Need tech help? Call Randolph library’s P.R.O.S.

ASHEBORO – Need help setting up your device to access ebooks, filling out an online application or learning a new technology?

Meet virtually face-to-face — and share your computer or device screen — with the P.R.O.S. at the Randolph County Public Library, who will talk you through your task.

P.R.O.S. stands for Patrons Requesting Online Support. Reference librarians Dave Bare, Meghan Carter and Harris Mason are standing by with the library’s Go-To-Meeting software (similar to Zoom) to provide one-on-one help.    

Get assistance with a new device; get set up to download library ebooks, e-audiobooks and e-magazines;  get help filling out online forms and applications; get homework or research aid; sign up for a library card; and more.

Initiate a session by calling 336-318-6801. One of the P.R.O.S. may be available to help immediately, or may set up a time for a later meeting. A link to join the virtual meeting will be sent to your email.

Anyone with a desktop or laptop computer and camera, a tablet or iPad, or smartphone can access the service. If your computer does not have a microphone, you can simultaneously call a toll-free number for voice communication.

With your consent, the P.R.O.S. will look at your screen and advise you as you work.

Illusionist Caleb Sigmon to bring virtual ‘Wizard Experience’ show to Randolph libraries

ASHEBORO – Illusionist and storyteller Caleb Sigmon will dazzle young audiences with “The Wizard Experience,” a virtual show inspired by “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.”

There will be flying brooms and talking sorting hats, and viewers will feel like they have enrolled at Hogwarts as objects appear, disappear and transfigure.

Sigmon’s performances will appear as follows on library Facebook pages between July 20-23 (the events are assigned to individual libraries, but anyone can tune in):

· Monday, July 20, 3 p.m., facebook.com/fvpubliclibrary;

· Tuesday, July 21, 10:30 a.m., facebook.com/RamseurLibrary;

· Tuesday, July 21, 2:30 p.m., facebook.com/randolphlibrary;

· Wednesday, July 22, 10:30 a.m., facebook.com/ArchdaleLibrary;

· Wednesday, July 22, 6 p.m., facebook.com/randolphlibrary;

· Thursday, July 23, 10:30 a.m., facebook.com/RandlemanPublicLibrary;

· Thursday, July 23, 2:30 p.m., facebook.com/LibertyNCLibrary.

After the initial week of premiers, the video will be available for another week at www.randolphlibrary.org/summer.

Sigmon’s performance is sponsored by the Friends of the Library; the project receives support from the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.

For further information, call 336-318-6804.

Caleb Sigmon presents "Fabulous Fable Forest" in virtual Randleman library performance

Illusionist and storyteller Caleb Sigmon brings his "Fabulous Fable Forest" to the Randleman Public Library in a virtual performance at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 2. A video will be posted at that time to the library’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/randlemanpubliclibrary, and will be available for 48 hours.

The performance will feature comedy, games and engaging storytelling as Sigmon revisits some classic fables.

Sigmon, who describes himself as a boy who never grew up, spent the better part of his childhood playing inside cardboard boxes and fighting dragons in his backyard. He developed the ability to dream big at an early age. Now, he has made it his career.

Graduating from one of the top ten national art schools, he immediately went to work forging his own way with a unique blend of magic, drama and storytelling. 

For further information, contact the library at 336-498-3141.

Join Yasu Ishida's "Dreamer's Carnival" in virtual Randolph library event

ASHEBORO – Origami magician Yasu Ishida will present "Dreamer's Carnival" in a live, interactive Zoom performance at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 2, as part of "Imagine Your Story," the Randolph County Public Library's 2020 Summer Reading Program.

Sign up at www.randolphlibrary.org/events/yasu.html to receive a link for the event, which will be filled with stories, magic, Kamishibai (Japanese picture board storytelling), origami, and fun!

Born in Ube, Japan, Ishida holds a master of fine arts degree in Theatre for Young Audiences and graduated from the Chavez School of Magic, the most prestigious magic school in the world. Now living in Myrtle Beach, he has worked with children all over the country, including Disney Summerstage Kids in New York, the Florida Storytelling Festival, the Hawaii Book and Music Festival, and the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C.

For further information, call 336-318-6804.

Bright Star Touring Theatre brings live, interactive virtual performances to Randolph libraries

ASHEBORO – Asheville’s Bright Star Touring Theatre will present multiple live, interactive Zoom performances of two plays for children, Aesop’s Fables and Once Upon a Time, from June 16-25 as part of “Imagine Your Story,” the Randolph County Public Library’s Summer Reading Program.

