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November Specials at the Second Saturday Bookshop
Visit the Friends of Rowan Public Library's Second Saturday Bookshop on Saturday, November 11 for phenomenal deals on fiction, nonfiction, children's, and young adult titles. The Bookshop also offers some specialty items, gift baskets, DVDs, books on CD, and more.
During the November sale, Friends of RPL members can enjoy a special hour of shopping from 9 am – 10 am. Not a Friend of RPL yet? No worries! Consider registering to be a member today. Memberships can be purchased at any RPL location or online at www.friendsofrpl.org.
As of October 2023, the Second Saturday Bookshop adopted new hours of operation. The Bookshop now opens at 10 am and closes at 3 pm. To learn more about the Second Saturday Bookshop or the Friends of RPL, call 704-216-8240.
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Book Donations Needed Are you considering clearing out some space as you prepare to decorate for the holidays and host friends and family in your home? If so, consider bringing donations of gently used books to any RPL location or to the Second Saturday Bookshop! All donated items are used in the monthly book sales at the Bookshop as well as the perpetual book sale sections housed in each RPL facility. All book sale proceeds support Rowan Public Library. To learn more, call 704-216-8240.
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We Built This exhibit comes to Salisbury Nov. 2023 – Feb. 2024 Preservation North Carolina’s traveling exhibit We Built This: Profiles of Black Architects and Builders in North Carolina is coming to Salisbury! This special occasion is sponsored by the Joe L. & Hester M. Sims Family Foundation and Edward & Susan Norvell and is in collaboration with the Historic Salisbury Foundation, Rowan Public Library, Livingstone College, and the Friends of Rowan Public Library. We Built This celebrates the history and legacy of Black builders and craftspeople in North Carolina. Spanning more than three centuries, the exhibit provides more than two dozen personal profiles and historic context on key topics including slavery and Reconstruction; the founding of HBCUs and Black churches; Jim Crow and segregation; and the rise of Black civic leaders and professionals. Rowan Public Library will host the exhibit from November 4, 2023 through January 27, 2024 at the Headquarters branch (201 W. Fisher St.), and Livingstone College will host the exhibit for the month of February 2024 at the Andrew Carnegie Library (701 W. Monroe St.). A welcome reception at RPL Headquarters will be held on Thursday, November 16 from 6 to 8 pm. This free event will include a guest speaker, light refreshments, and an opportunity to view the We Built This exhibit, along with RPL’s companion displays. All are encouraged to attend. More RPL programs and resources connected to the exhibit will be announced soon! Call 980-432-8670 or visit www.rowanpubliclibrary.org to learn more. |
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 Rhonda Roederer has over 30 years of experience in genealogy and will be the featured speaker at the conference. |
Free Genealogy Conference, Poster Session Coming to RPL West Dec. 2 On Saturday, Dec. 2 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., genealogy researchers and enthusiasts are invited to attend a genealogy conference at Rowan Public Library West Branch in Cleveland. The free conference, titled “Beyond the Grave: Unveiling the Past,” will offer sessions covering a variety of topics including German ancestry research, early Rowan County settlements, African-American history, and more. The conference will feature multiple speakers, including Rhonda Roederer, a professional genealogist with over 30 years of experience and owner of Heritage with Heart. Roederer will lead many of the conference’s sessions, including those on ancestral graves and unearthing family history using worldwide resources. Local retired professor of history and Rowan expert Dr. Gary Freeze will also speak on the topic of early settlement in Rowan County—specifically about what drew settlers to reside there. Along with informational seminars and sessions, the conference will also include a tour of Christ Episcopal Church of Cleveland and its cemetery. The church was added to the Historical Register in 2011, and the cemetery contains over 300 individual gravesites, with 147 of those graves predating 1939. The church’s rich, historical architecture and cemetery fits in well with the conference’s theme, which centers on using gravesite information to conduct genealogical research. Genealogy researchers of all skill levels are also invited to share their discoveries during a poster session. This poster session is free for all students and researchers to enter; to submit a proposal to participate in the poster session, visit bit.ly/RPL_Conf23_Poster. This conference is free and open to the public. Registration is required for attendees who wish to purchase a lunch at the conference. To get registered, visit bit.ly/RPL_Conf2023. To learn more about the conference or poster sessions, or for assistance getting registered for either, contact RPL History Room Supervisor Gretchen Witt at Gretchen.Witt@rowancountync.gov or 704-216-8232.
