Zoo to show off animals ‘Under Foot’ in library program

Staff members from the NC Zoo will present “Under Foot: An Exploration of the World of Animals Under Our Feet” at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 9, and again at 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 10, at the Asheboro Public Library.

The free event will include fascinating facts and finds about animals that live underground, and feature some of the animals themselves. Children and their families/caregivers are invited.

During the program, participants will uncover interesting information about underground animals, the advantages of living there, and how fossil evidence helps us understand more about dinosaurs.  There will be many biofacts for participants to touch and experience, and a live animal or two will help tell the story of what is happening under foot.

It’s part of Dig into Reading, the library’s Summer Reading Program for children. For more information and a complete schedule of all the activities, visit www.randolphlibrary.org/summer, or call 318-6804.

The library is located at 201 Worth Street in Asheboro.

DOJ speaker to discuss fraud, scam prevention

Learn how to protect yourself from scams, fraud, identity theft and online threats in “Too Good to be True?”, a program presented by N.C. Department of Justice Outreach Specialist Brandon Madden at 2 p.m. Thursday, July 11, at the Asheboro Public Library.

The free presentation is aimed at seniors but all are invited. It’s sponsored by the Friends of the Library and is part of Groundbreaking Reads, the library’s adult Summer Reading Program.

Celebrate International Mud Day at Asheboro library

Children are invited to “Dig into Reading” – really dig – for International Mud Day, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, June 29, at the Asheboro Public Library. The event celebrates nature, the outdoors and just making a mess.

It’s free and all kids and families are invited.

There will be mud games outside the library – jumping a mud puddle, throwing mud balls and sensory mud pools of child-safe material for babies and toddlers to dip their hands in. Storytimes will be offered inside the library at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., with a different “muddy” treat for each one.

Dress to get dirty and bring an extra pair of clothes to wear home.

For further information, contact the Children’s Room at 318-6804.

The event is part of “Dig Into Reading,” the library’s Summer Reading Program for children. The library is located at 201 Worth Street in Asheboro.

Andy Griffith Show expert to speak at Asheboro library

Find out “How Opie Met Andy’s Mom” with Andy Griffith Show expert Dr. Gary Freeze at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 25, at the Asheboro Public Library.

The presentation, an imaginative read-between-the-lines interpretation of some of the key episodes of the television series, is free and the public is invited.

Freeze is a history professor at Catawba College. He is currently at work on a series of essays entitled, Why Andy Didn’t Carry a Gun: The Hidden History of Mayberry.

His appearance is sponsored by the Friends of the Library and is part of Groundbreaking Reads, the library’s adult Summer Reading Program.

The library is located at 201 Worth Street in Asheboro.

Teens: draw pirates with cartoonist Rich Powell at Asheboro library

Teens are invited to join local cartoonist Rich Powell and learn to draw pirates, at 2 p.m. Thursday, June 20, at the Asheboro Public Library.

The event, part of “Beneath the Surface,” the library’s Teen Summer Reading Program, is free and the public is invited. It’s sponsored by Friends of the Library.

Participants can follow along as Powell creates crazy pirates, and draw their own with Powell’s coaching. Finished sketches will be combined into a booklet that will be on display in the library’s TeenZone.

Call 318-6803 to sign up.

The library is located at 201 Worth Street in Asheboro.

Kids, families invited to go ‘Color Crazy’ at Asheboro library

Go “Color Crazy” in a free family fun night, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 20, at the Asheboro Public Library.

Wear your favorite color for an evening of reading, singing, playing, creating and more.

The event is part of Every Child Ready to Read, the library’s early childhood literacy effort. It’s aimed at children age 0-5 and their parents/caregivers, but older siblings are welcome, too.

Call 318-6804 or visit the Asheboro library to sign up.

During the event, librarians will provide parents/caregivers with tips about how incorporate five key activities — talking, singing, reading, writing, playing — as they read and interact with their children. Employing these techniques has been shown to build pre-literacy skills that help ensure children will be ready learn to read when they begin school.

Every Child Ready to Read®, developed by the Public Library Association and the Association for Library Services to Children, is based on research about language, early literacy skills and how children learn. The techniques give parents and caregivers simple but powerful ways to help kids develop the language and other skills they need to learn to read.

The library’s ‘Every Child’ initiative is supported by grant funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the federal Library Services and Technology Act as administered by the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources.

The library is located at 201 Worth Street in Asheboro.

‘Fish the Magish’ kicks off summer reading at Randolph libraries

Local educator/entertainer Fish the Magish will invite kids to “Dig Into Reading” as the Randolph County Public Library’s 2013 Summer Reading Program gets underway with over 100 storytimes, performances, hands-on activities, movies and more.

The program runs June 10-August 3 and all seven libraries are participating. Children can sign up to tracks books, hours or pages read in return for reading rewards, and teens and adults can register for prizes and other reading incentives.

Schedules and complete details can be found at www.randolphlibrary.org/summer and at your local library.

For children and families, Fish, a.k.a. Mike Fisher, will perform at the libraries as follows:

·        Archdale, 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 19 (at Archdale Parks & Recreation)

·        Asheboro, 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 19

·        Franklinville, 2 p.m. Thursday, June 20

·        Liberty, 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 18

·        Ramseur, 10:30 a.m. Thursday, June 20 (at the Ramseur Municipal Building)

·        Randleman, 10:30 a.m. Thursday, June 27;

·        Seagrove, 2 p.m. Tuesday, June 18.

In July, kid-oriented, parent-friendly rockers Big Bang Boom will take the stage at six of the libraries. In between, all the libraries will offer a range of activities, from educators such as The Amazing Teacher Steve Somers to a celebration of International Mud Day, to regular storytimes suited to the “Dig in to Reading” theme.

Meanwhile, teens can go “Beneath the Surface” for a Summer Reading Program of their own. In addition to the very popular Lego Mania competition, which  returns for its fifth year, Asheboro will offer lessons on how to draw pirates, make bamboo robots and more, as well as hosting weekly movies.

Teens in Randleman can join in weekly science-themed events to learn about volcanoes, venomous snakes and spiders, fossils, robotics and more.

Adults can explore “Groundbreaking Reads,” and find out  from Andy Griffith Show expert Dr. Gary Freeze “How Andy met Opie’s Mom.” They can learn about Naomi Wise from writer Sandra Redding and get a helping of Randolph County humor from Warren Dixon, among other fun and informative events.

The Summer Reading Program is primarily sponsored by Friends of the 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, through the Randolph Arts Guild. Many local businesses and organizations help out also: see a complete list at www.randolphlibrary.org/summer.

The reading program is part of a national effort to keep children reading during the break from school; research shows that kids who read during the summer do better in school the next year.