Movie Monday cooks up "Julie and Julia"

Julia Child strives to master the art of French cooking and a modern-day protégé tries to follow in her footsteps in Julie and Julia, the Asheboro Public Library’s Movie Monday at 2 p.m. January 11.

Meryl Streep plays Child, and Amy Adams plays Julie, the young woman who vows to cook all 524 recipes in Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking while blogging about the experience. The film follows both women who, though separated by time and space, discover that with the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible.

The movie is free and the public is invited; refreshments will be served. Find our more here, or call 318-6843.

December newsletter posted

Here!

Lane Ragsdale to perform Christmas cabaret at Asheboro library

Put your worries away and focus on the joys of Christmas 2009 with “Christmas Present: A Holiday Evening with Lane Ragsdale and Friends” at 7 p.m. Thursday, December 17, at the Asheboro Public Library.

The show, sponsored by the Friends of the Library, is free and the public is invited. All attendees are encouraged to bring canned goods for local food pantries.

Ragsdale’s latest cabaret will focus on all we have to celebrate today, and will include sacred and secular musical selections as well as Lane’s reflections on the season and on the past year. Joining Ragsdale will be Raziel Blanco, star of Asheboro High School’s recent production of Les Miserables; Patrick Osteen, a student at the North Carolina School of the Arts; Emmi Bulla, a student at Asheboro High School; Beth Jennings, a student at the University of Mississippi; and Ashley Wicker, a student at UNC-Greensboro.

Arranged and accompanied by Lisa Johnson, the show also will feature harpist Clark Carriker.

Lydia Craven profiled

The Courier Tribune profiles Franklinville's Lydia Craven, champion of reading and libraries.

Asheboro library to host breakfast for kids with Mrs. Santa

Children of all ages are invited to come for Breakfast with Mrs. Santa at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, December 5, at the Asheboro Public Library.

A light breakfast will be served, after which Mrs. Santa, a.k.a. performer and storyteller Cynthia Moore Brown, will share Christmas tales with the audience.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Library, the breakfast is free and all kids are welcome.

Library wins three statewide awards

Three Randolph County Public Library projects have won outstanding program awards from the North Carolina Public Library Directors Association (NCPLDA).

Summer Reading Program publicity, RandQuest.org and the Liberty Public Library renovation claimed top honors for medium-sized library systems. Library staff will make presentations about the projects and receive the awards at a December NCPLDA meeting.

Publicity for the Summer Reading Program won the Outstanding Promotional Program Award. In June, the library sent a colorful flyer home with some 17,000 K-8 students in the Asheboro City and Randolph County Schools. Headquarters and branch library staff visited 14 schools, and systematic distribution of news releases maintained a media presence for the library.

The effort significantly increased participation in the Summer Reading Program, driving up the number of children obtaining library card by 39 percent compared to last summer, and increasing program attendance by 34 percent.


RandQuest.org, the library’s research portal, won the Outstanding Service Innovation Award. Creation of the portal, which provides easy access to research databases and other online resources, led to a marked increase in awareness of the resources, more than doubling the use of some databases and racking up 3009 visits between February and June.

Renovation of the Liberty library, which included new carpet, paint and a creative reorientation of bookshelves to make the library more open and welcoming, received the Outstanding New/Improved Facility Award. Liberty Librarian Susan Primm and Town Manager Roger Davis collaborated on the project.

Movie Monday celebrates Christmas… four times

Can a couple’s relationship stand up to a separate Christmas visit with each of their divorced parents in one day?

That’s the question posed in Four Christmases, the Asheboro Public Library’s Movie Monday, 2 p.m. December 7. The romantic comedy stars Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn as the pair who, despite their best efforts to escape on a tropical Christmas vacation, end up trekking to see each of their estranged parents.

The stellar cast also includes Sissy Spacek, Robery Duvall, Jon Voight, Jon Favreau, Mary Steenburgen, Dwight Yoakam, Tim McGraw and Kristen Chenoweth.

The movie is free and the public is invited; refreshments will be served. Find our more here, or call 318-6824.

Library to offer weatherization workshop

Weatherization to reduce energy bills by making houses more energy efficient will be the topic of a presentation at 3 p.m. Wednesday, December 2, at the Asheboro library.

The workshop is free and the public is invited.

Regional Consolidated Services staff will talk about how to take advantage of the federal program, which offers the elderly, persons with disabilities and low-income families weatherization services at no cost.