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Cards for a Cause Continues at All RPL Locations
Now in its ninth year, this campaign returned for the 2023 holiday season and runs from Monday, Oct. 2, through Saturday, Dec. 16. As Rowan County eases into the holidays, consider completing some holiday greeting cards for veterans and active service members! “Cards for a Cause” collects holiday cards that are then delivered to active service members and veterans of the United States Armed Forces. All four RPL branches — RPL Headquarters (Salisbury), RPL East (Rockwell), RPL South (China Grove), and RPL West (Cleveland) — will offer stations featuring blank greeting cards and other card-decorating supplies so community members of all ages can create cards to send. Once participants have finished creating and decorating their cards, the completed cards can be submitted or returned to any RPL branch service desk or via curbside drop-off. They may also be returned via the branches’ outdoor book drop receptacles; it’s encouraged that the envelopes of cards submitted via book drop be secured or that multiple cards be bound together by rubber bands to help avoid damage from other items. There are different submission deadlines during the campaign to accommodate both international and Stateside deliveries. Nov. 15 is the deadline for submitted cards to be delivered to active service members abroad and Dec. 5 for delivery to active service members Stateside. All cards submitted after Dec. 5 will be delivered to the W.G. (Bill) Hefner Salisbury Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC). Community participation in this annual holiday campaign is encouraged and celebrated. In the past, individuals, families, businesses, and organizations have participated. “Community organizations and schools have even created their own original cards to contribute,” said Kim Dinkins, “Cards for a Cause” coordinator. “Participation is a fun, easy way to give back during the holidays.” Dinkins encourages anyone with questions about how to participate to contact her at Kim.Dinkins@rowancountync.gov or 704-216-7842. The cards submitted make a real impact in the lives of active and veteran service members, and past cards have been delivered as far away as Afghanistan. “We’ve been told by the service members who deliver the cards that, especially for those away from home during the holidays, they really make a positive impact,” said Dinkins. All types of cards are welcome: store bought, handmade or hand drawn (from crayon sketches to professional artistry), self-printed, and all those in-between. The library’s in-house “Cards for a Cause” stations will feature a variety of cards, stickers, markers, and more for card-makers to use. “It’s such a good feeling seeing people create a card with the intention of brightening someone else’s day,” said Dinkins. “Sometimes, cards are submitted without envelopes, and I have witnessed some of the cutest, heartfelt messages included by all ages.” While participants are encouraged to write brief notes of appreciation or greeting and to sign their cards, they are asked to not give full names or addresses. In 2022, “Cards for a Cause” collected and distributed over 5,200 cards to active service members and veterans. The program began in 2015, collecting approximately 230 cards that first year. This year, Dinkins and other RPL staff are hoping to collect at least 5,500 cards to send out in the holiday mail. For more information about “Cards for a Cause” and other RPL programs and services, visit www.rowanpubliclibrary.org.
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 This year's official mascots for Library Card Sign-up Month were characters from the popular Disney film Elemental. |
Library Card Sign-up Month Raffle Winners Announced
September was Library Card Sign-up Month at RPL! Since 1987, Library Card Sign-up Month has been held each September to mark the beginning of the school year. During the month, the American Library Association and libraries work together in a national effort to ensure every child signs up for their own library card.
