Get Registered to Vote

Are you ready to vote in the next election? RPL is committed to sustaining and strengthening our democracy by helping voters get registered. Stop by any RPL branch in September for help checking your voter registration status, getting registered to vote, updating your voter information, determining your polling place, and more.

This year, there are local elections happening in Rowan County. National Voter Registration Day is September 16, but RPL will be offering information and assistance all month long. Remember, the last day to register is Friday, October 10. If you are not sure if you are registered to vote at your current address, you can check your registration information at the North Carolina State Board of Elections Website.

Monthly Crafter Café Welcomes Teens, Adults This Fall

Crafters and artists are invited to RPL East (Rockwell) on the third Monday of the month in September, October, and November for an hour of creative fun and community!

Each program begins at 6 pm:
Monday, September 22
Monday, October 20
Monday, November 17

Bring whatever project you are currently working on, chat with other artists and crafters, enjoy refreshments, and check out the library's latest haul of DIY books in a relaxed, café-style environment. Not currently working on a project? No problem! Enjoy the free mini-project of the month while supplies last. September's mini project will be diamond painting bookmarks! 

Registration is not required to attend this drop-in program. Crafters and artists of all types and skill levels are welcome. This program is designed for ages 16+. To learn more, call Sydney at 704-216-7841.

Bookshop Volunteers Wanted

The Friends of RPL Second Saturday Bookshop is in need of bookshop sorting room volunteers! To learn more, contact Library Services Manager Laurie Lyda at 704-216-8245.

Location: Friends of RPL Second Saturday Bookshop

Address: West End Plaza, 1935 Jake Alexander Blvd. W, Salisbury, NC 28147, Unit C-7

Duties: Volunteers are needed to work shifts on the second Saturday of every month. Shifts are typically 10 am to 1 pm or 1 to 3 pm, though hours may be flexible. Duties include receiving and sorting boxes of donations, loading carts, and shelving books in the store. Shifts will involve standing for extended periods; pushing, pulling, and lifting 30-pound boxes; pushing and pulling carts of books up to 100-pounds; and stooping and bending to pick up materials.

Preferred Skills: Knowledge of broad genres (fiction, non-fiction, juvenile, etc.) preferred.

Teen Friendly?: Yes. This opportunity is open to volunteers ages 17 and older.

Time/Duration: Year-round, second Saturday of each month. Volunteers will be required to arrive at their designated shift time and work the duration of their assigned shift.

James Tarlton, Library Associate

I recently read Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman. The story begins when Carl goes outside on a bitter cold Seattle night to retrieve his ex-girlfriend's recently escaped cat, Princess Donut, and he narrowly avoids perishing in global a catastrophe. Every structure on Earth has been flattened in an instant; the only remaining feature near Carl is a mysterious staircase leading down into the Earth below. Armed with his leather jacket, boxers, a set of pink Crocs, and Princess Donut by his side, Carl ventures down into the unknown hoping to find refuge from the cold. Quickly, Carl discovers that because Earth failed to file the proper paperwork, an intergalactic alien organization has obtained the rights to extract all of the planet's organic material. Moreover, that same alien organization has also constructed a massive multi-level underground dungeon that spans the entire globe, where what is left of Earth's population is set to participate in a life-or-death game of survival to be broadcast across the entire galaxy titled "Dungeon Crawler World: Earth." The game is facilitated by an AI system that augments and alters reality, forcing players to come face-to-face with absurd yet life-threatening situations. If Carl wants to survive and progress further and further into the dungeon, he must fight to increase his player level, discover new gear, and navigate tense encounters with other players also trying to survive the dungeon.  

While this book is technically part of the niche Literary Role-Playing Game (LitRPG) genre, it reminds me of authors like Douglas Adams (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) and Terry Pratchett (Discworld series), specifically with how the premise, characters and situations all totally embrace the absurd. That being said, Matt Dinniman definitely leans more into graphic adult humor and violence than those aforementioned authors, so keep that in mind. 

While a big part of the book includes discussions about Role-Playing mechanics, it never feels like it is making assumptions about the reader, because Carl only has a passing familiarity with those elements, so readers are learning alongside his character. Even then, there are additional layers of humor for people who have previous experience with tabletop RPGs and video games. Oh! While I don't want to spoil anything, I'll also say that Princess Donut is a big highlight of the book for me, and a big part of why I recommend this title.