Typical work may include caulking, insulating, sealing air leaks, installing vapor barriers, installing smoke/carbon monoxide detectors and replacing light bulbs with CFL bulbs.

Eligibility for weatherization assistance is based on combined household income.

Musical Applewhite family to perform at Asheboro library

Three generations of the Applewhite Family will present a concert of Christmas music for all ages at 7 p.m. Tuesday, December 1, at the Asheboro Public Library. The concert, sponsored by the Friends of the Library, is free and the public is invited.

The Applewhites started singing together many years ago around their mother at the piano, where they learned songs of faith and developed an ear for harmony. From that time on, many of the family have gone on to study voice and instruments at various places and schools including UNC Greensboro, Meredith College, Campbell University, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Greensboro College, Midwestern State University-Texas, North Carolina School of the Arts and East Carolina University.

Participating in this concert will be Jewel Applewhite, Sharon Applewhite Wiley, Donna Applewhite Beck, Marlo Applewhite Peddycord Francis, Nick Wiley, Stephen Wiley, Lauren Beck, Caroline Beck and Ben Peddycord.

The family will perform many genres of music, including sacred, Celtic instrumental, folk and contemporary. The program will include traditional Christmas carols and songs such as O Holy Night and Carol of the Bells, along with some surprises.

Pianist Lisa Johnson will provide accompaniment.

November newsletter

posted....

Take a Christmas Vacation with National Lampoon on Movie Monday

Deck the halls with laughter as the Griswold family tries to celebrate the yuletide in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, the Asheboro Public Library’s Movie Monday at 2 p.m. November 23.

Fresh from his trip to Walley World, Chevy Chase returns as Clark Griswold, America’s best-intentioned walking disaster area. He’s determined to create a fun-filled, old-fashioned Christmas, but in the Griswold family, things almost never turn out as planned.

The movie is free and the public is invited; refreshments will be served. Find our more here, or call 318-6824.

Dunlap, author of First Lady biography, to appear at Asheboro library

When Frances Folsom was just 21, she married the 49-year-old President of the United States at the White House, to the music of John Philip Sousa and the Marine Band.

Now, Mrs. Grover Cleveland is the subject of Frank: The Story of Frances Folsom Cleveland, America’s Youngest First Lady by Annette Dunlap. Dunlap will appear at 7 p.m. Thursday, November 19, at the Asheboro library, for a book talk and signing.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Library, the program is free and the public is invited.

Dunlap is a Roseboro resident and former freelance writer for The Courier-Tribune.

The book, which is the first full-length biography of Cleveland, was released on October 8 by Excelsior Editions and will receive its formal launch on November 14 at the National First Ladies Museum in Canton, OH.

Dunlap was inspired to write about Cleveland while teaching at St. Andrews College in Laurinburg, struck by the age difference in Cleveland’s relationship with the President and the larger-than-life role she assumed when she became First Lady.

A Proposal he can’t refuse in library’s Movie Monday

When high-powered editor Margaret faces deportation to her native Canada, she fakes an engagement to her put-upon assistant Andrew in order to remain in the country in The Proposal, the Asheboro Public Library’s Movie Monday at 2 p.m., November 9.

The comedy stars Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds as the erstwhile couple, who must keep up the ruse during a trip to visit the groom’s family, while under the untrusting eye of an immigration agent. The film also stars Mary Steenburgen, Craig T. Nelson and Betty White.

The movie is free and the public is invited; refreshments will be served. Find our more here, or call 318-6824.

Books-A-Million hosts book fair for Friends.

Print the voucher here.

Bumbling Clouseau strikes again on Movie Monday

It’s all a part of life’s rich pageant as Inspector Clouseau drives his boss insane in The Pink Panther Strikes Again, the Asheboro Public Library’s Movie Monday at 2 p.m. October 19.

In this outing, Chief Inspector Dreyfuss, played by Herbert Lom, kidnaps a brilliant scientist and forces him to create a special ray gun in order to rid the world of Peter Sellers’ Clouseau once and for all.

The movie is free and the public is invited; refreshments will be served. Find our more at here, or call 318-6824.

Library Friends host Piece Work author Barbara Presnell

Poet Barbara Presnell will read from her book Piece Work at a reception sponsored by the Friends of the Library at 7 p.m. Thursday, October 22, at the Randolph Arts Guild’s Sarah Smith Self Gallery. The reception is free and the public is invited.

