Cedar Falls history group to present library program

Members of the Cedar Falls Historical Society will talk about the history of their community, and their efforts to preserve it, at 7 p.m. Thursday, January 12, at the Asheboro Public Library, 201 Worth St.

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

Cedar Falls native Henry Bowers will present a brief history of the community, and of the Cedar Falls Community Association/Historical Society.

He also will highlight restoration of the Cedar Falls Chapel, a 20-year project to preserve the state’s oldest antebellum cotton mill village church, and plans for restoration of the Old Post Office.

Copies of the three volumes of Water Under the Bridge: Cedar Falls Memories will be available for purchase. The first two books in the set recently received the Willie Parker Peace History Book Award from the North Carolina Society of Historians.

Barbershop quartet The Adequates to perform at Asheboro library

Asheboro’s celebrated barbershop quartet The Adequates, joined by pianist Joy Menius, will perform a holiday concert at 7 p.m. Thursday, December 15, at the Asheboro Public Library.

The performance, sponsored by the Friends of the Library, is free and the public is invited.

The Adequates are Allen Holt, baritone; Don Monroe, bass; Philip Shore III, lead; and Tom White, first tenor. The quartet, which formed in the spring of 2010, has won top honors in the Randolph County Senior Games talent show for two years running, and is much in demand for local performances.

The group will perform holiday tunes as well as barbershop standards, with a healthy dose of humorous commentary.

Menius, a performer and music teacher, began studying piano at age 4. She is organist for Central United Methodist Church and pianist for the Asheboro Rotary Club.

She will perform seasonal solo piano selections

The library is located at 201 Worth Street in Asheboro.

Cartoonist Powell to bring ‘Aporkalypse’ to library

Observations about everything from regional gastronomic habits to “the sandwich that broke all the rules” can be found in Home of the Aporkalypse!!!, a collection of Rich Powell’s Dixie Drive cartoons.

Powell will talk about his book at 7 p.m. Thursday, December 8, at the Asheboro Public Library, and will have copies on hand to sell and sign.

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

Powell, an artist and illustrator, lives in Asheboro with his wife Frankie and daughter Bailey. His illustration work has appeared in magazines as crazy as MAD Magazine and as classy as Our State, on board games, in computer games and apps, on t-shirts and ball caps, in ads and anywhere else that can hold ink (or pixels).

Dixie Drive appears in Get This!, the weekly entertainment supplement of The Courier Tribune. Home of the Aporkalypse!!! covers roughly the first year-and-a-half of the cartoon in an 88-page soft-cover book.

Citizens of Randolph County will particularly enjoy familiar names and places mentioned in these cartoons.

Library to offer E-Reader 101 workshops in Asheboro, Archdale

Thinking of stuffing a stocking with a Kindle, Nook or other e-reader this Christmas?

Get the lowdown on e-readers and ebooks in “E-Readers 101” at the Asheboro and Archdale libraries.

The sessions will take place at 10 a.m. Tuesday, December 6, at the Asheboro library, and 7 p.m. Wednesday, December 7, at the Archdale library. They are free and open to the public.

Library staff will demonstrate how to use the Digital Depot, the Randolph County Public Library’s new ebook lending service, and provide an overview of the considerations involved in buying an e-reader. There will be time after the presentation to try out a Nook or a Kindle with assistance from library staff.

For further information, call 318-6808.

Teens, 'tweens invited to trim library Christmas tree

Teens and 'tweens ages 10-18 are invited to make Christmas ornaments for themselves and for the Asheboro library Christmas tree from 4-6 p.m.

Thursday, December 1, at the library.

The workshop is sponsored by the Friends of the Library, and is free.

The ornaments will be on display for the month of December on the Library's main Christmas tree. Participants will have an opportunity to handcraft a variety of ornaments from various patterns.

This year's Christmas tree theme will be "Why I Love the Library — Let Me Count the Ways." Ornaments will be made from felt and variety of papers.

Library Friends to hold giant inventory clearance book sale

The Friends of the Randolph Public Library Bookshop stock room is stuffed to the gills, and construction on the adjoining Sunset Theatre is expected to start early next year.

So from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, November 5, the Friends will hold a “Big Book Sale” at the Asheboro Public Library, 201 Worth Street. Admission to the sale is free.

There will be a preview sale from 6-9 p.m. Friday, November 4, also at the Asheboro library. Admission to the preview is $5.

The sale will feature over 3,000 used books. Hardbacks will go for $1 and buyers can get two paperbacks for $1 – half the usual prices.

Proceeds go to the library's book budget.

Business at the bookshop, at 226 Sunset Avenue, will go on as usual. Hours are 10-2 Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

But the library sale will help prepare for the Sunset renovation, which will claim a portion of the bookshop’s sorting space and require some remodeling of the bookshop itself.

The bookshop will remain open as long as possible when construction begins, and reopen as soon as possible after it is complete.

The Lost Boys to descend on library’s Movie Monday

Long before the teen vampire heartthrobs of Twilight, there were The Lost Boys, the Asheboro Public Library’s monster Movie Monday at 2 p.m. October 24.