Sign up for a show at www.randolphlibrary.org/summer and receive a Zoom link.

Once Upon a Time (above);
Aesop's Fables (below).

The shows are assigned to each of the seven libraries, but anyone can sign up for a time that’s best for them. For Once Upon a Time:

• Asheboro, 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 17;
• Archdale, 7 p.m. Thursday, June 25;
• Ramseur, 10:30 a.m. Thursday, June 18;
• Randleman, 10:30 a.m. Thursday, June 25;
•  Seagrove, 3 p.m. Thursday, June 18.

 Times for Aesop’s Fables are:

• Franklinville, 3 p.m. Tuesday, June 16;
• Liberty, 2 p.m. Thursday, June 25;

 In Once Upon a Time, Lenny and Mabel – “The Greatest Actors in the World” – bring two classic fairy tales to life. Dance at the ball with “Cinderella,” and challenge the giant with “Jack and the Beanstalk.”

In Aesop’s Fables, stories like “The Boy Who Cried Wolf,’ “The Tortoise and the Hare” and “The Lion and the Mouse” leave audiences with a message that is both timely and timeless.

With buildings closed at present and traditional in-person activities unavailable, the library instead is engaging kids in June and July with some 72 virtual performances and storytimes, reading rewards, and take-home activities keyed to the adventurous theme or to weekly topics. Options to participate vary from library to library – find details, a complete schedule, video links and library contact information at www.randolphlibrary.org/summer.

“This year more than ever, it’s important that kids keep reading during the summer,” says Samantha Colwell, head of Children’s Services. “Staying engaged with reading and learning helps children pick up where they left off when the next school year starts. Library summer programs provide a fun, no-pressure way to do that.”

For those who lack Internet access at home but have Internet-capable phones, tablets or laptops, drive-up WiFi is available in the parking lots of library buildings between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. daily.

The Bright Star appearance is sponsored by the Friends of the Randolph County Public Library with support from the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. It’s part of a national effort to keep children reading during the break from school; research shows that kids who read during the summer are better prepared to begin the next school year.

For more information, visit www.randolphlibrary.org/summer, call the Asheboro library Children’s Room at 336-318-6804, or contact your local library.

UNCG prof Dr. Mandy Cooper to explore women’s suffrage movement in virtual Asheboro library talk

Dr. Mandy L. Cooper

ASHEBORO – On August 18, 1920, Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, and women achieved the long-fought-for right to vote.

For the amendment’s 100th anniversary, UNC-Greensboro lecturer Dr. Mandy L. Cooper will re-examine the fight for women’s suffrage in a live, interactive virtual talk, “Votes for Women: The Nineteenth  Amendment at 100,” at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 23.

Log in at www.randolphlibrary.org/events/suffrage.html about 10 minutes before the scheduled time, or call in at 1-517-317-3122. For assistance, call 336-318-6808.

Although Cooper places the amendment at the center of a long and continued fight for suffrage, she also notes that some women in the U.S. already had the right to vote — and others would continue fighting for it for decades.

Cooper is a Lecturer of Women’s and Gender History at UNCG. She earned her Ph.D. in history from Duke University.

She is currently at work on a book project, Bonds of Affection: Business & Politics in the National Family, which explores the relationship between emotional family bonds & the development of the U.S. economy & governing institutions.

Randolph library invites kids to “Imagine Your Story” this summer

Bright Star Touring Theatre; Illusionist/Storyteller Caleb Sigmon

ASHEBORO – Fantasy and fairy tale adventures await young readers as “Imagine Your Story,” the Randolph County Public Library’s Summer Reading Program, gets underway.

With buildings closed at present and traditional in-person activities unavailable, the library instead will engage kids with virtual performances and storytimes, reading rewards, and take-home activities keyed to the adventurous theme or to weekly topics. Options to participate vary from library to library – find details, a complete schedule, video links and library contact information at www.randolphlibrary.org/summer.

“This year more than ever, it’s important that kids keep reading during the summer,” says Samantha Colwell, head of Children’s Services. “Staying engaged with reading and learning helps children pick up where they left off when the next school year starts. Library summer programs provide a fun, no-pressure way to do that.”

Some libraries also will offer reading programs for teens and adults.

Two big events for children and families will anchor the summer activities: seven live, interactive Zoom performances by Bright Star Touring Theatre of two shows, Aesop’s Fables and Once Upon a Time, June 16-25; and illusionist/storyteller Caleb Sigmon’s The Wizard Experience, a YouTube performance inspired by The Wizarding World of Harry Potter available July 20-25.