Based loosely on the Asheboro textile manufacturing plant where Presnell’s father worked until his death in 1969, Piece Work uses the voices of workers to tell the story of an industry that once flourished in the region, shaping the lives of people who worked in the plant as well as those who lived among them, and chronicles the industry's demise in the early 2000s.

A portion of the poems was awarded the 2004 Linda Flowers Prize from the North Carolina Humanities Council. The full collection won the 2006 Cleveland State University (CSU) Poetry Center’s First Book Prize, and was published by CSU in 2007.

Asheboro native Presnell, whose poetry has appeared in many journals and anthologies, now lives in Lexington.

The reception is part of a series of events in October centering on the book. Randolph Community College will host the Touring Theatre Ensemble of North Carolina’s dramatization of Piece Work at 7 p.m. Tuesday, October 27, in the RCC Auditorium.

A discussion led by Presnell, Touring Theatre Artistic Director Brenda Schleunes and the cast will follow. The performance is free; seats can be reserved by calling 633-0244 (leave your name, phone number and number of tickets required) or at http://www.2009piecework.eventbrite.com/.

Roberts, Owen get duplicitous in "Duplicity"

Julia Roberts and Clive Owen are spies with secrets in Duplicity, the Asheboro library’s Movie Monday at 2 p.m. October 12.

Roberts and Owen play government agents who have turned their talents to corporate espionage, but who are finding it difficult to keep their clandestine love affair from intruding on their work.

The tongue-in-cheek thriller also stars Tom Wilkinson.

The movie is free and the public is invited; refreshments will be served. Find our more at here, ww.randolphlibrary.org/asheboromovies.html, or call 318-6824.

Library to offer Medicare briefing

“Medicare for Beneficiaries and Caregivers” is the topic of a presentation at 3 p.m. Wednesday, October 14, at the Asheboro library

Jo Ellen Needham, information and assistance director with the Randolph County Senior Adults Association and Senior Health Insurance Information Program coordinator, will present information for people who are new to Medicare or who want to learn about options for themselves or family members.

The presentation is free and the public is invited.

Needham will cover:
· Medicare Part D (prescription drug plans);
· Recent and upcoming changes
· Advantage Plans (HMO, PPO, PFFS)
· Medicare supplements; and
· Insurance sales tactics and scams.

Presnell poetry book, play document work in Asheboro’s textile mills

Life and work in Asheboro’s textile mills are the focus of a series of events in October built around Asheboro native Barbara Presnell’s book of poetry Piece Work.

Presnell will read from her work at a reception sponsored by the Friends of the Library, 7 p.m. Thursday, October 22, at the Randolph Arts Guild’s Sarah Smith Self Gallery. The reception is free and the public is invited.

Then, Randolph Community College will host the Touring Theatre Ensemble of North Carolina’s dramatization of Piece Work, 7 p.m. Tuesday, October 27, at the RCC Auditorium. A discussion led by Presnell, Touring Theatre Artistic Director Brenda Schleunes and the cast will follow.

The performance is free; seats can be reserved by calling 633‐0244 (leave your name, phone number and number of tickets required) or at www.2009piecework.eventbrite.com.

Meanwhile, library’s Senior Book Club will discuss Piece Work at 2 p.m. Thursday, October 15, at the Asheboro library.

Based loosely on the textile manufacturing plant where Presnell’s father worked until his death in 1969, Piece Work uses the voices of workers to tell the story of an industry that once flourished in the region, shaping the lives of people who worked in the plant as well as those who lived among them, and chronicles the industry's demise in the early 2000s.

A portion of the poems was awarded the 2004 Linda Flowers Prize from the North Carolina Humanities Council. The full collection won the 2006 Cleveland State University (CSU) Poetry Center’s First Book Prize, and was published by CSU in 2007.

Presnell, whose poetry has appeared in many journals and anthologies, now lives in Lexington.

The Touring Theatre’s adaptation of Piece Work premiered in May at the Greensboro Historical Museum. The Greensboro‐based troupe is a non‐profit, professional theatre company that produces original productions based on literature and historical documents.

1st Annual Marjorie W. Memory Pottery Auction

Two classic pieces of traditional Seagrove area pottery will be auctioned to benefit the library in what will become an annual event.

The pottery was donated to the Friends of the Library by Stanley Hicks of Enid, OK, in memory of Marjorie Whittington Memory (1918‐2009) of Randleman.