After moving to a small coastal town, 1980s icon Corey Haim discovers he must defend his family from a clutch of young vampires led by a pre-Jack Bauer Kiefer Sutherland.

The star-studded cast also includes Jason Patric, Diane Wiest, Edward Hermann, Jamie Gertz and that other 1980s icon, Corey Feldman.

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

Archdale Author Breakfast to feature seven writers

Meet celebrated area writers and shop for books at the Archdale Library Friends Author Breakfast, 9 a.m.-noon Saturday, October 29 at the Archdale Public Library.

Breakfast will be served at the event, which is free. Call 431-3811 to reserve a spot.

Participants, whose work spans genres from ranging from children’s books to novels and nonfiction, include:

• Carol Andrews, author of Speckled Angels and The Giggle Wind;
• Micki Bare, author of Thurston T. Turtle Moves to Hubbleville and Relative Expressions;
• Martha Crotty, author of Hong Kong Kitty;
• Roger Crotty, author of Billy Goodman – Neighborhood PI and Rode to Glory;
• Jonathan Farlow, author of Stuck in the Middle, Brouhaha and Holy War;
• Gail Gurley, author of Old Southern Comfort Food and Red Dirt Tracks
• Clay Harvey, author of A Whisper of Black, Dwelling in the Gray and A Flash of Red.

Survey shows impact of Randolph library computers, Internet access

Access to computers and the Internet at the Randolph County Public Library enables county residents to get jobs, get healthy and get into school, according to local results of a national survey.

The library asked users of its computers and online resources to take the U.S. Impact Survey during a three-week period in September. The survey measured how people used free computer services at the library in the past year, and the impact the services had on their lives.

“There’s an old slogan, ‘libraries change lives.’ The survey results prove that this is definitely the case in Randolph County,” said Library Director Ross Holt.

Jobseeking was a top concern of the 135 survey respondents. Sixty percent used library computers to search for jobs; 47 percent applied online or sent out resumes, and 22 percent were granted interviews.

Ten percent were hired for new positions.

Health and wellness also was a hot topic, with 43 percent of respondents using library computers to find out about diet and nutrition. Of those, 81 percent made changes to their diet.

Similarly, 38 percent sought information about exercise and fitness, and 87 percent of those who did so made changes in their exercise habits.

People also logged on to meet educational needs, with 33 percent saying they looked up information about a degree or certificate program. Twelve percent used library computers to apply online, and half of those were admitted to degree or certificate programs.

Fourteen percent applied for financial aid on library computers, with just under half of those saying they received it.

Other survey highlight

• 40 percent of respondents used library computers to pursue a hobby;
• 38 percent to find recipes;
• 42 percent to find movie, book or music reviews;
• 30 percent to meet new friends;
• 26 percent for help with a do-it-yourself project;
• 24 percent to find support for a personal issue;
• 19 percent to research genealogy.

Overall, 83 percent of respondents used library computers for searching online; 82 percent for email ; 70 percent for printing; 52 percent for social networking; and 37 percent for streaming video.

The survey also inquired about library computer use for business, e-government, e-commerce and civic engagement purposes.

Of the respondents, 95 percent said they were satisfied with public access technology at the library, and over 90 percent said that access at the library is important or very important themselves and to the community.

Holt said the library is working to address one of the most frequent suggestions for improvement expressed by respondents: more time online. The standard time limit of one hour per day is necessary to ensure fair access during busy times, Holt said, but automatic time-limit extensions allow as much as two and one-half hours, depending on the library branch, if no one is waiting for a computer.

The survey was created by the University of Washington School of Information with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It was offered to libraries nationally and is part of the first large-scale study of how people use computers in public libraries.

Holt said that though the survey measures the use of relatively recent technology, the results reaffirm a traditional role of the public library. “The founders of the public library movement in the United States, way back in the late 1800s, saw the library as ‘the people’s university’ – a place in the community where everyone could freely and continually educate and improve themselves and their lives. Clearly, this holds true today,” Holt said.

View all the survey results at www.randolphlibrary.org/impactsurvey.pdf.

Vampirologist, author Theresa Bane to speak at Asheboro library

Author Theresa Bane, whose expertise on all things vampire has landed her on national television programs, will talk about her work at 7 p.m. Thursday, October 27 at the Asheboro library.

The Halloween event, sponsored by the Friends of the Library, is free and the public is invited. Bane will sell and sign copies of her work.

Bane is author of Encyclopedia of Demons in World Religions and Cultures, The Encyclopedia of Vampire Mythology, Actual Factual: Dracula, Haunted Historic Greensboro, Folktales and Ghost Stories of North Carolina’s Piedmont, and more.

She has been featured on Discovery Channels’ “Twisted History: Vampires” as well as E!’s “10 Sexiest Vampires” for her knowledge and expertise on the undead.

She also recently published the darkly humorous The Bloodthirsty Weasels: On the Loose and Buck Wild, and is associate producer of audiobooks for Buzzy Multimedia.

When not writing, Bane travels to educate audiences about the differences between traditional mythology and horror fiction. A diehard gamer originally from the New York/New Jersey area, she resides in North Carolina with her husband, T. Glenn Bane. For more information, visit www.theresabane.net.