RPL celebrated by encouraging users of all ages to get library cards, as well as participate in a LCSUM-themed bingo game all month long. Bingo cards were divided by age groups: 0-5, 6-10, 11-17, and 18+ to emphasize the different resources that best fit each age range's interests and needs. Each bingo card square challenged participants to explore a new library or learning resource, and every time someone completed an activity, they could mark a square off their bingo card.
Resources, services, and events that made up the squares include: using an NC LIVE Resource, watching a Virtual Author Chat, visiting a different branch, attending a program, and downloading Libby or Hoopla.
Youth visitors could complete activities such as practicing their ABCs, reading with a family member, using TumbleBooks to practice reading, and learning a greeting in a different language.
All participants had the opportunity to complete a normal bingo row for a prize, or fill in all the squares for Blackout Bingo for a chance to win a special raffle prize bag. Across RPL, there were 225 regular Bingo winners and 26 Blackout Bingo participants.
To encourage new library users to register for a card (and to encourage existing users to visit again), RPL hosted a raffle drawing for all new cardholders and existing cardholders. Every time an existing customer used their card in September, they were entered into a raffle. At the end of the month, winners were drawn from both the new and existing library card user categories. Prizes included gift cards to South Main Book Company and a literary-themed surprise. 270 new customers registered for an RPL card in September!
Whether someone is checking out a book, getting homework help, learning new skills, or attending a book club or story time, a library card helps everyone do more of what they enjoy–all without stretching their budget. To learn more about what a library card can do for you, call 980-432-8670.
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BookPage Digital and TumbleBook Library Now Available Two wonderful new digital resources are available now via the Rowan Public Library website! TumbleBook Library, a massive collection of online eBooks, eAudiobooks, interactive storybooks, language learning tools, and more are available for young readers of all ages! Explore this huge selection of children's titles at the library or at home–simply use your library card number and PIN to login and get started! Need help accessing your library card number or resetting your PIN? Visit any RPL location in-person for assistance. Looking for your next favorite book? Check out BookPage Digital, an online copy of the popular BookPage magazine Rowan Public Library distributes each month. See new releases, book reviews, and read-alike suggestions, all from the comfort of home. To learn more about either of these new digital resources, visit your most convenient RPL location or call 980-432-8670.
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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 the staff at RPL South in China Grove!
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Brooke Taylor, Branch Operations Manager
Is your TBR pile a mix of all different genres and collections? So is mine. Right now, I’m in my fiction era and my favorite fiction author is Sophie Kinsella. Since she has a new book coming out this month called The Burnout, I am dropping back and reading her Shopaholic series by starting with the first book, Confessions of a Shopaholic. While I do not recommend the movie (why are the movies never as good as the books?), I highly recommend the book series. The main character, Rebecca Bloomwood, loves to shop, and as a consumer myself, this is something I instantly connected with in the series: “That moment. That instant when you fingers curl round the handles of a shiny, uncreased bag – and all the gorgeous new things inside it becomes yours.” If you enjoy books that make you laugh and think, and you want characters who are relatable, then you will adore Kinsella's Shopaholic series.
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MaryLynn Connor, Page
I recently finished reading Wastelands: The True Story of Farm Country on Trial by Corban Addison.
This nonfiction book recounts the legal fight by farm families and poor neighbors against a corporation that owned a huge hog slaughterhouse in Tar Heel, North Carolina. Though the book is absolutely a work of nonfiction, it read a lot like a fast-paced thriller novel. The plaintiffs in the story, represented by Salisbury’s own Mona Lisa Wallace of the firm of Wallace & Graham, maintained that their quality of life had been ruined and their civil rights violated by the hog waste disposal methods of the corporate behemoth.
This page-turner of a book is important to read in order to understand what happened right here in North Carolina and how a Rowan County native led the fight that changed lives.
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Cameron Manning, Library Associate
I really enjoyed the graphic novel series Bone by Jeff Smith. Of course, to enjoy any series, I would suggest starting with the first volume, which is Out from Boneville.
