, The Country Bunny by Dubose Heyward, and The Way to Wonderland, by Mary Stewart—all of which are represented in our book set in one way or another. 

Other classic books our team loves are:

T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land (1922)

Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own (1929)

Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye (1970)

All of which we have first editions here in our collection at CLS! 

RMS: If you could mimic one of your favorite fictional heroine’s makeup looks, what would it be?

CLS: Mary Poppins—she rocks the coral lip, soft cat-eye, and rosy cheeks!