Friends event to host 3rd Marjorie Memory Pottery Auction

Vintage pottery donated by two collectors will be sold during the Third Annual Marjorie W. Memory Pottery Auction at “A Taste of the South,” a fundraiser for the Friends of the Randolph Public Library, 7-10 p.m. Friday, October 14, at Pinewood Country Club.

Online bidding is also available at www.randolphlibrary.org/memory.htm, up to the time of the silent auction.

Memory, of Randleman, died in 2009. She was a librarian at UNC-Greensboro, and penned the definitive history of the Randolph County Public Library (to 1967) as her master of library science thesis at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Her good friend and colleague Stanley Hicks, now of Enid, OK, established the auction, which this year includes 10 pottery pieces or groups of pieces donated by Hicks and Asheboro collector William Ivey.

Proceeds go to support Friends of the Library programs and activities. The pieces are on view at the Asheboro Public Library, and on the website.

Items in the auction include: a Burlon Craig swirlware butter dish; four miniature jugs by Dorothy Auman; a capped salt and pepper set by Charlie Moore of Jugtown; an M.L. Owens face jug; a 12-piece child’s tea set by Neolia and Cecilia Cole; an early Jugtown pitcher; a J.B. Cole candle dish in a watermelon glaze; a Westmoore pitcher and lid with cobalt decoration made by David Farrell; a salt glaze bowl by R.E. Albright; and pitcher with blue bird decoration and lid by Marvin Bailey.

The auction will take place at “A Taste of the South” featuring Sheri Castle, author of The New Southern Garden Cookbook. Tickets for the demonstration and gourmet dinner are $50 per person, and are available at the Asheboro Public Library, 318-6801.

Highest bids received online will be base bids for the silent auction.

Friends fundraiser to feature cookbook author Sheri Castle, gourmet dinner

Appetizers prepared on the spot and a gourmet dinner will highlight “A Taste of the South,” a fundraiser for the Friends of the Randolph Public Library, 7-10 p.m. Friday, October 14 at Pinewood Country Club.

The menu will feature recipes from The New Southern Garden Cookbook: Recipes for Enjoying the Best from Homegrown Gardens, Farmers' Markets, Roadside Stands and CSA Farm Boxes by Sheri Castle, who will talk about her book and, in a demonstration for attendees, prepare appetizers that will be served before the meal.

Tickets are $50 per person and can be purchased at the Asheboro Public Library Circulation Desk. All proceeds go to support Friends activities and programs.

Castle is a food writer and cooking instructor based in Chapel Hill. Her recipes and essays have appeared over many years in magazines including Southern Living and Better Homes and Gardens.

She teaches classes at markets including Whole Foods and A Southern Season, as well as private classes, and assists with recipe testing and development.

The New Southern Garden Cookbook focuses on the pleasures of fresh, local, seasonal food. It offers over 300 recipes for delicious, healthy, home-cooked meals made possible by the diverse array of fruits and vegetables grown in the South, and most of the rest of the nation as well. It was named a notable cookbook by The New York Times, and an editor’s pick by Southern Living.

Jewelry expert to present identification event at library

Antique expert Pat Holder will present a jewelry identification event at 7 p.m. Thursday, September 22, at the Asheboro Public Library.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Library, it’s free and the public is invited.

Holder invites attendees to bring jewelry heirlooms and hand-me-downs. She will not appraise the items, but will assess what types of metal and stones they contain, and provide any additional history.

Holder is an antique dealer with 24 years experience. Her specialties include oriental porcelains and estate jewelry.

She previously conducted a jewelry ID event at the library in 2007.

Randolph library to join national survey of library computer, Internet users

Users of the Randolph County Public Library’s online resources will be able to share their opinions in a national survey from September 12-30.

The U.S. Impact Study, sponsored by the University of Washington Information School and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, will collect data about the impact on people’s lives of free access to computers and the Internet in public libraries

Library patrons can respond to the survey on the library’s websites, randolphlibrary.org and randquest.org, or when logging into a computer at the library. During the survey period, the library will add 10 minutes to in-house Internet time limits to assist patrons in both completing the survey and getting their online work done.

The survey takes 10-15 minutes, and is voluntary and confidential. It seeks information on how people use library computers for jobseeking, education, health, e-commerce, social inclusion and other activities.

Survey results will help local libraries evaluate and tailor their online services, and provide a national snapshot of computer use in libraries.

Asheboro library Movie Monday goes sci-fi

The Asheboro library’s Movie Monday goes sci-fi in September with screenings of The Adjustment Bureau on September 12 and Sucker Punch on September 26. Showtime for both films is 2 p.m.

Based on a short story by Philip K. Dick, The Adjustment Bureau stars Matt Damon as a political candidate whose destiny seems controlled by a shadowy organization that threatens to thwart his romance with a ballerina played by Emily Blunt.

Sucker Punch focuses on a falsely-institutionalized young woman’s efforts to escape her imprisonment through her mental creation of an alternate reality. The cast includes Vanessa Hudgens, Scott Glenn and John Hamm

The movies are free and the public is invited; refreshments will be served. Find our more at www.randolphlibrary.org/asheboromovies.html or call 318-6819.

