Friends Newsletter, March 2012

March 2012 Friends’ Matters Scharding creates winning logo design Inside this By Erin Hils Shepherd, FOCPL Co-Chair

issue:

Adult Programs Children’s News Library History 101 2 Teen News eBooks The Friends of the Orange County Public Library (FOCPL) has a new logo!

Annual Meeting The logo, created by Carrboro resident Sallie Scharding, features a stylized rendition of the Tree of Knowledge in purple and green.

Membership Info In the fall of 2011, the FOCPL board held a logo contest, soliciting designs from the community.

Friends of the Orange County More than a dozen entries were received and the FOCPL board narrowed the submissions down to three finalists in October.

Spring 2012 Book Sale Friday, March 30 In addition to Scharding, the other contest finalists were Mike Musser of Hillsborough and Rob Kark of Chapel Hill.

4:00-6:00 pm Friends Only You may join at the door.

♦ Saturday, March 31 FOCPL partners with community foundation 9:00 am-5:00 pm Open to the Public By Janet L. Flowers, FOCPL Co-Chair ♦ The Friends of the Library is taking a significant step forward in 2012 to better steward the contributions of its members. As a small, all-volunteer, nonprofit organization, the Friends have had neither the capacity nor the expertise to invest and manage funds for growth. However, as a nonprofit, we have access to low-cost, sophisticated investment services through community foundations. Prices for Friday and Saturday Hardcovers: $1 Paperbacks: $0.50 DVDs: $1 ♦ Sunday, April 1 1:00-4:00 pm Open to the Public In 2011, the FOCPL Endowment Task Force investigated our options and recommended a partnership with the Triangle Community Foundation (http://www.trianglecf.org/). The Board also voted to invest $25,000 with TCF that has Bag Sale: $4 per bag Orange County Main Library 137 West Margaret Ln.

Hillsborough, NC Volume 2, Issue 1 The three designs were put on display at the Orange County Public Library and patrons voted for their favorite design.

Scharding’s design was the overwhelming patron choice. Scharding says the logo “represents the tree of knowledge that blossoms and comes together to create a love of learning represented by the heart at the top of the tree.” For winning the contest, Scharding received a $100 prize at the FOCPL Annual Meeting on December 3, 2011. Kark was also in attendance at the meeting to collect one of the two $25 runner-up prizes.

The logo is now viewable on the Friends Web site (http://www.co.orange.nc.us/library/ friends.asp) and will be used on future FOCPL promotional products and correspondence.

The Friends Board wishes to thank everyone who participated in the contest, whether through submitting a logo design or by voting for their favorite logo at the library.

been accumulated through several years of careful saving by the Friends. While investment performance cannot be guaranteed, we expect that over the long term, TCF will be deliver significantly higher returns than the certificates of deposit and standard savings account that have been our investment tools to date.

To manage our ongoing financial matters, the Board has just appointed a Finance Committee, with Laura Eastwood, a development expert, as chairperson. In addition to Laura, other members of the Board include Lucinda Munger (Library Director), Jim Burton (Chair, FOCPL Endowment Task Force), Sandy Gerstner See “FOCPL partnership,” page 3 Adult Programming Friends’ Matters A Publication of the Friends of the Orange County The year so far… Public Library Volume 2, Issue 1 March 2012 FOCPL Newsletter Committee Janet L. Flowers, Chair Bridget Booher, Editor Chris Holaday Sara Levinson Lisa Wolfe, Design Coming up… Children’s Services By Louise Bendall, Children’s Services Children’s Services at Orange County Main Library continues to be busy with programs for kids of all ages! In addition to our regularly scheduled story times, Legos at the Library, and other after-school programs, kids at the library recently celebrated the Jewish holiday Tu Bishvat and the pre-Lenten festivities of Mardi Gras, explored the perennially fascinating world of dinosaurs, and met some “Heroes of the Underground Railroad” presented by Bright Star Touring Theatre.

April events to look forward to include a workshop with Lori Bruhns entitled “Saving Money in the Grocery Store”;

a discussion of The Sibling Effect:

Library History 101 New Literacy Bags have been added to the collection. We now have more thematic bags available for checkout for kids who are learning to read, and for kids who want to read more about Star Wars and graphic novels. Our comics and graphic novel collection continues to expand and increase in popularity.