Memory was author of A History of the Randolph Public Library, 1935‐1967, which she completed as her master of library science thesis at UNC‐Chapel Hill. Hicks, a pottery expert and collector, was a friend and colleague of Memory at the UNC‐Greensboro library.

To inaugurate the auctions, Hicks has donated a teapot and a tea bowl. The teapot, a Jugtown piece, was made in 1978 by Vernon Owens in a Sandhills glaze.

The tea bowl is an old Jugtown piece by Ben Owen circa 1930 in Chinese blue. The bowl has a large amount of red in the glaze which makes it more valuable.

The Auction

The pottery will be on display at the Randleman Library September 28‐October 3, the Seagrove Library October 5‐10 and the Asheboro Library October 12‐22.

The silent auction will begin at 9 a.m. Monday, October 19, at the Asheboro library, and close at 5 p.m. Thursday, October 22. The winning bid will be announced at the Friends of the Library program featuring Barbara Presnell at 7 p.m. that night at the Randolph Arts Guild.

How to Bid

To bid, visit the Asheboro library to obtain a bidder number. Bidders will be able to place their number and a bid on bid sheets accompanying the pottery display through the close of the auction. All bidding must be in person; no phone, fax or email bids will be accepted.For more information, call 336-318-6814.

All proceeds will benefit the Friends of the Randolph Public Library.

Doggy obedience demo rescheduled to Tuesday, Sept. 22

The doggy obedience class featuring Rory, star of RSVP Community Theatre’s summer production of Annie, has been rescheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, September 22, on the lawn in front of the Asheboro library.

The originally-scheduled event was postponed due to rain.

Ally Tomas, owner of Southern Tails Dog School in Randleman, will present the program. Bring your dog on a short, cloth leash (no retractable leashes, please), and also bring a yard chair.

Thomas will be joined by Rory, her three-year-old Belgian hunting dog and Annie scene-stealer.

In case of rain, the demonstration will take place in the library’s meeting room; participants are asked not to bring their dogs if it is raining. Call the library at 318-6801 on the day of the event if there is a question about the weather or for further information.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Library, the event is free, and all dogs and their best friends are invited.

Homeless musician finds hope in library’s Movie Monday

The true story of virtuoso musician Nathaniel Ayers is the subject of The Soloist, the Asheboro library’s Movie Monday for September 21.

Jamie Foxx plays Ayers, a homeless man on the streets of Los Angeles who once had a promising musical life before developing schizophrenia. A reporter looking for a story finds Ayers one day and develops a close relationship with the troubled but gifted artist.

The film also stars Robert Downey Jr. and Catherine Keener.

The movie is free and the public is invited; refreshments will be served. Find our more at here, or call 318-6824.

Doggy obedience demo postponed

The doggy obedience demo scheduled for tonight (9/17/09) has been postponed due to rain. A new date will be announced presently.

Friends of the Library to present doggy obedience demo

Meet Rory, canine star of the RSVP Community Theatre’s production of Annie, at a doggy obedience demonstration, at 7 p.m. Thursday, September 17, on the lawn in front of the Asheboro Public Library.

Ally Tomas, owner of Southern Tails Dog School in Randleman, will present the program. Bring your dog on a short, cloth leash (no retractable leashes, please), and also bring a lawn chair.

Thomas will be joined by Rory, her three-year-old Belgian hunting dog and Annie scene-stealer.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Library, the event is free, and all dogs and their best friends are invited.

Say “yes” to library Movie Monday with “Yes Man”

What if you said “yes” to every opportunity, good and bad, that came along?

Jim Carrey tries to do just that for a year Yes Man, the Asheboro Public Library’s Movie Monday for adults, 2 p.m. September 14.

Carrey plays Carl Allen, who decides make his life more interesting and positive by saying yes. Along the way, he wins $45,000, meets a hypnotic dog, obtains a nursing degree, travels the globe and finds romance.

The film also stars Bradley Cooper and Zooey Deschanel.

The movie is free and the public is invited; refreshments will be served. Find our more at here, or call 318-6824.

Friends of the Library to host romance novelist Tracey Marley

Franklinville resident Tracey Marley, author of the forthcoming novel Promise for Tomorrow, will appear for a book talk and signing at 7 p.m. Thursday, September 10, at the Asheboro library.

The program, sponsored by the Friends of the library, is free and the public is invited.