The Bright Star shows are assigned to each of the seven libraries, but anyone can sign up for a time that’s best for them. Times are as follows:

• Asheboro, 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 17;
• Archdale, 7 p.m. Thursday, June 25;
• Franklinville, 3 p.m. Tuesday, June 16;
• Liberty, 2 p.m. Thursday, June 25;
• Ramseur, 10:30 a.m. Thursday, June 18;
• Randleman, 10:30 a.m. Thursday, June 25;
• Seagrove, 3 p.m. Thursday, June 18.

Find sign-up links at www.randolphlibrary.org/summer.

Exclusive links for the Caleb Sigmon performance will be announced closer to the time of the event.

Meanwhile, virtual weekly events with special guests will include folk singer/storyteller Sharon Clarke, N.C. Zoo educators, origami magician Yasu Ishida, ScienceTellers, The Curly Fries Band, Grey Seal Puppets and more.  The libraries also will continue to post virtual storytimes and other locally-produced programs, such as Asheboro library’s “Mindfulness with Ms. Emily” and craft instructional videos, “Stick Around with Ms. Becky.”

For those who lack Internet access at home but have Internet-capable phones, tablets or laptops, drive-up WiFi is available in the parking lots of library buildings between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. daily.

The Summer Reading Program is sponsored by the Friends of the Randolph County Public Library with support from the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. It’s part of a national effort to keep children reading during the break from school; research shows that kids who read during the summer are better prepared to begin the next school year.

For further information, visit www.randophlibrary.org/summer, call the Asheboro Children’s Room at 336-318-6804, or contact your local library.

Curbside pick-up expands to all Randolph libraries; hours increase

ASHEBORO – After the Memorial Day holiday, curbside pick-up of books, DVDs and audiobooks will be available at all seven branches of the Randolph County Public Library as Ramseur and Randleman libraries initiate the service.

Hours also are expanding, with Saturday pick-up times available at Asheboro, Archdale, Liberty and Randleman.

To place requests, borrowers can search the library’s catalog at www.randolphlibrary.org or call their local library. Library staff will retrieve the requested items, bag them and contact the borrower to arrange a pick-up time.

Pick-ups are no-contact.

Reach the libraries as follows

• Asheboro, 336-318-6801 or 336-318-6803, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9-1 p.m. Saturday;
• Archdale, 336-431-3811, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday;
• Franklinville, 336-685-3100, 2-5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday;
• Liberty, 336-622-4605, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday;
• Ramseur, 336-824-2232, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday;
• Randleman, 336-498-3141, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Saturday;
• Seagrove, 336-873-7521, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday.

 The library buildings are closed to the public as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Randolph library to resume curbside pick-up; book drops reopen

ASHEBORO – Borrowers who have library books, DVDS and other material checked out can now return them as the Randolph County Public Library gears up to restart curbside pick-up of requested material on Monday, May 18.

Outside book drops at the libraries have been reopened, and borrowers are asked to return items they’re finished with to help librarians prepare to resume services.

The library buildings will remain closed to the public for the time being. Due dates have been extended until June 1 and no late fees are being charged.

Once curbside service resumes, borrowers will be able to pick up material at the Asheboro, Archdale, Franklinville, Liberty and Seagrove libraries. Randleman library plans to begin porch pick-up on Monday, May 25, and the Ramseur library will not offer curbside service.

As soon as items are available, library staff will contact borrowers to arrange a no-contact pick-up time. Saturday pick-up times will be available at some locations.

Meanwhile, telephone reference service has expanded. Call your library to request material, receive information, get assistance with research, and get help downloading ebooks, e-audiobooks and e-magazines.

Reach the libraries as follows:

·        Asheboro, 336-318-6801 or 336-318-6803, 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday;

·        Archdale, 336-431-3811, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday;

·        Franklinville, 336-685-3100, 2-5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday;

·        Liberty, 336-622-4605, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday;

·        Ramseur, 336-824-2232, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday;

·        Randleman, 336-498-3141, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday;

·        Seagrove, 336-873-7521, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday.

Virtual storytimes for children are available online throughout the week.

The Asheboro library posts “Storytime with Miss Sam” at 10 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; “Minutes for Mindfulness with Miss Emily” at noon Mondays; and “Stick Around with Miss Becky,” which features crafts with found objects, at 11 a.m. Fridays. The videos can be found on the library’s YouTube channel and at Facebook.com/randolphlibrary.

The Randleman library posts storytimes at Facebook.com/randlemanpubliclibrary at 10:30 a.m. Fridays, and the Liberty library posts at 10:30 a.m. Wednesdays at Facebook.com/libertynclibrary.

