Friends of RPL Annual Meeting Scheduled for April 24

Friends of Rowan Public Library members are encouraged to attend the group’s Annual Meeting 2025 at Rowan Public Library Headquarters (Salisbury) on Thursday, April 24. Doors will open at 5:45 p.m.  

The program will begin at 6 p.m. and is open to Friends of RPL members. Memberships may be renewed or purchased on-site at the event or ahead of time. The cost begins at $10 per year for an individual membership. Cash or charge is accepted. For more information about membership and admission, including how to pay membership dues, call 704-216-8240 or visit www.friendsofrpl.org.  

The benefits of a Friends membership include volunteer opportunities, community engagement, admission to special preview sales at the Second Saturday Bookshop, a free monthly newsletter, and more. Though volunteering is encouraged, membership in the Friends doesn’t carry a service requirement; members choose their level of involvement and activity.

The special program will feature local media experts Deirdre Parker-Smith, Mark Wineka, and David Whisenant. Wineka and Whisenant have recently published books, and Parker-Smith has edited, designed, and assisted with several recently released titles. All three have worked for local news outlets — Parker-Smith at Salisbury Post, Wineka at Salisbury Post & Salisbury the Magazine, and Whisenant with WBTV. The program will include a Question & Answer session, and audience involvement is encouraged.

Refreshments will be served following the program. Wineka and Whisenant will have copies of their books, A Drive Across Town and Chasing the Story respectively, on sale. For more details, call Edith M. Clark History Room Supervisor Gretchen Witt at 704-216-8232.

Friends of RPL supports Rowan Public Library programs and events – particularly RPL’s annual Summer Reading programs and events for all ages – and membership dues contribute to these efforts. For more information about the April 24 Friends of RPL Annual Meeting, visit www.rowanpubliclibrary.org or call 704-216-8240.

Enjoy a Star Party and More at Rowan Public Library this April 

This April, join Rowan Public Library and take part in a statewide celebration of science!  

The coordinated festivities are part of the NC Science Festival, which was founded in 2010 and is the first statewide science festival in the United States. Through a series of community-based events held in April, the festival celebrates the economic, educational, and cultural impact of science in the state. Participating locations hold a wide range of events, from hands-on activities and science talks to expos and performances, and all share a common thread: showcasing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics exploration. Events are held all throughout North Carolina as libraries, schools, museums, and other community centers come together to learn more about science.  

RPL participates in the NC Science Festival in a variety of ways. The biggest event of the month is the annual statewide Star Party, a celebration of all things space related. This year’s Star Party theme is “find your place in space,” and people of all ages are invited to RPL West (201 School St., Cleveland) from 1 pm. to 4 pm. for an afternoon of scavenger hunts, games, a storytime, STEAM activities, chances to meet local astronomy enthusiasts, crafts, snacks, and more. The afternoon’s activities are drop-in friendly, though the storytime for children is scheduled to begin at 1:30 pm. Participants can also complete a survey about their event experience and enter it into a raffle to win a personal telescope.  

“This is RPL’s tenth year participating in hosting a Star Party event, and the first year we’re hosting it at RPL West,” explained Sydney Smith Hamrick, RPL East Supervisor and Star Party coordinator. “It’s always such a fun event with something educational and exciting for everyone to enjoy, and we’re so excited to bring the party out to Cleveland this year.” 

Besides the annual Star Party celebration, RPL will also host a variety of other science-centric events for children and adults in April:  

Middle School Mondays
Recommended Ages: 11-14 years
Date: Monday, April 7
Locations: RPL East - Rockwell (4 pm), RPL South – China Grove (6 pm), RPL West - Cleveland (6 pm)
Middle schoolers are invited to visit RPL East, South, or West on Monday, April 7 for NC Science Festival-themed activities. RPL East will host a session on the science of mindfulness. RPL South will host a paper-airplane-building session and race. RPL West participants will try their hands at creating Rube Goldberg machines.  

Level Up: Stop Motion Animation
Recommended Ages: 11-14 years
Date: Tuesday, April 8 at 6 pm
Location: RPL Headquarters - Salisbury
Middle schoolers are invited to make short stop motion animated films with props. To learn more, call Amanda at 704-216-8268.

Sourdough 101
Recommended Ages: Adults 18+
Date: Tuesday, April 8 at 5:30 pm
Location: RPL West – Cleveland
Learn the basics of sourdough, including how to feed your starter, how to turn your starter into a yummy loaf of bread, and how to utilize your discard in a variety of ways. Registration is required as space is limited. To learn more, contact Lyndsey at 704-216-8248. 

Starry Sky Storytime
Recommended Ages: 3-5 years
Date: Friday, April 11 at 10 am
Location: RPL Headquarters - Salisbury
Preschoolers and their caregivers are invited to enjoy a space-themed storytime filled with songs and tales. 