Archdale library to host Family Movie Nights in September and October

The Archdale Public Library will host Family Movie Nights at 7 p.m. Fridays in September and October.

Films screened will be: The Original Shaggy Dog, September 9; Tangled, September 23; How to Train Your Dragon, October 7; Soul Surfer, October 14; and a Halloween Party with Disney’s Legend of Sleepy Hollow (October 28).

The movie nights are free and the public is invited. For further information, contact Jonathan Farlow, 431-3811.

Archdale library offers fitness, Medicare programs for seniors in September

Medicare and fitness will be the topics of two programs for seniors at the Archdale Public Library in early September.

JoEllen Needham, Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) coordinator with the Randolph County Senior Adults Association, will cover current changes in the Medicare program at 3 p.m. Thursday, September 8.

On Wednesday, September 14 at 3 p.m., Meredith Morgan, wellness director for the Grubb Family YMCA in Trinity, will provide an introduction to the YMCA’s Silver Sneakers program. The leading exercise program for seniors, Silver Sneakers is covered by Medicare and Medicare supplement providers, and includes a complimentary fitness membership to the Trinity YMCA, low-impact classes taught by certified instructors, social events and health education.

The programs are free and the public is invited. For further information, contact Jonathan Farlow, 431-3811.

Downloadable ebooks go live at Randolph library’s Digital Depot

Much in demand downloadable ebooks will be available from the Randolph County Public Library’ Digital Depot starting Monday, August 22, but the library’s Facebook fans are getting a sneak preview.

The initial ebook collection contains more than 360 popular titles ranging from Stieg Larsson’s Millenium Trilogy to the 2012 edition of the job hunting classic What Color is Your Parachute.

Ebooks currently are available for all e-readers except Amazon.com’s Kindle. Kindle ebooks will be available soon, possibly as early as September.

Borrowers will check out ebooks from the Digital Depot, a website provided by the library’s ebook vendor OverDrive. A library card will be required to check out.

The website will be reachable from the library’s own websites, randolphlibrary.org and randquest.org, and directly from a web address that will be released Monday.

OverDrive mobile apps are available for iPad, tablet PC and smartphone users.

The ebooks also will be added to the library catalog. A simple title search will indicate whether a copy in ebook format is available, and a keyword search solely for ebooks also will be available.

Ebook borrowers will have to download and install a small program from the Digital Depot website. Then, they will be able to check out ebooks, download them and transfer them to an e-reader.

They also can place holds on titles that are checked out.

A step-by-step guide is available on the website, and users can call the Asheboro library Reference Desk at 318-6803 for further assistance.

To obtain a library card, which is free, visit any of the seven libraries. Adults must provide a valid photo ID and proof of address; a parent or guardian must co-sign for children 15 years old and younger.

The library on Wednesday provided access to the Digital Depot for its Facebook fans. To become a fan, visit facebook.com/randolphlibrary.

Friends of the Library to host education advocate Marisol Romero

Barriers that young people face in obtaining a higher education due to their immigration status will be the focus of a talk by Marisol Romero at 7 p.m. Thursday, August 18, at the Asheboro library.

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

A rising senior at Harvard studying human development and regenerative biology, Romero graduated from Asheboro High School in 2008.

She is spending the summer volunteering with the Latino Coalition of Randolph County to help educate the public on access to higher education for young people who are immigrants but have already-substantial ties to the United States.

Asheboro library to hold 3rd annual “Lego Mania!” competition

“Lego Mania!” returns to the Asheboro Public Library at 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 27, as teens and tweens ages 10-18 are invited to compete in a Lego building contest.

The third annual competition is free and the Legos will be provided. Prizes will be awarded in multiple categories, such as tallest and most creative, and for younger and older age groups.

Refreshments also will be provided. Registration is required; call 318-6803 or visit the library to sign up.

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

Coupon guru Angela Newsom to present class at Asheboro library

Want to learn an easy and fun way to save on groceries?

Join coupon expert Angela Newsom for a “Coupon Makeover,” 6 p.m. Monday, July 11, at the Asheboro Public Library.

The program, sponsored by the Friends of the Library, is free and the public is invited; call 336-318-6808 to register.

Newsom, creator of the Coupon Makeover website (www.coupon-makeover.com), will show participants how to use coupons effectively to buy groceries for pennies on the dollar. Super-couponing combines the best techniques for following sales and using Internet and newspaper coupons to their fullest savings potential.

The workshop is part of “Novel Destinations,” the library’s Adult Summer Reading Program. For more information, go here.

Teens can paint, plant in library program

Pick your favorite paint color, decorate a terracotta pot, learn how to plant flower containers, then finish your masterpiece with a flowering plant to take home, in “Colorful Creations” at 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 20, at the Asheboro Public Library.

The workshop, open to anyone ages 10 to 18, is free. Registration is required; to register, visit the library or call 318-6824.

Master Gardeners Peggy Heath and Barbara Luther of North Carolina Agricultural Extension of Randolph County will lead the program. Instructions and all supplies to paint and plant will be provided.

“Colorful Creations” is part of “You Are Here,” the library’s Teen Summer Reading Program. For further information, contact Teen Services Librarian Amy Keith Barney at 318-6824 or akeith@randolphlibrary.org.