Ebooks, e-audiobooks and e-magazines remain available at www.randolphlibrary.org/digitalmedia and through the library catalog.

Randolph library to resume curbside pick-up; book drops reopen

ASHEBORO – Though closed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Randolph County Public Library has resumed service by telephone from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Friday at 336-318-6801.

Librarians working from home will be available to answer library-related questions and, especially, to assist borrowers with downloading e-book, e-audiobooks and e-magazines, and using online learning and research resources.

People who don’t have library cards can register by phone for a virtual card that will allow them to check out digital media and access electronic resources. When the library reopens, the new borrowers can visit to obtain physical cards and check out print material.

Access to ebooks, e-audiobooks, e-magazines, and children’s resources such  the NC KIDS Digital Library and the Tumble Book Library, can be found at www.randolphlibrary.org/digitalmedia. Research resources, including genealogy databases such as Heritage Quest and Historical North Carolina newspapers, can be found at www.randquest.org.

Genealogy researchers can interact with Randolph Room staff members via Facebook Messenger at facebook.com/randolphhistory. Staff will respond between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Monday-Friday. Queries also can be referred to the Randolph Room by calling the main library number.

Keep an eye out for updates on the library website and at facebook.com/randolphlibrary.

Randolph libraries suspend all services effective 5 p.m. Friday, March 27

ASHEBORO – Following the Shelter-in-Place order issued today by Gov. Roy Cooper, the Randolph County Public Library has suspended all functions, including curbside pickup and phone service, effective at 5 p.m. Friday, March 27, until further notice. This action affects the libraries in Asheboro, Archdale, Franklinville, Randleman, and Seagrove; the Ramseur library already is closed and the Liberty library will remain open until 4 p.m. on Monday, March 30.

Digital media and electronic resources still will be available at www.randolphlibrary.org.

Borrowers who have library material checked out are asked to hold onto it until the library reopens. Book return boxes outside the libraries are closed and will not be emptied by staff.

All due dates have been extended until after the library reopens, and late fees have been suspended.

Anyone who is on the waiting list for an item will be in the same place on the list when the library reopens.

The library will remain closed for the duration of the governor’s order.

Randolph libraries offer curbside pick-up, service by phone

ASHEBORO – The Randolph County Public Library system may be closed to the public due to the threat of Coronavirus/COVID-19, but readers, viewers and listeners can still get books, DVDs and audiobooks as the library moves to curbside pick-up of items requested online or by phone.

To request items, search the library catalog at  www.randolphlibrary.org and place holds with your library card or REAL2 student ID, or call your local library. You don’t have to have a specific title in mind – for example, if you need books for your children, call the library and a staff member can select some for you.

Deliveries among the libraries continue, so you can still receive an item even if it’s not located at your local branch.

When your requested material is retrieved, a library staff member will call you to arrange pick-up in pre-packaged bags already checked out to you. Pick-up procedures may vary from library to library.

Library staff also are available to respond to inquiries by phone, including general questions, assistance accessing library electronic resources such as ebooks and downloadable audiobooks, and research assistance including history/genealogy requests.

Reach the participating libraries as follows:

•         Asheboro, 336-318-6801, 9a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday
•         Archdale, 336-431-3811, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday
•         Franklinville, 336-824-4020, Noon-6 p.m. Monday and Thursday; 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday
•         Liberty, 336-622-4605, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday
•         Randleman, 336-498-3141, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday
•         Seagrove, 336-873-7521, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Friday.

And don’t forget the library’s array of digital resources, including ebooks, downloadable audiobooks, and e-magazines, and children’s resources such as the NC KIDS Digital Library and the Tumble Book Library, available at www.randolphlibrary.org/digitalmedia.html. Research resources, including genealogy/history databases Heritage Quest and North Carolina Historical Newspapers, are available at www.randquest.org.

If you don’t have a library card or REAL2 student ID, you can register for a card by phone to access digital resources.

Look for more service innovations from the library in the coming days.

Randolph County libraries close in response to Coronavirus/COVOID-19 threat; some services continue

ASHEBORO – In view of the threat presented by Coronavirus/COVOID-19, and to help ensure the safety of the community, the Randolph County Public Library is closed till further notice – but plenty of resources are still available to readers and researchers.

All seven library locations are closed, including Archdale, Asheboro, Franklinville, Liberty, Randleman, Ramseur and Seagrove. Outreach and mobile library services also have been halted.

“Libraries bring people together, but now the imperative for public health is to keep people apart,” said Library Director Ross Holt.