Set in Greensboro, Promise for Tomorrow is the first novel in the Heritage House series of romances, and will be released on September 8 by Tate Publishing and Enterprises.

Marley is a wife, mom and graphic designer whose creative spirit allows her to enjoy a life of service through drama, storytelling and channeling the gospel into pages of Christian fiction.

Senior Book Club to host trek to NC Literary Festival

The Asheboro Public Library’s Senior Book Club will take a day trip to the North Carolina Literary Festival at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on Saturday, September 12, 2009.

The trip is free and open to the public, but registration is required by Friday, September 4. The group will leave the Asheboro library at 8 a.m. and return by approximately 5:30 p.m.

For more information, or to register, please call Amy Keith Barney or Jessica Gibson at 318-6803.

The festival, which runs September 10-13, will feature 102 authors reading and signing their work, as well as exhibits, performances, sales and children’s activities. The theme is “A Celebration of Reading and Writing.”

Authors scheduled to appear at the festival on Saturday, September 12, include John Hart, P.T. Deutermann, Lee Smith, Michael Malone, Jill McCorkle, Paul Cuadros, R.L. Stine, Rick Bragg and more.

The libraries of UNC and Duke University, with additional support from North Carolina Central University, organize and sponsor the free festival.

The Senior Book Club meets on the second Thursday of each month at the Senior Adults Center in Asheboro. The September 10 meeting will take place as usual, with a discussion of John Grisham’s The Appeal.

A near-death experience sends Bertram Pincus to Ghost Town in the Asheboro Public Library’s Movie Monday for adults, 2 p.m. August 17.

The almost-fatal mishap puts Pincus, played by Greg Kinnear, in touch with a nether world of ghosts – all of whom want him to do something for them in the real world. One of the favors places Pincus in the middle of an after-life love triangle in this romantic comedy.

The film also stars Ricky Gervais and Tea Leoni.

The movie is free and the public is invited; refreshments will be served. Find our more at www.randolphlibrary.org/asheboromovies.html, or call 318-6824.

Watch the downtown Asheboro mural ribbon cutting

Downtown Asheboro mural to get formal unveiling

The ribbon will be cut on downtown Asheboro’s new mural at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, August 13, at the mural site near the intersection of Church and Academy streets.

The Asheboro/Randolph Chamber of Commerce will host the event, which will feature comments from local elected officials and mural project organizers. Children, teens and adults who worked on the mural will be recognized.

The ribbon cutting is free and the public is invited.

Designed by painter and art teacher Cori Cagle, the mural depicts a dawn-to-dusk vision of Asheboro landmarks such as the library, the municipal building, the old courthouse, the Sunset Theatre, Acme McCrary and more on the 220-foot arced retaining wall.

A core group of more than 30 children and teens worked on the mural each morning for two weeks in July, under the supervision of Cagle and Randolph County Public Library Teen Services Librarian Amy Keith Barney. Teens volunteering through the library and members of the Central Boys and Girls Clubs provided the bulk of the painters.

Adults were invited to paint on two evenings during the period.

The project was part of “Express Yourself @ Your Library,” the library’s Teen Summer Reading Program. It was funded by Trees Asheboro via a Grassroots Arts Grant from the North Carolina Arts Council through the Randolph Arts Guild. The Asheboro City Council approved the project June 4 on a recommendation from the Asheboro Appearance Commission.

Teens to 'hoop' it up in Asheboro library dance class

Young people ages 12-18 are invited to join Jacquie Reininger of Santosha Yoga for a free “Hooptastic Dance Class,” 10 a.m. Thursday, July 30, at the Asheboro Public Library.

Participants will use specially-made hoops wrapped with colorful circus tape to twirl not only around the hips, as is traditional with hula hoops, but also overhead, vertically and in progressively harder tricks. In addition to expressing creativity, the “hooper” must practice coordination, balance, flexibility and strength to execute the skills smoothly.

After learning the various skills, the hoopers will put them all together in a short routine. “It’s guaranteed to uplift every spirit in the class,” says Reininger.

The class is part of Express Yourself @ Your Library, the Randolph County Public Library’s Teen Summer Reading Program, and is supported by the Friends of the Library. For further information, contact Teen Services Librarian Amy Keith Barney at 318-6824 or akeith@randolphlibrary.org.