Library invites teens to express themselves in visual journaling workshop

Join art teacher Melissa Walker for a class of experimentation and artistic exploration using the visual journal as a medium for self-revelation and expression, at 10 a.m. Friday, July 15, at the Asheboro Public Library.

The workshop, open to anyone ages 10 to 18, is free. Registration is required; to register, visit the Asheboro library or call 318-6824.

Instruction and all supplies to get started with journaling will be provided. Each participant will get a journal to take home.

Walker will explore a variety of painting techniques along with collage, wax resist, stencils, stamping and embellishing. Many examples of visual journals and altered books will be available to show technique and for finding inspiration for journal pages.

Handouts, including 100 journal prompts, are included. Start expressing yourself today and let the creativity begin!

The workshop is part of “You Are Here,” the library’s Teen Summer Reading Program. For further information, contact Teen Services Librarian Amy Keith Barney at 318-6824 or akeith@randolphlibrary.org.

Magical storyteller Mark Daniel returns to Randolph libraries

Magical Storyteller Mark Daniel will return to Randolph County’s public libraries this summer with his unique blend of magic, puppetry and stories. He will appear at all seven libraries, beginning in Randleman at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 21, and at the other libraries as follows:

• Archdale, 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 27;
• Asheboro, 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 27 (at the Sunset Theatre);
• Franklinville, 2 p.m. Thursday, July 28;
• Liberty, 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 26;
• Ramseur, 10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 28;
• Seagrove, 2 p.m. Tuesday, July 26.

Daniel’s performances, part of “One World, Many Stories,” the Randolph County Public Library’s Summer Reading Program, are free and the public is invited.

Daniel has been a mainstay of summer reading programs for more than 20 years. His programs have inspired over three million children in thousands of schools and libraries, celebrating the joy of reading and great books.

For more information about Daniel, visit www.magicalstoryteller.com. For a complete schedule of summer events at the libraries, visit www.randolphlibrary.org/summerreading.html.

Library invites teens to build terrariums

Learn how to create a garden in a Mason jar in “Terrarium Building for Teens,” 10 a.m. Saturday, June 23, at the Asheboro Public Library.

The program, open to anyone ages 10 to 18, is free. Registration is required; to register, contact Teen Services Librarian Amy Keith Barney at 318-6824 or akeith@randolphlibrary.org.

Instructions and supplies will be provided. Each participant will be able to complete a terrarium to take home.

A terrarium is a small enclosure or closed container in which small plants and animals may be kept as ornament or for educational purposes.

The program is part of “You Are Here,” the library’s Teen Summer Reading Program. For

Travel writer to suggest close-to-home getaways in library program

Looking for cheap, fun things to do in the surrounding area this summer?

Join travel writer Amber Nimocks for “Destination Triad,” a talk about the best daytrips for couples and families who are on a budget or are looking for something to do close to home, at 7p.m. Thursday, June 23, at the Asheboro Public Library.

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

Nimocks is a contributing producer of WUNC’s “The State of Things” and author of several author of several travel guides includingThe Insiders’ Guide to North Carolina’s Piedmont Triad.

The event is part of “Novel Destinations,” the library’s Adult Summer Reading Program. Between now and August 2, anyone 18 or over can submit a form for each book read, and be entered in drawings for weekly prizes from local merchants and restaurants.

For further information call 318-6808.

Library invites teens on a Geocaching adventure

Learn how to find messages and treasures hidden in public places in Geocaching for Teens, 10 a.m. Saturday, June 18, at the Asheboro Public Library.

Local geocacher Ray Betts will lead participants on a geocaching adventure in the vicinity of the library, explaining how to get started with the hobby. Betts will set up three geocaches on library property for participants to seek, and include a fourth long ago established on the grounds.

The program, open to anyone ages 10 to 18, is free.

Geocaching is an outdoor activity in which GPS devices are use to track down messages concealed in publicly accessible places by other geocachers. Betts, an artist, musician and 34-year Klaussner Home Furnishings employee, began geocaching in 2009 and has found 325 geocaches to date, including at least one in each of 75 North Carolina counties.

The geocaching event is part of “You Are Here,” the teen Summer Reading Program. For further information, contact Teen Services Librarian Amy Keith Barney at 318-6824 or akeith@randolphlibrary.org.

“Didgeridoo Down Under” to kick off library Summer Reading Program

The Australian-themed, educational and entertaining musical presentation “Didgeridoo Down Under” will kick of “One World, Many Stories,” the Randolph County Public Library’s 2011 Summer Reading Program, with performances at all seven libraries June 13-16.

The high-energy show uses books, maps, artifacts, art work, puppets and musical instruments to engage the audience in a program that promotes cultural harmony and ignites excitement about reading, writing, exploring and creating.

The performances are free and the public is invited.

Showtimes are:

• Asheboro Public Library, 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 1
• Archdale Public Library, 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 15
• John W. Clark (Franklinville) Public Library: 2 p.m. Thursday, June 16
• Liberty Public Library: 7 p.m. Thursday, June 1
• Ramseur Public Library, 10:30 a.m. Thursday, June 1
• Randleman Public Library, 2 p.m. Wednesday, June 15
• Seagrove Public Library, 2 p.m. Tuesday, June 14.