While patrons can’t visit the libraries, they can take advantage of the panoply of online and downloadable resources, including ebooks, e-audiobooks, e-magazines, genealogy databases like Heritage Quest and Historical North Carolina Newspapers, and more. The NC KIDS Digital Library and Tumble Book Library will keep children in ebooks and online reading activities.

Those offerings are available at www.randolphlibrary.org/digitalmedia.html, and www.randquest.org.

Library phones will be staffed from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; call 336-318-6800 for general questions, help downloading ebooks and other online resources, and research assistance.

People who don’t have a library card can register for one by phone in order to access online resources.

The library may add other services, such as curbside pickup of requested items and storytimes via social media, in coming days.

“We will do every bit as much as we can to support our patrons, while doing all that is necessary to safeguard the health and safety of public and staff,” Holt said. “This difficult situation one day will end, and we will come back stronger than ever.”

Asheboro Sunset Series event with speed painter Tim Decker canceled

Asheboro – Based on the recommendation of Gov. Roy Cooper and new guidance from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services in regard to COVID-19, the Friends of the Library Sunset Signature Series event scheduled for Saturday, March 14, featuring performance speed painter Tim Decker has been canceled.

The performance may be rescheduled for a later date.

Historian Mandy Cooper to examine women’s suffrage in Asheboro library talk

Dr. Mandy Cooper

ASHEBORO – On August 18, 1920, Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, and women achieved the long-fought-for right to vote.

For the amendment’s 100th anniversary, UNC-Greensboro lecturer Dr. Mandy L. Cooper will re-examine the fight for women’s suffrage in “Votes for Women: The Nineteenth  Amendment at 100,” at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 31, at the Asheboro Public Library.

Her talk, sponsored by the Friends of the Library, is free and the public is invited.

Although she firmly places the amendment at the center of American’s long and continued fight for suffrage, she also notes that some women in the United States already had the right to vote — and others would continue fighting for it for decades.

Cooper is a Lecturer of Women’s and Gender History at UNCG. She earned her Ph.D. in history from Duke University.

She is currently at work on a book project, Bonds of Affection: Business and Politics in the National Family, which explores the relationship between emotional family bonds and the development of the U.S. economy and governing institutions from the Revolution to Reconstruction.

The library is located at 201 Worth Street. Call 336-318-6803 for further information.

Speed painter Decker's artwork to be given away in drawing during Asheboro Sunset Series event

Tim Decker

ASHEBORO – Artwork that performance speed painter Tim Decker creates during his Friends of the Library Sunset Signature Series appearance will be given away to audience members in a series of drawings.

The event takes place at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 14, at the historic Sunset Theatre, 234 Sunset Ave. It is free and the public is invited.

Decker is a nationally-known touring artist who creates celebrity and patriotic portraits in front of a live audience. Each painting takes 4-7 minutes to complete and the whole experience is set to music.

The Sunset Series is sponsored by the Heart of North Carolina Visitors Bureau, the City of Asheboro and the Friends of the Randolph County Public Library.

For further information, call 336-318-6803.

Get 'Backyard Gardening' tips in Asheboro library talk

Ben Grandon

Calling all gardeners!

North Carolina’s long growing season is almost here and Ben Grandon, Agriculture-Horticulture agent with Randolph County Cooperative Extension, can help you.

In “Backyard Gardening” at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 19, at the Asheboro Public library, he’ll offer an overview of supplies and equipment, and answer your gardening questions.

He also will provide an update about what services are available through Cooperative Extension to ensure that you produce a bounty of fruits and veggies.

His talk is free and the public is invited.

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

Historical researcher Kevin Duffus to focus on NC lighthouses in Asheboro library talk

Kevin Duffus

ASHEBORO – North Carolina historical researcher Kevin Duffus will return to the Asheboro Public Library for “From a Fire on the Beach to a Diamond in the Sky: The Evolution of Lighthouses and Light-keeping in North Carolina,” at 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 23.

His talk is free and the public is invited.

Duffus will use historical drawings and maps to present a wide-ranging discussion of North Carolina’s colorful, five-century heritage of guiding mariners along its coast. He will shed light on the earliest attempts to guide a ship ashore, and the first known Carolina shipwreck.

He also will outline the development of lighthouse technology and architecture, and talk about times when the lighthouses were burned, blown up or battered, and when lightships were sunk during wars and storms.

He’ll share stories about roguish lighthouse keepers — including one accused of purposely wrecking ships, and others who helped steal their own lenses.