Library kids to spell out “READ” at magical Mark Daniel event

If the purpose of the purpose of the Randolph County Public Library's "Be Creative @ Your Library" Summer Reading Program is not clear, the kids will spell it out – literally – following the appearance of Magical Storyteller Mark Daniel at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 29, at Asheboro Friends Meeting, 230 E. Kivett St.

Children who attend the program will gather afterwards and stand in prearranged positions to spell the word READ in the church parking lot. Library staff will make photographs from the upper-floor windows of the church and provide them online to participants (in the accompanying photo, they're practicing).

The media also is invited to photograph and/or film the event. In case of rain, the spelling will take place in an auditorium at the church.

Daniel is a veteran storyteller whose performance, “Mission: Creative,” will use magic, puppets and stories to motivate children to read and inspire a love of books. It’s free and the public is invited.

Daniel is appearing at all seven libraries this summer, and will finish up at Liberty, 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 28; Seagrove, 2 p.m. July 28; and Ramseur, 10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 30 (at the Ramseur Municipal Building).

The Summer Reading Program is supported by the Friends of the Library and by a Grassroots Arts Grant from the North Carolina Arts Council via the Randolph Arts Guild. For more information, contact Myra Long at 318-6804 or go here.

Mike Durham to throw pots in library as artist series concludes

Artist and educator Mike Durham will create pottery at the Asheboro Public Library in the last demonstration for the Summer Artist Series, 4-6 p.m. Tuesday, July 28.

Durham currently works in salt-glazed pottery, found object sculpture and habitat design for nature science centers. A former N.C. Art Educator of the Year, he has taught art, pottery, sculpture and photography in the Guilford and Randolph County schools, and has instructed pottery at Randolph and Montgomery community colleges.

He currently serves as president of the Randolph Arts Guild, and assists in the planning and organization of the N.C. Pottery Conference.

The artist series has brought local performers and artists to the library on Tuesday afternoons to demonstrate their work for the public. The demos are free and the public is invited to observe.

The series is part of the “Express Yourself @ Your Library” Summer Reading Program for teens, and is supported by the Friends of the Library.

Asheboro library to host “End of Summer Reading” bash

A giant slide, a moonwalk, a dunking booth, a fire truck and more will help summer readers wrap up “Be Creative @ Your Library,” The Randolph County Public Library’s Summer Reading Program, from 4-8 p.m. Friday, July 31 at the Asheboro Public Library.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Library, the party is free and open to all ages. Rain date will be August 7.

Activities also will include games, sidewalk art and balloons. The Friends of the Library will sell hot dogs, chips and drinks; proceeds will go to support Friends activites.

Everything will take place on the lawn in front of the library. The Cox Street driveway will be blocked for the event; library visitors can use the Main Street entrance to the parking lot or park in the county lot on the corner of Cox and Salisbury streets.

Although some summer activities will continue into the first week of August, the party marks the finale of the Summer Reading Program, which has drawn record numbers of children to libraries across the county. For more information about the party, contact Amy Keith Barney, 318-6824 or Myra Long, 318-6804.

Other Summer Reading events for the week of July 27 include:

• Magical Storyteller Mark Daniel: Liberty library, 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 28; Seagrove library, 2 p.m. July 28; Asheboro library, 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 29 (at Asheboro Friends Meeting, 230 E. Kivett St.); and Ramseur library, 10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 30 (at the Ramseur Municipal Building).
• Storytelling program, 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 29, Asheboro library.
• Summer Reading Finale with Garrett Traylor of High Point Piano, Archdale Library, 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 29.
• Scholastic Book Fair, Randleman library, Monday-Saturday, July 27-August 1.

Weekly storytimes take place at the Asheboro library: school-age storytime, 3:15 p.m. Tuesdays; family storytime, 7 p.m. Tuesdays; toddler storytime, 10:10 a.m. Wednesdays; and all-ages storytimes, 10:30 a.m. Thursdays. For more details and complete schedules for all libraries, go here.

The Summer Reading Program is supported by the Friends of the Randolph Public Library and by a North Carolina Arts Council Grassroots Grant via the Randolph Arts Guild. In all, the seven libraries are hosting almost 150 Summer Reading Program events for children, teens and adults through early August, and the Extension services department will take another 100 or so out into the community.

Lego building competition draws media attention

Three TV news operations had camera crews at the Lego building competition for teens last week: News14 Carolina; WFMY News 2; and WXII (no coverage posted online, but there was a segment on the 6 p.m. newscast).

Here are our pictures.

