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.