Duffus, who lives in Waynesville, is an award-winning author, researcher and filmmaker who has made significant discoveries about North Carolina’s coastal history. He has received a Peabody Award and an Edward R. Murrow Award among other honors.

His research has led to the re-discovery of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse’s Fresnel lens and to new understandings of the pirate Blackbeard, his crew, and the nature of his treasure.

His books include War Zone, World War II off the North Carolina Coast;  The Last Days of Blackbeard the Pirate: Within Every Legend Lies a Grain of Truth;  and The Lost Light: A Civil  War Mystery — The True Story of the Extraordinary Odyssey of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse 1854 Fresnel Lens.

Duffus’s appearance is made possible by funding from the North Carolina Humanities Council, a statewide non-profit and affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Friends of the Library.

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

Randleman library to host session on Alzheimer’s disease

RANDLEMAN – The Randleman Public Library will host “Understanding Alzheimer’s and Dementia” at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 3.

Presented by the Western North Carolina Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, the event is free and the public is invited. Space is limited, so call the library at 336-498-3141 to sign up or for further information.

Alzheimer’s is not a part of normal aging, but a disease of the brain that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. The session will focus on:

· The impact of Alzheimer’s;

· The difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia;

· Alzheimer’s disease stages and risk factors;

· Current research and treatments available for some symptoms; and

· Alzheimer’s Association resources.

For more information about the Alzheimer’s Association, visit alz.org.

Performance speed painter Tim Decker to paint up a storm in Asheboro Sunset Series event

Performance speed painter Tim Decker creates a work
before the audience's eyes.

ASHEBORO – Performance speed painter Tim Decker will wow the crowd at the next installment of the Friends of the Library Sunset Signature Series at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 14, in downtown Asheboro’s historic Sunset Theatre.

Decker’s highly interactive, upbeat performance is free and the public is invited.

The Sunset Signature Series is sponsored by the Heart of North Carolina Visitors Bureau, the City of Asheboro and the Friends of the Randolph County Public Library.

Decker is a nationally-touring artist who creates celebrity and patriotic portraits in front of a live audience. Each painting takes 4-7 minutes to complete and the whole experience is set to music.

A showman whose performances have been described as “spellbinding” and “knock-out,” he has appeared on the major television networks and the Hallmark channel, and the reality television show Hell’s Kitchen.

Decker performs at numerous fundraisers each year, where his appearances have raised over $1.5 million for various charities.  In 2014, he joined Late Night host Jimmy Kimmel at a Las Vegas fundraiser for the Dave Rice Foundation, where two paintings created that evening brought $15,000 during an auction. Decker painted a portrait of Kimmel before the event, which the host himself bought for a $10,000 contribution to the foundation.

Following Decker, the remaining Sunset Series 2020 events include:

• Ken Jennings, “Greatest of All Time” Jeopardy champion, 7 p.m. Saturday, April 18; and
• Top of the World, a tribute to the music of The Carpenters featuring Debbie Taylor and a seven-piece band, 7 p.m. Friday, May 22.

The Sunset Theatre is located at 234 Sunset Avenue. Seating is first-come first-served.

For further information, call the Heart of North Carolina Visitors Bureau at 800-626-2672.

Katie Snuggs Civil Rights talk at Asheboro library rescheduled due to weather threat

Katie Snuggs

ASHEBORO – Asheboro City Council member Katie Snuggs will talk about her experiences during the Civil Rights era in a talk at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, February 27, at the Asheboro Public Library. The event has been rescheduled from its initial date due to the threat of inclement weather.

Snuggs, the first African American woman elected to the city council, was a leader in integration struggles in Asheboro in the 1960s. She was arrested for participating in sit-ins at Hops Bar-B-Que Restaurant and the Little Castle Café in February, 1964.

Retired after a 22 year career as an administrative assistant in the city’s Water and Sewer Maintenance Department, Snuggs is a graduate of Central School and North Carolina A & T State University.

She is a member of the Asheboro Redevelopment Commission and leads her neighborhood community watch. She sits on several local boards, including Habitat for Humanity Randolph County, East Side Homes and East Side Local Development Corporation, and is a lifetime member of the Family Crisis Center.

Her talk is free and the public is invited.

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

Biographer to share insights on influential NC judge Sammie Chess Jr. in Asheboro library talk

ASHEBORO – The trailblazing life of The Hon. Sammie Chess Jr. is the topic of the new biography, The Making and Measure of a Judge, by Joe L. Webster. 

Webster will talk about Chess’s life and contributions at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 5, at the Asheboro library.