For more information about “Didgeridoo Down Under”, visit www.didgrevolution.com. For more information about the library’s Summer Reading Program, visit www.randolphlibrary.org/summerreading.html or call 318-6804.

Library invites children, teens and adults to explore “One World, Many Stories” this summer

The seven branches of the Randolph County Public Library will offer over 150 storytimes, performances, movies, hands-on projects, author appearances and other special events now through early August for children, teens and adults as part of “One World, Many Stories,” the 2011 Summer Reading Program.

And all for free.

Originally intended to keep children reading while out of school, the Summer Reading Program has expanded to includes teens and adults. The theme for teens is “You Are Here,” and for adults it’s “Novel Destinations.”

Participants who sign up at any library and report the number of hours, pages or books they have read and will be eligible for reading rewards. Rewards and requirements vary from library to library; for complete details and schedules, visit www.randolphlibrary.org/summerreading.html, call 318-6804 or call your local library.

“One World, Many Stories” kicks off with performances at each library of “Didgeridoo Down Under”, and Australian-themed, audience participation musical event, June 13-16. In July, magical storyteller Mark Daniel, a crowd-pleaser every year, returns.

Each library will host one or more weekly programs. The Asheboro library will hold five weekly storytimes – for school age children, families, toddlers, all ages and Spanish-speakers – along with two special events each Wednesday for school-age children.

The Archdale library also will host three weekly storytimes – for all ages, toddlers and twos-plus.

Movies will include Family Movie Fridays at the Asheboro library; Movie & Popcorn on Thursday afternoons at the Randleman library; and a Harry Potter film festival each Wednesday at the Asheboro library, featuring all the movies in order leading up to the July 16 theatrical release of the final installment in the saga.

A sampling of the internationally-themed programs for children includes: “Foods of the World” and the African play “Leopard’s Drum” at Asheboro; Caribbean steel drum music at Archdale; “Local Legends with a Local Lady” at Randleman; “Going on Safari” at Franklinville; “The Gullions, a Chinese Treasure” at the Ramseur library; “Fairy Tales from Denmark” at the Seagrove library; and “Travel Back in Time” at the Liberty library.

Other programs feature origami, animal rescue, fossils, martial arts, reptiles and more.

Meanwhile, teens at the Asheboro library can go geocaching, build terrariums, learn about journaling or container gardening, and compete in Legomania III. At Randleman, teens can track their summer reading and earn a chance to win Books-A-Million gift cards.

For details on teen programs, visit www.randolphlibrary.org/summereadingteens.html or call 318-6824.

For adults, the Asheboro library is offering weekly drawings and prizes, including gift certificates to local merchants and restaurants, as well as three author appearances. Randleman readers can earn a chance for Books-A-Million gift cards for each book read.

For details on the adults program, visit www.randolphlibrary.org/summerreadingadults.html or call 318-6808.

The Summer Reading Program is made possible by the Friends of the Library and by a North Carolina Arts Council Grassroots Arts Grant via the Randolph Arts Guild.

Stoneman’s Raid author Chris Hartley to appear at Asheboro library

Author and historian Chris Hartley will talk about his new book, Stoneman’s Raid, 1865, during a Friends of the Library program at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 2, at the Asheboro Public Library.

The event, part of “Novel Destinations,” the library’s Adult Summer Reading Program, is free and the public is invited.

Stoneman’s Raid, 1865 recounts the massive cavalry offensive led by Union Maj. Gen. George Stoneman through six Southern states, including the North Carolina foothills. Stoneman’s troopers fought fierce skirmishes and destroyed supplies and facilities during the two-month attack.

Hartley’s book covers the planning, day-to-day execution and far-reaching after-effects of the raid. It also tells the story of the citizens in its path, and of the soldiers who covered more than 1,000 miles on horseback.

Wilkesboro native Hartley, who also has written several historical articles and is a frequent speaker on Civil War history, grew up in the shadow of historical markers denoting the largely-forgotten events, and has been chasing its history ever since. He has worked in marketing and communications, and now lives in Pfafftown.

Research for the book took him to 34 repositories in 12 states, and incorporated more than 200 books and newspapers.

“Novel Destinations” continues through the summer and invites readers 18 and over to explore the world through reading. Upcoming programs include Amber Nimocks, author of The Insider’s Guide to North Carolina’s Piedmont Triad (June 23) and coupon guru Angela Newsom (July 11).

Readers also are invited to fill out a form for each book they complete to be eligible in weekly drawings for prizes donated by local businesses. For more information, go here.

Library Movie Monday to screen "You Again"

“What doesn’t kill you… is going to marry your brother” in You Again, the Asheboro Public Library’s Movie Monday, 2 p.m. May 23.

When a young woman realizes her brother is about to marry the girl who bullied her in high school, she sets out to expose the fiancée's true colors in this comedy. The all-star cast includes Kristen Bell, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sigourney Weaver and Betty White.

The movie is free and the public is invited; refreshments will be served. Find our more here or call 318-6819.