New series are continually being added.

Kids can now explore historical events, biographies, and superheroes in graphic novel format.

The concept of a library as a repository of knowledge dates back to ancient times.

The Library of Alexandria was founded in Egypt around 300 BC. The library of Assyrian king Ashurbanipal, in what is now Iraq, was even older, dating back to the 7th century BC. By the Middle Ages, libraries could be found in European monasteries and universities. However, none of these types of early libraries could be freely used by the general population.

The idea of a library that was open to the public is a much more modern idea. In the United States, several northeastern towns, including Boston, claim to be the first with a public library. The library in Darby, Pennsylvania, founded in 1743, claims to be the “oldest continuously operating free public library” in the United States. Peterborough, New Hampshire, claims the first publicly funded library; it opened in 1833.

This spring, more literacy-based fun is coming when the OCML will host Durham CSI (Crime Scene Investigators), welcome some animal friends from the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, and present Rags to Riches Theater’s production of Puss In Boots.

The fun continues when school ends and summer reading kicks off June 1.

Come visit the library to sign up for “Dream Big…Read” this summer. Our summer programs will include magic, rock music, theater, animals of the night and much more!

Here in North Carolina, like up north, most early libraries were “subscription” organizations. This meant members bought shares and the combined funds were used to buy books; in return, members could We look forward to seeing you at the library.

By Jessica Arnold, Adult Programming Coordinator What the Bonds Among Brothers and Sisters Reveal About Us with D.J.

Pappas; and the final two offerings in our computer class series, “Photo- Shop Elements” and “Social Networking.” We kicked off a whole new round of adult programs in early 2012— including Computer Classes and the Life Learning discussion series— continued our ongoing Get Organized workshops and Movies @ the Library, and even enjoyed a few special events like the Local Author Panel and writing class in February. We also introduced the new “Darn Good Yarn” monthly knitting and crochet group.

Looking ahead… If you’re already thinking about May (we are!) request a copy of Not Quite Adults: Why 20-Somethings Are Choosing a Slower Path to Adulthood, and Why It’s Good for Everyone to prepare for D.J. Pappas’ final talk on the changing experience of young adults and their parents, and come get some tips on how to “Make Money in your Home Office” from Lori Bruhns. Don’t forget to make time to catch a free Movie @ the Library or spend an evening with our all-ages Darn Good Yarn group. With everything that’s going on at the library these days, it will be summer—and time for Summer Reading—before we know it!

In March, area attorney Juan Flores will give a special presentation on “The Top 10 Things You Need to Know About Social Security Disability”; D.J.

Pappas will lead a discussion about the book Elder Rage, or Take My Father… Please! How To Survive Caring For Aging Parents; and Dani Brecher of UNC will teach classes on “Online Job Hunting,” “eBooks and eReaders,” and “NCLive Online Resources.” For dates, times, and a complete list of upcoming events, check the Events Calendar (http://bit.ly/OCPLevents).

By Chris Holaday, Friends’ Matters Editorial Board Member borrow books and use the library. In the late 1700s, the town of Bath was the first in the state to have a circulating library of this type. North Carolina’s state library in Raleigh was actually established in 1812 but for many years its only purpose was to house the official records of the General Assembly.

The Durham Public Library, founded in 1897, holds the distinction of being the first free, tax-supported library in North Carolina. After the Durham library proved successful, many other counties soon followed suit including Wake (1901), Guilford (1902) and Mecklenburg (1903).

It wasn’t until 1910 that a group of Hillsborough citizens met with the intention of establishing a public library (before that, the only library in Orange County was at the University of North Carolina). Donated books were soon gathered and the Presbyterian Church offered the use of its Session House on the corner of Churton and Tryon streets. Staffed by volunteers, the library was only open a few hours per week.

See “Library history,” page 3 Library history from p. 2 FOCPL 2012 Board In 1934, a new stone building was constructed by the WPA—for the grand sum of $15,466.10—where the Session House had been. Named the Confederate Memorial Library, it served the needs of county residents for nearly 50 years. Finally in 1981, the library, bursting at its seams, was relocated to the old Hillsboro High School building a couple blocks west on Tryon St. Of course as we all know, our state-of-the-art current library opened its doors in 2010.

