May the wild rumpus continue

A 46-foot mural in tribute to Maurice Sendak enhances the garden area and two freestanding scenes that greet children of all ages as they enter the children’s room at Richland County (S.C.) Public Library’s (RCPL) main branch. Sendak, 83, illustrator and author of nearly 100 books and winner of ALA’s 1964 Caldecott Medal for Where The Wild Things Are, died May 8. RCPL enjoyed a long friendship with Sendak, which began when he was approached about the idea of creating a mural in the new main library. The mural, which was unveiled when the library opened in 1993, was the first time Sendak allowed his work to be used as public art. Michael Hagen, an internationally recognized scenic painter, produced the artwork. Sendak also allowed RCPL to feature the Wild Things on RCPL’s library card in September 2005 as part of that year’s National Library Card Signup Month campaign.