Author to hold signing at Archdale library

Local author Dale Crotts will sign copies of his book The Reckoning and discuss the experience of writing his first novel--and his plans for future titles -- at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 21, at the Archdale Public Library.

The Reckoning is a mystery thriller about a Michigan lawyer who returns to Traverse City for his father's funeral and finds himself on trial for murder.

Visit Dale's website for more information.

Asheboro library to screen The Bucket List

Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman make The Bucket List, the Asheboro Public Library’s Movie Monday for adults, 2 p.m. July 20.

The pair play terminally ill hospital roommates who resolve to check off a list of accomplishments before they each “kick the bucket” – hence, the bucket list. As they jump out of planes, race cars and eat at the best of restaurants, they become true friends.

The movie is free and the public is invited; refreshments will be served. Find our more at here, or call 318-6824.

Cars races to Asheboro library on Family Movie Friday

Richard Petty and Paul Newman lend their voices to the animated classic Cars, the feature for Family Movie Friday at 7 p.m. July 24, at the Asheboro Public Library.

This high octane adventure follows Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson), a hot shot stock car heading to the big race. He gets bogged down in Radiator Springs and learns about true friendship during his stay there in this high speed road trip.

The movie is free and the public is invited; refreshments will be served. Find our more at here, or call 318-6824.

Amazing Teacher visits, magical Mark Daniel visits as “Be Creative @ Your Library” continues

“Celebrate” ordinary people who accomplish extraordinary things as Steve Somers, the Amazing Teacher, brings his fast-paced, high energy children’s program to the Liberty Public Library at 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 21. The program is part of “Be Creative @ Your Library,” the Randolph County Public Library’s Summer Reading Program.

With amazing tricks, puppets and lots of audience participation, Somers and his sidekick Jazzmo the Jazzman will share some of the most influential music of the 20th Century, and highlight a fun assortment of contemporary and classic books. Somers’ appearance is free, as are all the library’s Summer Reading activities, and the public is invited.

Meanwhile, magical storyteller Mark Daniel continues his visits to each library with an appearance at the Archdale library, 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 22. Other activities for the week of July 20 include:

• NASA and Space Exploration, Asheboro library, 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 22;
• Crime Scene Investigation with Det. Charles Burrow of the Asheboro Police Department, Asheboro library, 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 22;
• Family Movie Friday featuring Cars, Asheboro library, 7 p.m. July 24;
• Movie "Bee Movie," Archdale library, 2 p.m. Thursday, July 23;
• “Free Play,” Franklinville library, 2 p.m. Thursday, July 23;
• Randolph County Senior Steppers, Ramseur library (at Ramseur Municipal Building), 10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 23;
• African Storytelling with “Mama J,” Randleman Library, 10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 23;
• “Movie Magic,” Randleman library, 4 p.m. Thursday, July 23;
• Space Travel, Seagrove library, 1 p.m. Tuesday, July 21.

Weekly storytimes take place at the Asheboro library: school-age storytime, 3:15 p.m. Tuesdays; family storytime, 7 p.m. Tuesdays; toddler storytime, 10:10 a.m. Wednesdays; and all-ages storytimes, 10:30 a.m. Thursdays. For more details and complete schedules for all libraries, go here.

The Summer Reading Program is supported by the Friends of the Randolph Public Library and by a North Carolina Arts Council Grassroots Grant via the Randolph Arts Guild. In all, the seven libraries are hosting almost 150 Summer Reading Program events for children, teens and adults through early August, and the Extension services department will take another 100 or so out into the community.

Two “Paint Nights” invite adults to help with downtown mural

The downtown Asheboro mural project is part of the Randolph County Public Library’s “Express Yourself @ Your Library” Teen Summer Reading Program, but adults also can express themselves on two Paint Nights, 5-8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, July 22-23.

Adults can sign up to paint by visiting the Asheboro library, or contacting Teen Services Librarian Amy Keith Barney at 318-6824, or akeith@randolphlibrary.org.

The colorful mural, created by painter and art teacher Cori Cagle, depicts a dawn-to-dusk vision of Asheboro landmarks such as the library, the municipal building, the old courthouse, the Sunset Theatre, Acme McCrary and more on the 200-foot arced wall on the west side of Church Street at Academy Street.

Keith Barney conceived the project, and Trees Asheboro is providing funding via a Grassroots Art Grant from the North Carolina Arts Council through the Randolph Arts Guild.

