Asheboro library to offer ‘Living Healthy with Diabetes’ course

ASHEBORO – Diabetes affects 12.2 million Americans age 60 and over — or 23 percent of the population.

“Living Healthy with Diabetes,” a six week course from 9:30 a.m.-noon Thursdays beginning January 16 at the Asheboro Public Library, can help you better manage diabetes, improve quality of life, and lower health care costs.

The course is free, but space is limited to 15 participants. Visit the library or call 336-318-6803 to register.

In the highly-interactive classes, mutual support and success will build participants’ confidence in their ability to manage their health and maintain active, fulfilling lives.

Leading the classes will be Dr. Althea Taylor-Jones and Gail Sherred of the Piedmont Triad Regional Council Area Agency on Aging. 

The workshop focuses on problems common to people dealing with Type 2 diabetes: learning to deal with symptoms, managing stress, using medications, and developing healthy eating habits and exercise techniques.

The library is located at 201 Worth Street.

Holly George-Warren to talk about new Janis Joplin bio at Asheboro library

Holly George-Warren

ASHEBORO – Celebrated music journalist and Asheboro native Holly George-Warren will visit the Asheboro library at 7 p.m. Friday, January 17, to talk about her acclaimed, definitive new biography of Janis Joplin.

Published by Simon and Schuster in October to rave reviews, Janis: Her Life and Music establishes the Queen of Rock & Roll as the rule-breaking musical trailblazer and gender-bending rebel that she was. George-Warren had unprecedented access to Joplin’s family, friends, bandmates, archives and long-lost interviews to create the intimate portrait.

George-Warren is a two-time Grammy nominee and the award-winning author of sixteen books, including the New York Times bestseller The Road to Woodstock with Michael Lang, and the biographies A Man Called Destruction: The Life and Music of Alex Chilton and Public Cowboy No. 1: The Life and Times of Gene Autry. She has written for a variety of publications, including Rolling Stone, The New York Times, The Village Voice, and Entertainment Weekly.

She teaches journalism at the State University of New York in New Paltz.

She is the daughter of the late Martha and Alvis George Jr. Martha was a longtime Asheboro librarian.

Alvis was an architect who designed the award-winning 1964 Asheboro library building and its expansion in 1994, and other iconic local buildings. He also served as project coordinator for the NC Zoo master plan.

Seagrove library invites you on a ‘Blind Date with a Book’

SEAGROVE – Are you ready to find your literary love?

Let the Seagrove Public Library play matchmaker during “Blind Date with a Book.” Drop by the library between January 2 and January 9, and let the staff set you up with your “blind date” book.

You will have one month to read your unknown literary suitor, after which you are invited to a Valentine’s discussion with refreshments at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, February 12.

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

Randolph library leaders win top state awards

Walker McCrary III, Dr. Frances Jones and Ross Holt display
their N.C. Public Library Directors Association awards
at the association's banquet on December 5 in Winston-Salem

ASHEBORO – The North Carolina Public Library Directors Association (NCPLDA) has recognized three Randolph County library leaders with its top personal awards.

Library Director Ross Holt was named 2018-2019 Library Director of the Year; Dr. Frances Jones was named Library Friend of the Year; and Walker McCrary III received the Benefactor’s Award. The three were recognized at the NCPLDA annual meeting and awards banquet on December 5 in Winston-Salem.

Ross Holt, Director of the Year

Holt was nominated by Jennifer Sackett, director of the Lincoln County Public Library, and Michael Roche, director of the Rockingham Public  Library, “[b]ecause of his commitment to public libraries, commitment to developing future leaders and willingness to serve whenever asked....”

Noting that Holt has served as president of both NCPLDA and the North Carolina Library Association, Roche and Sackett cited his longtime support for NCPLDA legislative advocacy activities; his service on the NC LIVE Resource Advisory Committee, and his work with NCPLDA on a series of continuing education programs entitled “SO! You Want to be a Public Library Director,” designed to prepare librarians for future leadership roles.

Dr. Frances Jones, Library Friend of the Year

Jones, who currently serves as Friends of the Library president, received the Library Friend of the Year Award. The award recognizes the impact a library Friend has had on library service in their community.

Holt, in his nomination of Jones, said that she rightly could be named Friend of the Century — or Friend of the Millennium.

Jones was recognized for pioneering Randolph Books for Babies, which has delivered over 1,500 reading-themed care packages to families of newborns at Randolph Health; carrying out the first Friends charitable giving campaign, which has raised over $32,000 for library programming and Friends activities; and working tirelessly to bring acclaimed  speakers and performers to the community.

Benefactors Award to Walker McCrary III

The Benefactor’s Award went to McCrary for his championing of the Mobile Library project. McCrary is president of the Acme-McCrary and Sapona Foundation Inc., which provided a five-year, $15,000 per year gift to support the new service.

With the foundation shifting its focus to early childhood literacy, McCrary in late 2017 contacted the library to find out if any such initiatives were planned. It was at that time that library staff were formulating the mobile library concept.

The McCrary gift led to support from the Asheboro Public Library Foundation Inc. The two foundations have fully funded the highly successful project.

The Acme-McCrary and Sapona Foundation also supports Randolph Books for Babies.