Final Fall Crafter Café on Monday, Nov. 17

Crafters and artists are invited to RPL East (Rockwell) on the third Monday of the month for an hour of creative fun at the Crafter Café!

This final Crafter Café of the season will be at RPL East on Monday, November 17 at 6 p.m.

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. November's mini-project will be handmade holiday cards.

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.

Cards for a Cause 2025 Continues Through Dec. 13

For many, November is the time for fall leaves and Thanksgiving feasts. Did you know it’s also the time for Rowan Public Library’s annual “Cards for a Cause” program? Now in its tenth year, this campaign has returned for the 2025 holiday season and runs through Saturday, December 13. 

Throughout RPL’s “Cards for a Cause” campaign, holiday cards are collected and 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) — offer stations featuring blank greeting cards and other card-decorating supplies so customers can create cards to send to active service members and veterans. 

Once customers have finished creating and decorating their cards, the completed cards can be submitted at or returned to any RPL branch service desk, book drop, or by using curbside drop-off. It’s encouraged that any cards submitted by book drop be secured with a rubber band or placed inside a grocery bag or something similar for safe delivery. 

There are different submission deadlines during the campaign to accommodate different deliveries. Nov. 5 is the deadline for Veterans Day cards, Nov. 15 is the deadline for delivery to active service members serving internationally, and Dec. 5 is the deadline for delivery to active service members serving 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 on 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. “One of the most heartwarming responses was from someone who had returned from serving in Kuwait. This soldier said they kept their card in their pocket during their tour to remind them someone cared,” Dinkins recalled from a previous Cards for a Cause season.   

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, markers, and other decorating supplies. 

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 2024, “Cards for a Cause” collected and distributed over 7,700 cards to active service members and veterans. The program began in 2015, collecting approximately 300 cards that first year. This year, Dinkins and other RPL staff are hoping to collect at least 8,000 cards to send out in the holiday mail.  

“I appreciate being a team member at RPL making Cards for a Cause possible for veterans and enlisted service members. Plus, it means a great deal to those who write and to those who receive the cards. It’s such a worthwhile cause,” said Dinkins. 

For more information about “Cards for a Cause” and other RPL programs and services, visit www.rowanpubliclibrary.org. 

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.