Chess, of High Point, became North Carolina’s first African American superior court judge. He was active in the Civil Rights movement, and as an attorney, represented Asheboro residents arrested during sit-ins at Hops Bar-B-Que Restaurant in 1964.

Webster, a federal magistrate judge in the Middle District of North Carolina, will discuss Chess’s contributions to the Civil Rights struggle, the judiciary, and society in general.

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

Katie Snuggs to reflect on Asheboro during Civil Rights era in library talkKatie

Katie Snuggs

ASHEBORO – Asheboro City Council member Katie Snuggs will talk about her experiences during the Civil Rights era at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, February 20, at the Asheboro Public Library.

Snuggs, the first African American woman elected to the city council, was a leader in integration struggles in Asheboro in the 1960s. She was arrested for participating in sit-ins at Hops Bar-B-Que Restaurant and the Little Castle Café in February, 1964.

Retired after a 22 year career as an administrative assistant in the city’s Water and Sewer Maintenance Department, Snuggs is a graduate of Central School and North Carolina A & T State University.

She is a member of the Asheboro Redevelopment Commission and leads her neighborhood community watch. She sits on several local boards, including Habitat for Humanity Randolph County, East Side Homes and East Side Local Development Corporation, and is a lifetime member of the Family Crisis Center.

Her talk is free and the public is invited.

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

Eldora Allen to reflect on Randolph County during Civil Rights era in Randleman library talk

RANDLEMAN – The Randleman Public Library will present “Black History Retrospective: Retired Educator Eldora Allen Looks Back on Education and Integration in Randolph County in the 1960s” at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, February 4.

Allen, who taught for over 40 years at the elementary level in the Randolph County Schools, attended Central School in Asheboro through 11th grade, and was part of the first integrated graduating class at Asheboro High School.

Her talk will center around life before the change and the impact integration had on her and other in her graduating class.

The event is free and the public is invited.

The library is located at 142 W. Academy Street. For further information, call 336-498-3141.

A & T history prof Smallwood to examine African American impact on early NC in Asheboro library talk

Dr. Arwin Smallwood

ASHEBORO  -- North Carolina A & T history professor Dr. Arwin Smallwood will resume a talk called “The Origins and Early History of North Carolina” that he began in September, at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, February 13, at the Asheboro Public Library.

Smallwood originally set out to discuss the three groups that generated early North Carolina’s prosperity — Native Americans, European settlers and enslaved African Americans. So engaging was his presentation, however, that he only got about halfway through his talk due to questions and lively discussion.

So Smallwood will return to focus on the African American side of the story. His talk, sponsored by the Friends of the Library, is free and the public is invited.

North Carolina’s history was shaped by a mixture of ethnic influences. The state’s waterways and forests sustained Native American villages that were replaced in the 18th Century by English plantations, cleared for whites by African and Indian slaves.

In his earlier talk, Smallwood traced the story of Native Americans, largely gone from the state for 200 years, except for small populations. Now, he will turn his attention to enslaved African Americans and their descendants through the struggles of slavery, Jim Crow and the Civil Rights era.

The entwined histories are visible through dozens of maps Smallwood has created especially for this presentation, along with vivid illustrations of forgotten faces and moments from the past.

Smallwood was born in Windsor, North Carolina, and raised in Indian Woods, areas that figure prominently in his talks. He earned a bachelors degree in political science and a masters in history from North Carolina Central University, and a Ph.D. from Ohio State University.

Currently serving as chair of the N.C. A & T History Department, he has taught at Bradley University in Illinois and at the University of Memphis, where he helped develop a Ph.D. program in African American history, the only one of its kind in the country. He is recipient of numerous awards, fellowships and grants, and participated in the award-winning UNC-TV documentary “The Birth of a Colony: North Carolina.”

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

Elizabeth Smart to launch 2020 Asheboro Sunset Series

Elizabeth Smart

ASHEBORO – The abduction of Elizabeth Smart was one of the most followed child abduction cases of our time.

Smart was abducted at age 14 on June 5, 2002, and her captors controlled her by threatening to kill her if she tried to escape. Fortunately, police safely returned Smart to her family on March 12, 2003, after she had been held for nine grueling months.

Through this traumatic experience, Smart has become an advocate for change related to child abduction, recovery programs and national legislation. She triumphantly testified before her captor and the world about the very private nightmare she suffered during her captivity, which led to his conviction.

Smart will bring the story of her journey from abduction to empowerment to the first installment of the 2020 Friends of the Library Sunset Signature Series at
7 p.m. Saturday, February 15, in downtown Asheboro’s historic Sunset Theatre. Her appearance is free and the public is invited.