Rattlesnake or Rat Snake?: Identifying North Carolina Serpents
Recommended Ages: All ages/family friendly
Date: Saturday, April 12 at 10 am
Location: RPL South – China Grove
North Carolina Herpetological Society staff will lead this informative workshop all about snakes. Snake enthusiasts of all ages are invited to RPL South to learn what to do around serpents and how to tell the differences between local snake species. This workshop will involve some live animals. To learn more, call 704-216-7729. 

Teen Takeover
Recommended Ages: 15-17 years
Date: Monday, April 14
Locations: RPL East - Rockwell (4 pm), RPL South - China Grove (6 pm), RPL West - Cleveland (6 pm)
Young adults are invited to visit RPL East, South, or West on Monday, April 14 for NC Science Festival-themed activities. RPL East will host a session on the science of mindfulness. RPL South will host a paper-airplane-building session and race. RPL West participants will try their hands at creating Rube Goldberg machines.

Young Adults: Fire Safety
Recommended Ages: 15-17 years
Date: Tuesday, April 15 at 6 pm
Location: RPL Headquarters - Salisbury
Young Adults ages 15+ are invited to learn about fire safety and fire extinguisher safety with trained professionals in the field. To learn more, call Amanda at 704-216-8268. 

Community Plant Swap
Recommended Ages: Teens and adults ages 15+
Date: Wednesday, April 16 at 6 pm
Location: RPL East - Rockwell
Participate in a community plant swap! Trade healthy and pest-free whole plants, propagations, and seeds with others. Small gardening equipment is also welcome for trading. All "untraded" items must be taken back home at the end of the swap. Kelli Isenhour of Rowan County Soil & Water will also be present to discuss NC-native plants and lead a seed-bomb-making activity. Light refreshments will be provided. Registration is required for this free community plant swap event. To register, call 704-216-7838 or visit bit.ly/EastPlants. 

Book Bites Book Club: The Serviceberry
Recommended Ages: Adults ages 18+
Date: Tuesday, April 22 at 6 pm
Location: RPL Headquarters - Salisbury, virtually via Zoom
Book Bites Book Club is a hybrid adult program that meets in-person at RPL Headquarters and online via Zoom. April's selection is Robin Wall Kimmerer's The Serviceberry. Light refreshments will be provided for in-person attendees. To learn more, obtain a copy of the book, or get the Zoom meeting information, contact Paulette at 704-216-8218. 

All events are free and open to the public. To learn more about the Star Party or any other NC Science Festival events at RPL, call 980-432-8670. To learn more about the NC Science Festival or find other events around North Carolina, visit www.ncsciencefestival.org.  

Plant Swap Returning to RPL East on April 16

Plant lovers and gardeners are invited to participate in a Community Plant Swap at RPL East (Rockwell) on Wednesday, April 16 at 6 pm. 

Join library staff and plant experts from the Rowan County Soil & Water Conservation District for an evening of trading and discussing various plants. Bring healthy and pest-free cuttings, whole plants, seeds, or propagations to trade with others. Small gardening equipment can also be brought to trade, but all unclaimed items must be taken back after the swap. 

Information about using free plant identification apps, a seed bomb-making activity, and light refreshments will be available. The event is free, though registration is required — visit bit.ly/EastPlants to register. To learn more, call 704-216-7838.

Episode #13 of Come Gather 'Round Good People Available to Stream Now

The latest episode of Come Gather 'Round Good People, an RPL podcast with a special focus on folk music with local, regional, and statewide connections, is available to stream now.

The latest episode is titled "In the Pines" and features a short interview with local singer and songwriter Kristen Anderson. The episode concludes with a performance of "In the Pines" by Anderson. 

To stream all previous episodes of Come Gather 'Round Good People, visit bit.ly/RPLSoundCloud. To learn more about the podcast and RPL Headquarters' new public-use podcasting studio, contact David at David.Lamanno@rowancountync.gov or 704-216-8229.

Teen Open Mic Night Coming April 29

Teenage performers, mark your calendars – on Tuesday, April 29, Young Adults ages 11 – 17 are invited to take part in an Open Mic Night where they can share a variety of talents from songs, poetry, stories, and more. Teens can register for 5-10 minute time slots to share a talent of their choice with the public. This program will run from 6 – 7 pm and light refreshments will be served.

Registration is required; teens must register by Saturday, April 19 to participate. Register for the Open Mic Night at bit.ly/RPLTeenOpenMic or call RPL's Young Adult Librarian, Amanda, at 704-216-8268 to learn more!

Paulette Stiles, Adult Outreach Librarian

I recently read Lisa Scottoline's The Truth about the Devlins. This book was a captivating read with a lot of good character development with an intriguing mystery to unravel.  One of the book's storylines touches on family relationships surrounding addiction and the toll it takes on everyone affected.  A second storyline tells a fictional account of a true case involving the tragedy of human testing on inmates for profit. The book was so compelling and enjoyable, I read it in one (rainy day) sitting.  I had never read Lisa Scottoline's work before but I will check out her other books now.