After being run out of Boneville, the three Bone cousins–Fone Bone, Phoney Bone and Smiley Bone–are separated and lost in a vast, uncharted desert. One by one, they find their way into a deep forested valley filled with wonderful and terrifying, creatures. The entire series of eleven books begins with the Bone cousins leaving Boneville, and the other titles explore their wild adventures. If you need a really good graphic novel series, I highly recommend starting Bone. To describe the whole series succinctly, I would say it's what you would get if Mickey, Donald, and Goofy wandered into The Lord of the Rings. The juxtaposition of the cartoonish characters in very serious situations makes the whole series a great read.
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Sara McCraw, Library Associate I recently finished reading Smitten with Kittens by Florence Minor. This is an adorable children's title that teaches readers all about the mischievous antics little kittens like to get themselves into. At the end of the book, it gives a list of interesting kitten facts. For example, did you know that a cat's ear contains 32 unique muscles? Now you do, and you can learn even more from this cute book! I would definitely recommend this title to cat lovers of all ages. The illustrations are beautiful and pair wonderfully with the whimsy of the story.
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Paul Birkhead, Adult Services Librarian I recently finished reading Look for Me There: Grieving My Father, Finding Myself by Luke Russert. I checked out this new book because it was written by Luke Russert and I was a fan of his father, political commentator Tim Russert. Tim Russert headed up NBC’s Meet the Press and was an author of Big Russ & Me and the subsequent Wisdom of our Fathers. Both books dealt with the themes of fathers, their children, and the idea of leaving a legacy. After 2008, when Tim passed unexpectedly, Luke set about charting his own journalistic career in Washington, DC. However, after several years went by, he began to question his privilege and if this was the life he really wanted. Searching for himself and “glimpses” of his father, Luke began traveling the globe. In the book, Luke describes his journeys and the knowledge he gained about not only a multitude of countries, but also what he learned about his past and what his future might hold. Overall, I thought it was a good book. I didn't think Luke's writing is as smooth as his father’s, but he’s still learning. I really enjoyed learning about various nations and their cultures.
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Melissa Gephart, Children's Librarian I recently read The Wild Robot by Peter Brown. This is the first in a series of books about a robot who finds himself stranded on a deserted island. Over time, he learns how to communicate with the animals who live there. I recommend this juvenile fiction title to readers of all ages–the concept of the story is so fun and creative, and it's full of unexpected twists and turns. The relationships the robot develops with the different animals are also incredibly touching.
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Anita Miller, Service Associate I recently checked out The Eco-Christmas Craft Book by Marrianne Miall. This book contains instructions for a variety of DIY craft projects for Christmas that are environmentally-friendly to make. This is a perfect read for crafty folks who enjoy incorporating natural items in their creations. Whether you enjoy growing your own fruits, vegetables, herbs, trees, and shrubbery for your crafts, or up-cycling items you already have on hand, this book is for you! There are samples of stars, trees, wreaths, bows, angels, and gift wrap you can make with step-by-step instructions that are perfect for decorating during the holiday season. Some projects are simple and others are more advanced, but they all are sure to add a rustic touch to your holiday decor. Be sure to check out this title!
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Rowan Public Library recognizes the following donations: A gift in memory of Nancy Wallace Dunham by David & Laurie Farrell
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The Friends of Rowan Public Library recognize the following donations:
A gift by Pat Beck A gift by Bruce Beiderbecke Gifts by Mary L. F. Williams, from the June and October editions of the Friends of RPL Newsletter with our apologies for missing them in those issues.
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RPL Headquarters
201 W. Fisher Street
Salisbury, NC 28144
RPL East
110 Broad Sreet
Rockwell, NC 28138
RPL South
920 Kimball Road
China Grove, NC 28023
RPL West
201 School Street
Cleveland, NC 27013
rowanpubliclibrary.org
980-432-8670
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