Janet L. Flowers—Co-Chair Erin Hils Shepherd—Co-Chair Bill Barrows—Ongoing Book Sale Robin Bedingfield-Brown— Membership Sandy Gerstner—Treasurer Lori Graham, Secretary “Having Our Say” Chris Holaday—Book Sale Kate Tozzolina—Book Sale who have influenced her life. The 30 attendees found this to be a refreshing look and celebration of Black Women in American History and Culture. The Friends donated the DVD to the Library so that the community can check it out as well. This was the first of the four programs that the Friends sponsor each year. Marie Torian Penny Van De Water—Ongoing Book Sale Lucinda Munger—Director, Orange County Public Library-ex officio Andrea Tullos—Assistant Director, Orange County Public Library– ex officio Most members also serve on at least one committee.

The Orange County Public Library now offers a collection of eBooks you can download at home or on the go with your eReader or other device. You can browse the library’s eBook collection and download to PC, Mac®, and many mobile devices. Titles can be enjoyed immediately or transferred to a variety of devices, including the NOOK®, Kindle®, iPad®, Sony® Reader™ and many others. To access the eBooks you download, you will need to install some free software: the Over- Drive Media Console App, Kindle® App, or Adobe® Digital Editions, depending on your device. The eBooks will automatically expire

FOCPL

partnership from p. 1 (Treasurer) and Paul Parker (Member at Large). Stay tuned as this committee begins to make recommendations regarding our gift acceptance, withdrawal, and spending policies.

If you have an interest in contributing to this new fund, please contact Laura at lauraeastwood@yahoo.com.

Recommended The Reading Promise: My Father and the Books We Shared, by Alice Ozma On January 3, the Teen Advisory Board helped plan and set up a display for the Teen Center bulletin board. The board asks which literary character would be the worst to be stuck with on an elevator for 20 minutes. Responses have been varied and creative. Stop by the Teen Center to see them.

When Alice Ozma was in fourth grade, she and her father (an elementary school librarian) made a promise to read aloud together for 100 consecutive nights. After reaching that goal and celebrating over pancakes, they decided to continue what they called “The Streak.” Alice’s father read aloud to her every night without fail until the day she left for college.

The Streak ended after 3,218 nights of bedtime stories, and the promise was kept.

February 13, local artist Rachel Galper led teens in a crafty service project.

Teens created beautiful handmade Valentines to donate to the residents of the Orange County Senior Center.

While libraries and their purposes have changed and evolved throughout history, they continue to serve an important societal, cultural, and civic function. In today’s digital age libraries are no longer just storage facilities for books. They now provide patrons with information and entertainment in many different formats. One can only imagine what the future may hold for our libraries!

On February 18, the Friends showed “Having Our Say,” an inspirational and entertaining film about the Delany Sisters from Raleigh. Marie Torian, local Hillsborough elder, provided a delightful introduction to the film by talking about the women Download eBooks from home By Jessica Arnold, Adult Programming Coordinator at the end of the lending period, so there are never any late fees. This new service, powered by OverDrive, is free for Orange County Public Library patrons with their library card.

Ready to start using the new eBook collection? Look for the Download eBooks link on the library’s Online Resources page, or go directly to the collection at http:// ocnc.lib.overdrive.com. Click on the GET STARTED button at the top of the page for help downloading eBooks to your device.

Teens’ Library News By Mary Lewis Haywood, Young Adult Librarian Monday, March 12, 6:00- 6:45 pm, the North Carolina Shakespeare Company will perform “A Midsummer Night’s Shakespeare,” a fast, funny, and interactive introduction to theater, poetry, and literary devices via the famous story of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The event will take place in the library’s meeting room, and is free for ages 11 and up and their families.

Annual Meeting Fourteen Ways to Cultivate a Life-Long Reading Habit The Friends had a very lively and entertaining annual meeting on December 3, 2011. We offer our thanks to Michael Malone, Friend extraordinaire, who regaled us with reminisces of Christmases past.