Library of Congress "Gateway to Knowledge" exhibit to open Friday at Asheboro library

“Gateway to Knowledge,” an exhibit about the services, history and artifacts of the Library of Congress, will open at 9 a.m. Friday, April 29, at the Asheboro Public Library and remain on display through Saturday.

Housed in an 18-wheel truck semi-trailer that expands to three times its normal road width, the exhibit is free and the public is invited.

An opening ceremony with Congressman Howard Coble will take place at 10:30 a.m. Friday. Hours of the exhibit, which will be located on the Worth Street side of the library, are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. each day.

Visitors can also sign up for Randolph County Public library cards on the spot and browse items in a Friends of the Library Bookshop tent. The Asheboro library itself will be open for business-as-usual.

“Gateway to Knowledge” is making 60 stops across the South and Midwest in small or rural communities to spread the word about the Library of Congress and the millions of resources in its unparalleled collections. In addition to computer kiosks demonstrating current Library resources, the exhibit traces the Library’s history, focusing especially on Thomas Jefferson’s influence.

It also offers facsimiles of the library’s top treasures, including the first map to use the word “America”; a draft of the Declaration of Independence in Jefferson’s hand with notations by John Adams and Benjamin Franklin; the 1962 drawings for the comic book that introduced Spider Man to the world; and Walt Whitman’s poem “Leaves of Grass.” Two docent well-versed in the Library and its top collections will guide visitors through the displays.

The exhibit is well-suited for school groups fourth grade and above, with special emphasis on middle school students; contact the Asheboro library at 318-6806 for a referral to the docents, who will schedule group visits.

The tour is made possible with the generous support of the Bernie and Audre Rapoport family. The Rapoports are founding members of the James Madison Council, the Library of Congress’s private sector advisory council.

Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution. Its collection of more than 144 million items includes more than 33 million cataloged books and other print materials in 460 languages; more than 63 million manuscripts; the largest rare book collection in North America; and the world's largest collection of legal materials, films, maps, sheet music and sound recordings.

Lane Ragsdale to sing for Arlene Smith, Friends in library cabaret

A spring cabaret presented by vocalist Lane Ragsdale and accompanist Tom Liles at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 5, at the Asheboro library, will be a unique departure from previous shows.

"Lane and Tom: An Evening Where Memories Are Made” is a gift from Ragsdale to the Friends of the Library for their many years of support and for bringing the concept of a cabaret to Asheboro, and a specific tribute to Arlene Smith, who championed the cause.

The show is free and the public is invited.

“Arlene has been the heart of my performances,” Ragsdale says of Smith, who passed away April 7. “She may be small in stature but she is a ‘suffer no fools, this is how it is’ kind of lady and a greater lady has never walked the planet! This is my chance to say thank you to her.”

The show itself will feature an eclectic blend of music and stories from standards to modern and quirky ballads. “This is a show for everyone but in my heart, I will be singing just for Arlene.”

The performance will take place upstairs in the library. Seating is first-come first-served.

For more information call the library at 318-6801.

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Pulitzer-nominated poet to headline poetry reading, open mic at library

Acclaimed poet Anthony S. Abbott will join local poets for a reading to celebrate National Poetry Month at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 14, at the Asheboro Public Library.

The reading also will feature an “open mic” organized by the Randolph Writers Group. The event, sponsored by the Friends of the Library, is free and the public is invited.

Abbott, a professor emeritus of English at Davison College, is author of five books of poetry, two novels and two nonfiction works on modern drama. His first book of poetry, The Girl in the Yellow Raincoat, earned him a nomination for the Pulitzer Prize in 1989, among a slew of other awards.

“He is an artist who paints with words. The reader is swept into the canvas with the beauty and power of his written words,” says Sue Farlow, Asheboro High School English teacher and Abbott’s predecessor as president of the North Carolina Poetry Society.

As part of a society program, Abbott mentors aspiring poets. Abbott and a group of his mentees, which included two local students, read in a program at the library in 2009.

Find out more about Abbott at www.thegirlintheyellowraincoat.com.

To participate in the event as a reader, contact Randolph Writers Group President Robin Emerson, randolphwriters@aol.com, or 336-736-3496.

"Annie" star Rory to appear at Friends dog obedience program

Does your dog need a bit of refinement?

Join the Friends of the Library for a dog obedience demonstration at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 22, on the Asheboro Public Library lawn.

The event is free and all dogs are invited. Rain date is March 29.

Ally Thomas, owner of Southern Tails Dog School, will present the program. Bring your dog on a short, cloth leash (no

retractable leashes, please), and also bring a lawn chair.

With Thomas will be Rory, her Belgian hunting dog who starred in the 2009 RSVP Community Theatre production of Annie. For more information, call the library at 318-6801.

Movie Monday to screen "Life As We Know It"

A couple must put aside their differences to raise their goddaughter in Life as We Know It, the Asheboro Public Library’s Movie Monday, 2 p.m. March 21.

After a disastrous first date, the only things Holly Berenson and Eric Messer have in common is their love for their goddaughter, Sophie – and their dislike for each other. But when they suddenly become all Sophie has in the world, Holly and Eric are forced to put their differences aside, juggling career ambitions and social calendars while trying to get along under one roof.

