January Specials at the Second Saturday Bookshop

Start your 2023 reading off right with some great new titles to enjoy! Visit the Second Saturday Bookshop for its monthly sale on Saturday, January 14 from 10 am — 4 pm. Most items are priced at $2 or less. The Bookshop sells a variety of items, including fiction, nonfiction, children's titles, books on CD, DVDs, specialty items, literary gift baskets, and more. During the January sale, all Harlequin romance novels will be priced 10 for $1. Romance readers, take advantage of this great deal! 

All sales made at the Second Saturday Bookshop benefit the Rowan Public Library. To learn more about the Second Saturday Bookshop or the Friends of Rowan Public Library, visit www.friendsofrpl.org or call 704-216-8240.

Planned System Upgrade Will Impact RPL Services

A planned system upgrade will disrupt Rowan Public Library’s online customer services and select in-person services system-wide beginning at 6:30 pm on Friday, Jan. 20, after all RPL branches close. On Saturday, Jan. 21, all four RPL branches (RPL Headquarters in Salisbury, RPL East in Rockwell, RPL South in China Grove, and RPL West in Cleveland) will experience a degree of interruption to their in-person services. RPL anticipates that all services will resume normal operations by Monday, Jan. 23.
 
RPL customers who visit the branches in person should be aware of changes to standard circulation operations. Because certain databases will be unavailable throughout the upgrade, circulation service desks will be following the procedure typically used during power outages, allowing customers with their library cards to check out up to 10 physical items.
 
To ensure unimpeded check outs, customers are encouraged to place items on hold by Noon on Jan. 20. Items can be placed on hold through a customer’s online account, at any RPL service desk, or by call 980-432-8670.  Any items requested via hold before the deadline will be processed and, if available for check out, reserved for patrons regardless of the temporary check out limits. (That is, if a customer has 11 holds available on Jan. 21, they will be allowed to check out all 11 items.)
 
Regardless of whether they are onsite at an RPL branch or offsite, customers will be unable to access any online library resources that require a library card number and PIN to login until the upgrade concludes. Impacted resources will include NC LIVE, RPL’s searchable catalog, customer account logins, and Libby by Overdrive.
 
Any customers planning to visit an RPL branch on Jan. 21 to utilize circulation or lab services in-person are encouraged to confirm their library card information beforehand as accounts will not be accessible to customers or staff. Staff will be unable to assist customers with locating library card numbers, PIN numbers, or other account information until the system-wide improvements are complete.
 
Many services remain un-impacted by this planned upgrade. Checked out items may be returned, as usual, at any RPL book drop or circulation service desk. (RPL staff will check in all items returned between the evening of Jan. 20 and before 8:59 a.m. Jan. 23 using the date of January 20.) WiFi, periodicals, study spaces, books, DVDs, reference desk assistance, public computer access, faxing, copying, and printing will remain available. Library staff will also be able to accept payments for business services, fines, and fees.
 
Once the planned service upgrade is complete, RPL’s circulation services will use a Cloud-based model. According to The Library Corporation (TLC), the company whose software RPL uses to manage this data, moving to this model adds an extra layer of security to the library’s information infrastructure. Customers will enjoy more control, security, and predictability when using RPL’s online resources and managing their personal library accounts in a Cloud-based system. Notable bonuses include easier searching on RPL’s online catalog for customers and staff alike
 
To learn more about the upgrade, call 980-432-8670 or visit www.rowanpubliclibrary.org.

Friends of RPL Seek Donors for Summer Reading 2023

While many folks are hunkering down for the coldest part of the year, the Friends of RPL are already thinking ahead to summer of 2023! Planning for Rowan Public Library's Summer Reading Program requires a lot of time, effort, and coordination, and the Friends of RPL need help to make this year's Summer Reading 2023 Program great for library customers.

Any amount a member of the public would like to give will help, and every donation is appreciated. To make a donation toward supporting the Summer Reading Program or to learn more, visit www.friendsofrpl.org. Folks interested in becoming Summer Reading donors at the $250, $500, or $1000 level can email Friends of RPL President Jennifer Hubbard at jen4hubbard@gmail.com for more information.
 

