Wednesday, February 21, 2024

‘One-On-One Resumé Building’ workshops coming to Archdale library

ARCHDALE – Gain the fundamental skills needed to create an effective resume in “One-On-One Resume Building,” Wednesday, March 13 and Monday, March 18, at the Archdale Public Library.

Individual, one-hour coaching sessions with Randolph County Public Libraries Digital Services Librarian Harris Mason will be available between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on each day. To sign up for a session or for further information, call 336-431-3811 or visit the library.

The sessions are free and all ages are welcome.

Participants will learn how to construct a compelling resume by mastering key sections such as contact details, summary/objective statements, work history, education, and skills. Through guided instructions, they also will discover the art of tailoring their resumes to specific job opportunities, and honing formatting techniques for a polished, professional appearance.

The library is located at 10433 S. Main Street.


Tuesday, February 13, 2024

Archdale library history talk to focus on Lytle family

ARCHDALE – On November 28, 1829, 38 enslaved children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of two Lytle sisters were sold in Randolph County.

It was the largest single sale of enslaved people in the county’s history.

Genealogist Kendra Lyons will delve into the story in “Lytle Family: How Thomas Lytle Tried to Free His Slaves, and What Went Wrong,” at 6 p.m. Tuesday, February 27, at the Archdale Public Library. Lyons’s talk is free and the public is invited.

The story starts with Thomas Lytle, an early Randolph County citizen who owned a large plantation on Caraway Creek. With an enslaved black woman whose name is not known, he fathered four sons and two daughters.

Lytle died in 1794. In his will, he emancipated his children, but for five of them — including daughters Esther and Pink — freedom did not come until Lytle’s wife died in 1816. By 1829, Esther and Pink had children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren — all of whom remained enslaved and were subject to the sale.

Lytle descendants nationwide — some of whom identify as white and some as black — held a reunion in September at Marlboro Friends Church in Sophia.

Lyons is genealogy specialist in the Randolph Room, the local history and genealogy service of the Randolph County Public Libraries.

The library is located at 10433 S. Main Street. For further information, call 336-431-3811.

Cat in the Hat to visit Randleman library


RANDLEMAN – Celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday with the funniest, most mischievous cat you’ve ever met — the Cat In the Hat!

The Dr. Seuss classic, as envisioned by Caleb Sigmon and his troupe, Sigmon Theatrical, springs off the page and bursts into life at 4 p.m. Thursday, February 29, at the Randleman Public Library.

It’s free and the public is invited.

The show features colorful costumes, puppets, exciting music and circus feats. The interactive, audience-participation event will have viewers on the edge of their seats.

Be sure to stick around after the fun, family program for photos and silliness during an exclusive meet-and-greet.

The library is located at 142 W. Academy Street. For further information, call 33-6498-3141.

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Kids – get close up with volcanoes in Asheboro library event

ASHEBORO – Since the dawn of time, volcanoes have filled us with wonder and terror.

Kids ages 8-12 are invited to learn about them in “Volcanoes: Mountains of Rock and Fire,” an interactive program led by North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences educator Luka Rolleri at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, February 20, at the Asheboro Public Library.

Due to the hands-on nature of the activities, space is limited, so call 336-318-6804 to sign up.

Volcanic rock has given us tools, countertops and island chains. The fertile soil has nurtured civilizations, and violent eruptions have ended them.

Using real, hands-on specimens and interactive activities, Rolleri will demonstrate what ancient eruptions can tell us about volcanoes today.

Rolleri has been with the museum for four years, during which time he has developed programs on a variety of topics ranging from dinosaurs to giraffes to the Titanic. He holds an undergraduate degree in anthropology, and is passionate about connecting people to the human stories behind science.

The library is located at 201 Worth Street.


Thursday, December 28, 2023

Hospice counselor to discuss coping with grief in Asheboro library talk

ASHEBORO – Grief is an all-encompassing experience that impacts the griever physically, mentally, emotionally, socially and spiritually.

And although it is universal and touches everyone at some point, it also is a highly personal experience.

Join Hospice of the Piedmont bereavement counselor Kirsten Goard, MW, LCSW-A, for “Grief 101” at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, January 16, at the Asheboro Public Library.

Her talk is free and the public is invited.

Goard will provide an introduction to the grieving process and explore common reactions to the grief experience, in order to normalize the grief journey, dispel common myths associated with grief, and equip participants with practical strategies for coping.

A Greensboro native, Goard holds a bachelors degree in social work from Appalachian State University, and a masters in social work through UNC-Greensboro and North Carolina A&T State University. She joined Hospice of the Piedmont as a bereavement counselor with prior experience in crisis work and grief counseling in the healthcare setting.

The library is located at 201 Worth Street. For further information, call 336-318-6803.

Thursday, November 30, 2023

Shepherd Shakespeare to stage Christmas plays at Randolph libraries

ASHEBORO -- Three Randolph County libraries will host Christmas performances by the Shepherd Shakespeare Company in December.

At the Seagrove Public Library, the Charlotte-based  troupe will present Louisa May Alcott’s A Christmas Dream at noon Thursday, December 7. A Christmas Dream is a Christmas Carol-like tale of a young boy who learns that the greatest gifts are not the ones you receive, but the ones you give.

The Seagrove library is located at 530 Old Plank Road. 

At the Asheboro and Randleman libraries, the company will present ’Twas the Night Before Christmas. Performances will take place at the Asheboro library, 201 Worth Street, at 6 p.m. Tuesday, December 19; and at the Randleman library, 142 W. Academy St., at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, December 19.

This envisioning of the famous verse has author Clement Moore facing a case of writer’s block as he tries to pen a poem about the wonders of Christmas Eve.

Frustratingly funny trials and errors lead him to acting out his ideas with the help of puppets, found objects and friends from the audience. Watch as the magic of this cherished classic unfolds.

The shows are free and the public is invited. For further information, call 336-318-6804.

Monday, November 27, 2023

Friends of Randolph Library bookshop to offer Christmas book bundle deal, author event

 ASHEBORO – Need a literary Christmas gift, or want to stock up on reading material for the holidays?

The Friends of the Library Bookshop will offer author book bundles in December, and host an author appearance during Asheboro’s Christmas Downtown on Friday, December 8.

The bookshop will be open 6-9 p.m. during the Christmas Downtown event. Loretta Lutman, author of I Shoot Squirrels on Sundays and Other Stories, will be on hand to sell and sign books.

Beginning December 2, the bookshop will offer bundles of four books by the same author for $5 each. Books in each bundle will be tied together with a Christmas ribbon, making a lovely gift for fellow readers.

The bundles will feature a variety of authors.

The bookshop is located at 226 Sunset Avenue. Regular hours are 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Gently used hardback books go for $3, paperbacks for $2 and trade paperbacks for $2.50, with prices increasing by $1 for books published in the last four years. All children’s books are $1. Some special books are priced individually. 

A portion of bookshop proceeds support Randolph County Public Libraries book budgets. For more information about the bookshop, call 336-629-1536 during regular hours.