The romantic comedy stars Katherine Heigl, Josh Duhamel and Josh Lucas.

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

Warner Williams arrowhead show to return to Asheboro library March 5

Warner Williams will bring his famous arrowhead collection back to the Asheboro Public Library on Saturday, March 5.

On display will be Williams’ 64-year collection of Indian arrowheads, considered to be one of the finest on the east coast.

The popular annual event, which is free, has drawn almost 9,000 attendees over the past 14 years. The show will be open 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and Williams will be on hand to talk with attendees.

Most of the arrowheads in the collection are from the Randolph County area. The collection has been featured on UNC-TV’s North Carolina Now, in Our State Magazine and in Prehistoric American, the official publication of the Genuine Indian Relic Society.

The Overstreet Indian Arrowheads Identification and Price Guide contains over 200 exemplars from Williams’ collection.

The library is located at 201 Worth Street in Asheboro. Call 318-6801 for more information.

Asheboro library to screen Eat, Pray, Love on Valentine’s Day

A woman’s journey of to find her true self is the focus of Eat, Pray Love, the Asheboro library’s Movie Monday at 2 p.m. February 14.

Newly divorced and at a crossroads, Liz Gilbert steps out of her comfort zone, risking everything to change her life, embarking on a journey around the world that becomes a quest for self-discovery. In her travels, she discovers the true pleasure of nourishment by eating in Italy; the power of prayer in India and finally and unexpectedly, the inner peace and balance of true love in Bali.

The film stars Julia Roberts, James Franco and Billy Crudup.

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

Friends to celebrate Asheboro library birthday with cupcake party

The Friends of the Library will say “Happy 75^th Birthday” to the Asheboro Public Library with a cupcake party from 3-6 p.m. Thursday, February 10, in the library lobby and meeting room.

The Friends will offer free cupcakes and refreshments to all library visitors while supplies last.

The Asheboro library opened its doors on February 10, 1936, in two rooms above the Standard Drug Store in downtown Asheboro after a year-long effort by a group of local women to organize, fund and collect books for it. Although eight inches of snow had fallen four days previously, a huge crowd turned out and almost all the 384 titles were checked out on the first day.

The library later moved to the Asheboro Armory, then to the new Municipal Building, and to the Randolph County Courthouse before establishing its current location on the corner of Worth and Cox streets in 1964.

In January, the Asheboro Public Library Foundation, which traces its origins to the group that founded the library, hosted the UNC Clef Hangers at the Sunset Theatre to celebrate the anniversary; the Friends party will recognize the actual birth date.

Ivey to debut longrifle book at Asheboro library

Asheboro attorney and antique collector William Ivey will debut his new book North Carolina Schools of Longrifles 1765-1865 with a talk, slide show and signing at 7 p.m. Monday, February 21, at the Asheboro library.

The event, sponsored by the Friends of the Library, is free and the public is invited.

Ivey collects North Carolina furniture, pottery and textiles, but his favorite art object is the longrifle. “I am interested in the North Carolina longrifle as an art form with its added historical significance that should be studied, collected and preserved,” he says.

The authoritative, 392-page book – a 27-year labor of love for Ivey – depicts 213 rifles in over 1,200 photographs by Trinity photographer Kenneth Orr. It differentiates the rifles by schools, or characteristics that place them in a common location.

For example, Ivey notes that most rifles made in the Salem area are decorated with an engraved eagle on the patch box, an ornamental compartment on the stock where oil and tallow were stored.

Ivey approaches the guns from their artistic aspect, but he says his book also will appeal to anyone interested in history, long guns or decorative arts of the mid-18th to mid-19th centuries. For more information about the book, visit www.northcarolinalongrifles.com.

Friends of the Library to host author Susan S. Kelly

Novelist Susan S. Kelly will speak at a Friends of the Library luncheon, Noon Thursday, February 24, at Pinewood Country Club.

Tickets cost $15 and can be reserved at the Asheboro library Circulation Desk until February 17.

Kelly, a native of Rutherfordton, is the author of the novels By Accident, Now You Know, The Last of Something, Even Now and How Close We Come, which won the Carolina Novel Award and was a Book-of-the-Month Club alternate selection.

After a career doing legal research and summarizing depositions, Kelly took up the pen as a creative writer at age 40, and earned a master of fine arts degree from Warren Wilson College.

How Close We Come, her first novel, explores a lifelong friendship between two women. Her most recent, By Accident, looks at a suburban mother’s grief at the loss of her teenage son.

Kelly, also a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, lives in Greensboro.

For further information, call 318-6801

Teens, ‘tweens invited to make stitched hearts in library program

Teens and ‘tweens ages 10 to 18 are invited to learn how to make stitched hearts from 4-6 p.m. Wednesday, February 9, at the Asheboro Public Library.

The program, sponsored by the Friends of the Library, is free and all teens and ‘tweens are invited. It will take place in the library Meeting Room downstairs.

Amy Keith Barney, Teen Services Librarian, will demonstrate different techniques for making stitched hearts for your loved one just in time for Valentine’s Day. A variety of felt, fabric, buttons and all the necessary supplies will be available for a hands-on learning experience.

For more information call 336-318-6824.