Seagrove library to close Saturday, 7-18

The Seagrove Public Library, normally open on Saturdays, will be closed on Saturday, July 18 due to the Operation Red Sleigh Bike Ride, which takes place at next door at Seagrove School and inhibits local traffic.

Archdale library program to help writers get published

Kristen Eckstein, producer at Imagine! Studios, will present Choose Your Own Publishing Adventure! on Saturday, June 18 at 11 am at the Archdale Public library.
All are welcome; there is no charge.

The author of Financial Survival, Kristen is a book publishing coach and graphic designer. She will explore the process of publication of your work, whether you choose to self-publish or work with a traditional book publisher. Not sure which route is right for you? Then plan to attend this workshop; Kristen will help you determine the best path for your own publishing adventure.
Click here to see the FaceBook page for the event.

Visit the EventBright page to register (FREE!) or call us at 431-3811.

Library to offer exercise, nutrition workshop for seniors

“Exercise and Nutrition for Seniors” will be the topic of a program at 3 p.m. Wednesday, July 22, at the Asheboro Public Library. The program is free and the public is invited.

Glenn Dawson, whose education in sports medicine and exercise science has allowed him to work in orthopedic and cardiac rehab and adult wellness, will get participants moving with some light exercises that they can continue on their own.

Susan Garkalns, an agent with North Carolina Cooperative Extension’s Randolph County Center will talk about nutrition and eating plans.

For further information, contact Jonathan Farlow at 318-6827 or jfarlow@randolphlibrary.org.

Teens: create with Legos in Asheboro library competition

Young people ages 12-18 are invited to “Express Yourself @ Your Library” with Lego creations in a Lego Building Competition, 2 p.m. Thursday, July 16, at the Asheboro Public Library.

The competition is free and the Legos will be provided. Prizes will be awarded in multiple categories.

Refreshments also will be provided. Registration is required; call 318-6824 or visit the library to sign up.

The event is part of the library’s Teen Summer Reading Program, and is supported by the Friends of the Library.

Magical storyteller Mark Daniel to appear at county libraries

Magical storyteller Mark Daniel begins a series of appearances at each of the Randolph County Public Library’s seven branches next week with a performance at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 16, at the Randleman Public Library. The programs are part of “Be Creative @ Your Library,” the library Summer Reading Program for children.

With his signature combination of magic, puppetry and storytelling, Daniel’s programs have motivated, inspired and entertained over three million children in thousands of schools and libraries over the past 20 years, celebrating the joy of reading and great books. He’s a mainstay of summer at libraries across the state.

He will continue his appearances through July as follows: Archdale library, 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 22; Asheboro library, 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 29 (the program will take place at Asheboro Friends Meeting, 230 E. Kivett St.); Franklinville library, 2 p.m. Thursday, July 30; Liberty library, 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 28; Ramseur library, 10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 30 (the program will take place at the Ramseur Municipal Building); and Seagrove library, 2 p.m. Tuesday, July 28. All performances are free and public is invited.

Meanwhile, Summer Reading events at the libraries are ongoing. For the week of July 13, they include:
· “Create and Aquarium” with Aquamain’s Fish & Reptile World, Archdale library, 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 15;
· Martial arts demonstration with Macon Martial Arts, Asheboro library, 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 15 and Franklinville library, 2 p.m. Thursday, July 9;
· “History of Comic Books” with Dr. Francisco Hodges, Asheboro library, 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 15;
· “All That Jazz” with the Center of Performing Arts, Liberty library, 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 14;
· Storyteller Jonna Libbert, Ramseur Municipal Building, 10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 16;
· “Movie Magic,” Randleman library, 4 p.m. Thursday, July 16;
· “Critter Sing,” Seagrove library, 1 p.m. Tuesday, July 14.

Weekly storytimes take place at the Asheboro library: school-age storytime, 3:15 p.m. Tuesdays; family storytime, 7 p.m. Tuesdays; toddler storytime, 10:10 a.m. Wednesdays; and all-ages storytimes, 10:30 a.m. Thursdays. For more details and complete schedules for all libraries, go here.

The Summer Reading Program is supported by the Friends of the Randolph Public Library and by a North Carolina Arts Council Grassroots Grant via the Randolph Arts Guild. In all, the seven libraries are hosting almost 150 Summer Reading Program events for children, teens and adults through early August, and the Extension services department will take another 100 or so out into the community.