We also appreciate the unique contribution of local author A.J. Mayhew. We held a silent auction for the DVD of the program she presented at St.

Matthew’s Episcopal Church, where she read from The Dry Grass of August and was accompanied by hymns performed by the Women’s Singing Circle. Finally we are grateful for the beautiful mug donated by potter Mark Hewitt that was raffled to raise money for our organization.

These generous individuals, and many others, continue to sustain and enrich FOCPL.

Thank you!

Somewhere after “lose weight”, “stop procrastinating,” and “fall in love,” “read more” is one of the top goals that many people set for themselves. And rightly so: A good book can be hugely satisfying, can teach you about things beyond your daily horizons, and can create characters so vivid you feel as if you really know them.

If reading is a habit you’d like to get into, there are a number of ways to cultivate it.

First, realize that reading is highly enjoyable, if you have a good book. If you have a lousy book (or an extremely difficult one) and you are forcing yourself through it, it will seem like a chore. If this happens for several days in a row, consider abandoning the book and finding one that you’ll really love.

Other than that, try these tips to cultivate a

lifetime reading habit:

Set times. You should have a few set times during every day when you’ll read for at least 5-10 minutes.

Always carry a book. Wherever you go, take a book with you. When I leave the house, I always make sure to have my driver’s license, my keys and my book, at a minimum.

January 28, 2012 Dear Friends, It is a pleasure to be part of the Friends of the Orange County Library. It is a wonderful way to support literacy in our community. The Library is the best way to ensure that reading resources are available for everyone.

Please join this worthy cause, meet great people, and be a part of the good of the community.

Make a list. Keep a list of all the great books you want to read. You can keep this in your journal, in a pocket notebook, on your personal home page, on your personal wiki, wherever.

Find a quiet place. Find a place in your home where you can sit in a comfortable chair (don’t lay down unless you’re going to sleep) and curl up with a good book without interruptions. If you don’t have a place like this, create one.

Reduce television/Internet. If you really want to read more, try cutting back on TV or Internet consumption.

Sincerely, Sharon Wheeler Owner, Purple Crow Books The tips noted above are abbreviated from Leo Babaula’s blog: http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/14-ways-to-cultivate-a-lifetime-reading- Visit our Web site at: www.co.orange.nc.us/library/friends.asp or pick up a membership brochure at the Library Become a Friend of the Orange County Public Library and you will make an important contribution to one of our county’s most vital educational and cultural assets. In return, you’ll also get:  The satisfaction of working with other like -annual book sales.  Email updates regarding library events, issues and news from our secure Friends listserv. Dues: Individual-$15; Family-$25; Donor-$50; Sustaining-$100 FOCLP is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Contributions are tax deductible. Questions? Contact us at: FOCPL2011@gmail.com Read to your kid. If you have children, you must, must read to them. Creating the reading habit in your kids is the best way to ensure they’ll be readers when they grow up … and it will help them to be successful in life as well.

Keep a log. Similar to the reading list, this log should have not only the title and author of the books you read, but the dates you start and finish them if possible.

Go to used book shops. My favorite place to go is a discount book store where I drop off all my old books. I typically spend only a couple of dollars for a dozen or more books, so although I read a lot, books aren’t a major expense.

Have a library day. Even cheaper than a used book shop is a library, of course. Make it a weekly trip.

Read fun and compelling books. Find books that really grip you and keep you going. Even if they aren’t literary masterpieces, they make you want to read — and that’s the goal here.

Make it pleasurable. Make your reading time your favorite time of day. Have some good tea or coffee while you read, or another kind of treat.

Blog it. One of the best ways to form a habit is to put it on your blog. If you don’t have one, create one. It’s free.

Set a high goal. Tell yourself that you want to read 50 books this year (or some other number like that). Then set about trying to accomplish it. Just be sure you’re still enjoying the reading though — don’t make it a rushed chore.

Have a reading hour or reading day. If you turn off the TV or Internet in the evening, you could have a set hour (perhaps just after dinner) when you and maybe all the members of your family read each night.

-minded book and library lovers.  Early access to the bi  Ongoing or occasional volunteer opportunitie