RPL Staff Participate in Annual Staff Development Day

On Friday, December 2, Rowan Public Library's staff joined together at RPL Headquarters for their annual Staff Development Day. Staff Development Day, which has been an annual tradition for over 30 years, serves as an opportunity for all library staff to join together for a day of learning and skill enhancement. 

Staff Development Day gives everyone working at the library a chance to gather, share ideas, and learn together. Additionally, staff also use this time to develop ways they can work together to improve library services for customers of all ages. During Staff Development Day 2022, all library staff participated in a variety of learning opportunities to improve their skills, brainstormed ideas for future services and programs, and test-drove some of the many programs that were made available to the public throughout the year. RPL Staff also spent time learning about upcoming upgrades to the library's various software systems and technologies, as well as emerging trends in public libraries they can use to best serve customers.

RPL Staff would like to extend a big thank-you to the Friends of RPL for supporting their annual Staff Development Day.

Cards for a Cause 2022 Exceeds Goal

Rowan Public Library’s annual “Cards for a Cause” campaign recently wrapped up for the season with a new record total of cards collected — 5,260! Tammie Foster, a Children’s Associate at RPL South, has coordinated the campaign for a few years now. She reports that the 2022 final tally of completed cards for active service members and veterans was an all-time high for the program.

Starting each fall, Rowan Public Library’s “Cards for a Cause” campaign gathers holiday cards to deliver to service members and veterans of the United States Armed Forces. Since the program began in 2015, it has become a fixture of RPL’s holiday programming, and participation has grown steadily, with 4,521 cards distributed last year. The campaign encourages library customers of all ages to decorate and make cards for veterans and active-duty service members. The cards represent a wide variety of winter holidays, such as Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and more.

During the program’s 2022 season, patrons had multiple participation options. Each RPL branch – RPL Headquarters (Salisbury), RPL East (Rockwell), RPL South (China Grove), and RPL West (Cleveland) – had at least one station set up for on-site completion and submission. In addition, the Salisbury, China Grove, and Rockwell YMCAs each hosted RPL “Cards for a Cause” stations through December 16.

While the library provided free card-making and decorating supplies at each location, many participants opted to bring or make their own cards. “It’s always heartwarming to see the care that so many put into preparing their stacks of cards. This year, we had 1,002 cards completed by the National Honor Society at A.L. Brown High School alone. All made it into the hands of active-duty service members and veterans,” Foster explained. “Our communities have been so awesome to contribute to this campaign and it impresses me every year, the number of cards that come in.”

All participants were able to specify where their cards were delivered: to current service members in the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, and National Guard, or to veterans at the W.G. (Bill) Hefner VA Medical Center. There were different submission deadlines during the campaign to accommodate both international and Stateside deliveries. Participants could return their cards by the predetermined deadlines if they wanted them delivered to specific groups of veterans or the Armed Forces. However, if participants wanted their cards delivered to anyone needing some extra holiday cheer, all cards could be returned anytime during the campaign’s active dates, and library staff ensured that Foster received all cards with plenty of time for delivery.

Foster welcomes any community support for the program. To learn more about “Cards for a Cause” or to arrange a donation of holiday cards or card-making supplies for the 2023 campaign, contact Tammie Foster at Tammie.Foster@rowancountync.gov or 704-216-7728.

Standard Youth Programming on Winter Hiatus

RPL's standard weekly programming designed for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, school age children, and teens is currently on hiatus. These regular weekly programs will resume at all RPL locations on Monday, February 6, 2023. 

To learn more about the standard weekly programming for youth, call Youth Services Supervisor Wendy Campbell at 704-216-8258.

RPL Reads: Staff Book Recommendations 

Ever wonder what books library staff are reading? Check out some hot reads recommended by RPL staff. This month, recommendations are provided by RPL West Branch staff!

Rowan Public Library recognizes the following donations to the Rowan Public Library Foundation:

A gift to the Kay Sawyer McCartney Endowment, established by Jesse McCartney in memory of his wife, Kay Sawyer McCartney

A gift to the Gertrude Thompson Ellis Endowment by Joe Ellis, Jr.