Libraries Rock during Asheboro library Summer Reading

ASHEBORO – Music, magic, movies, stilts, spoons, snakes, stories, science, didgeridoos – and reading – all will be part of “Libraries Rock,” the Randolph County Public Library’s 2018 Summer Reading Program, kicking off in June with family musician Alina Celeste at all seven libraries, and over 200 more performances, storytimes, hands-on activities and other events for children, teens and adults.

The initiative runs during June and July (and in some cases into August) at the Archdale, Asheboro, Franklinville, Liberty, Ramseur, Randleman and Seagrove libraries. The library’s Extension Services department also will bring Summer Reading activities to children in day cares, at school system summer lunch sites and other locations, such as Our Daily Bread.

During the summer, children can sign up to track minutes or books read in return for reading rewards. Last year, local children ages 0 thru 12^th grade and their families checked out over 60,000 books and reported reading for more than 999,700 minutes.

Teens and adults can get in on the act too, and keep track of their summer reading for chances to win prizes or recognition.

Full schedules and details can be found at www.randolphlibrary.org/summer or at your local library.

Asheboro will host a Summer Reading Carnival at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 9, with stilt-walking juggler Sky-High Skyler and other fun activities. Liberty’s Opening Celebration, 2-4 p.m. Friday, June 8, will feature aerialist Amanda Finch, carnival-inspired games and local band Oldskool.

Randleman’s kickoff at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, June 7, will feature Macon’s Martial Arts and ice cream.

Celeste will present “Canta y Baila (Sing and Dance) with Alina Celeste” at each library in June. Alina’s shows are a joyous blend of parent-friendly sing-alongs, dance-alongs featuring her original tunes as well as classic folk songs for kids from the United States, the Caribbean and Latin America.

She will appear at the libraries as follows: 

• Archdale: 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 20;
• Asheboro: 2 p.m. Monday, June 18;
• Franklinville: 10:30 a.m. Monday, June 18;
• Liberty: 11:30 a.m. Friday, June 22;
• Randleman: 2 p.m. Wednesday, June 20;
• Ramseur: 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 19;
• Seagrove: 1 p.m. Tuesday, June 19.

 In July, Master Illusionist and Storyteller Caleb Sigmon will bring his unique combination of magic, amazement and laughter to all the libraries.

In between, the libraries will offer a range of weekly storytimes, performances and other activities. Percussive performer The Spoon Man, and  Didgeridoo Down Under, a unique fusion of Australia-themed music and environmental awareness, will visit Archdale, Asheboro and Randleman.

The Archdale, Asheboro and Seagrove libraries will host the NC Zoo’s Animal Sound Bites, featuring some live ones! If snakes are your thing, “Snakes Alive” will visit Randleman, and the CCSB Reptile Rescue will drop by Liberty.

Teens can take art classes in Asheboro, make pottery in Archdale, dig for fossils in Randleman or “#hangout” in Liberty. Adults can learn about Irish music, famous (and infamous) women of North Carolina, “Food that Rocks,” computers, and more.

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

7-week Asheboro library summer program to help kids get ready for kindergarten

ASHEBORO – Children who are entering kindergarten this fall, but who have not attended preschool, will have a chance to prepare for their new school experience in “1, 2, 3. A, B, C. Let’s Get Ready for Kindergarten!” this summer at the Asheboro Public Library.

The free, seven-week program, which will meet from 10-11 a.m. Wednesdays from June 6-July 25, will focus on the basics kids need to be successful in kindergarten. Participants will learn about letters, numbers and shapes as well as important behavioral skills such as taking turns, walking in line and sharing.

Participants also will develop their fine motor skills as they learn to use scissors and pencils.

Parents will receive a checklist of activities they can work on with their children during the weeks before school starts.

Registration is required; call 336-318-6804 to sign up or for more information, or visit the Children’s Room. The library is located at 201 Worth Street.

“1, 2, 3. A, B, C. Let’s Get Ready for Kindergarten!” is part of “Libraries Rock,” the Randolph County Public Library’s Summer Reading Program. For more information on all the other exciting events planned throughout the summer, visit www.randolphlibrary.org/summer or pick up a schedule at your local library.

Titanic stories, memorabilia to sail into Asheboro library in “Ship of Dreams” talk

ASHEBORO – Hear some of the 2,228 stories of people aboard the Titanic and view memorabilia from the ill-fated ocean liner, in “Titanic: Ship of Dreams,” at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 17, at the Asheboro library.

Belmont Abbey College professor Dr. Melinda E. Ratchford will present a glimpse into the world of 1912 and the amazing people who boarded the most luxurious and largest ship in the world, and sailed into immortality.

Ratchford, who has visited locations associated with the ship — including Belfast, Southampton and the sinking site in the North Atlantic — also will show off her extensive collection of Titanic memorabilia.

Her talk is free and the public is invited. It is made possible by funding from the North Carolina Humanities Council, a statewide non-profit and affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Friends of the Library.

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