The Sunset Series is sponsored by the Heart of North Carolina Visitors Bureau, the City of Asheboro and the Friends of the Randolph County Public Library.

Smart chronicled her experience in her New York Times best-selling book My Story. She and other abduction survivors also worked with the U.S. Department of Justice to create a survivor’s guide, You’re Not Alone: The Journey from Abduction to Empowerment.

In 2018, she published Where There’s Hope: Healing, Moving Forward and Never Giving Up, a close-up glimpse into her healing process and a heartfelt how-to for readers to make peace with the past and embrace the future.

Smart also is founder of the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, which convenes partner organizations to prevent crimes against children and provide survivors with resources for recovery.

Smart’s abduction and recovery continue to motivate parents, law enforcement and leaders worldwide to focus on children’s safety. She emphasizes vigilance by “everyday” people and the belief that hope always exists to find every missing child.

Smart attended Brigham Young University. She and her husband Matthew have two children.

Following Smart, the remaining Sunset Series events include:
• Performance speed painter Tim Decker, 7 p.m. Saturday, March 14;
• Jeopardy champion and “Greatest of All Time” Ken Jennings, 7p.m. Saturday, April 14;
• Top of the World, a Carpenters tribute band, 7 p.m. Friday, May 22.

The Sunset Theatre is located at 234 Sunset Avenue. Seating is first-come first-served.

For further information, call 336-318-6803.

Make ‘Winter Wonderland’ snow globes at Franklinville library

FRANKLINVILLE – Got the winter doldrums?

Shake things up by designing your own snow globes and making winter-themed slime as you learn about the unique properties of snowflakes, at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, January 28, at the Franklinville Public Library.

Children ages 8 and up are invited. It’s free, but please sign up at the library or call 336-685-3100 by January 24.

The event is sponsored by the library and Randolph County 4-H.

The library is located at 111 Sumner Place.

Learn how to avoid ‘sweetheart scams’ in Asheboro library talk

ASHEBORO – A potential romantic partner makes contact with you through a social media site, online dating site or an online game such as Words with Friends.

Sound promising — but is it the setup for a scam?

Just in time for Valentines, find out how to avoid getting hooked by “Sweetheart Scams” with Officer Guadalupe Gonzales of the Asheboro Police Department, at 6:30 p.m. Monday, January 27, at the Asheboro Public Library.

The talk is free and the public is invited.

In 2018, the Federal Trade Commission reported that individuals lost over $143 million to romance scams. Gonzales will share some of the techniques that scammers use to ensnare the lovelorn as they lavish the target with attention but began sharing sad stories and requesting increasingly large amounts of money.

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

Start new year of right with ‘Keys to Best Health’ at Seagrove library

SEAGROVE – Start your nutritional new year off right with “Keys to Your Best Health” at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, January 22, at the Seagrove Public Library.

Randolph County Wellness Coordinator Sam Varner will talk about how to begin your journey to optimal health in 2020. Varner, a former U.S. Olympic Team strength and conditioning coach, has degrees in nutrition and food science.

The talk is free and the public is invited.

The Seagrove library is located at 530 Old Plank Road. For further information, call 336-873-7521.

Pulitzer Prize winner David Zucchino to debut Wilmington’s Lie in Asheboro library talk

David Zucchino

ASHEBORO – What has gone down in history as a “race riot” in 1898 Wilmington, North Carolina, actually was the violent, white supremacist overthrow of a duly-elected, racially-mixed, local government.

The shocking story of that event is the topic of Wilmington’s Lie: The Murderous Coup of 1898 and the Rise of White Supremacy by David Zucchino, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and author.

Zucchino will debut his book at 7 p.m. Thursday, January 30, at the Asheboro Public Library. His talk, sponsored by the Friends of the Library, is free and the public is invited.

In Wilmington’s Lie, Zucchino uses contemporary newspaper accounts, diaries, letters and official communications to create a gripping and compelling narrative that weaves together individual stories of hate and fear and brutality, creating a dramatic and definitive account of a remarkable but forgotten chapter of American hisotry.

Zucchino was awarded the 1989 Pulitzer Prize in Feature Writing for dispatches from apartheid South Africa, “Being Black in South Africa,” for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Based in Durham, N.C., Zucchino now is a contributing writer for The New York Times. He has covered wars and civil conflicts in more than two dozen countries, and is a four-time Pulitzer finalist for his reporting from Iraq, Lebanon, Africa and inner-city Philadelphia.

He is the author of the books  The Myth of the Welfare Queen and Thunder Run.

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