Programs in Numbers

Enter to your turnip-o-lantern at Main Library in Hillsborough to win a prize! Submit your carved turnip (without paint or anything else that can't be composted) between Wednesday and Thursday, October 28th and 29th. Entries will be displayed outside for voting on last Friday, October 30th (and on Halloween unless things get too stinky or buggy). We'll compost the entries thereafter. The contest is for all ages and families. We hope you join the fun! Why turnips? you'll find a bit of history below.

Did you know jack-o-lanterns were once carved from turnips instead of pumpkins? People in Ireland, Scotland, and England didn't have pumpkins which are native to North and Central America. Celtic cultures carved faces into turnips, beets, and other root vegetables to ward off wandering spirits during Samhain, the millennia-old Gaelic festival celebrated from sunset on October 31st to sunset on November 1st. Samhain (pronounced "SOW-in") means "summer's end" in old Irish, and forms the foundation of the modern celebration of Halloween.

Celebrate These United States at Orange County Public Library with this and other America 250 events. Click here to view all A250 events and register.

Join our graphic novel book club for kids in grades 3–5! Readers get to choose their own graphic novel to explore, then come together to share what they read, talk about favorite characters and moments, and discover new books from friends, all while eating yummy snacks. It’s a fun, low-pressure way to build reading confidence and connect with other book lovers! Registration is recommended.

This fall from September to November, the Main Library in Hillsborough is offering a beginning-level English class for adult speakers of other languages. Students will practice listening, speaking, reading, and writing in an interactive group environment.

Classes meet twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:30 to 11:00 a.m., starting Tuesday, September 1st. All classes are free, but registration is required. To sign up, please fill out our online registration form or call the library at 919-245-2525.

Location: Main Meeting Room (Room 116), 137 W Margaret Ln, Hillsborough NC 27278

If you have any questions, please contact Daniel Lawrence at dlawrence@orangecountync.gov.

--

Desde septiembre hasta finales de noviembre, la biblioteca principal en Hillsborough ofrecerá una clase de inglés (nivel principiante) para hablantes de otros idiomas. Los estudiantes practicarán escuchar, hablar, leer, y escribir en un ambiente interactivo.

Las clases se reunen dos veces a la semana, martes y jueves de 9:30 a 11:00 de la mañana, empezando el 1 de septiembre. Las clases son gratuitas, pero se requiere inscribirse. Para apuntarse, rellene nuestro formulario en línea o llame la biblioteca al numero 919-245-2525.

Lugar: Sala de reuniones principal (Main Meeting Room, 116), 137 W Margaret Ln, Hillsborough NC 27278

Si tiene preguntas, escríbale a Daniel Lawrence (correo: dlawrence@orangecountync.gov)

Join us at The Drakeford Library Complex for storytime and playtime!

Starting at 10:30am, Southern Branch librarians will lead a 25 minute program with stories, songs, and movement for toddlers-preschoolers and their caregivers!

From 11am-12pm, continue the fun with Carrboro Rec and Park's playtime with lots of provided toys!

These events are free and require no registration.

Children must be supervised by their adult caretakers at all times.

Location: Various rooms on first floor of the Drakeford Library Complex--information desks can direct you!

Put your brain to the test with tricky riddles, logic puzzles, brain teasers, and fun challenges! Can you solve them all?

This program is designed for kids in grades 3 - 5. Registration is not required.

Join us for Yoga Storytime to foster a healthy mind, body, and heart! We will explore yoga through stories, songs, and play. Come move and groove from silly to calm. This program is designed for children ages 4-5, with a caregiver. Siblings are encouraged to join in the fun, too!

The Teen Advisory Group (TAG) is a group of 8th-12th graders dedicated to making a positive impact at the library for themselves and other teens. For more information, please see our website.

Meetings for this session will be: September 30, October 28, and December 2.

Take turns drawing part of a body, without seeing the other parts that the people before you drew.

When the page is unfolded, your Franken-Art will be revealed!

(This game is also called “exquisite corpse,” if you wanted to learn more about its history.)

Registration required.

This fall from September to November, the Main Library in Hillsborough is offering a beginning-level English class for adult speakers of other languages. Students will practice listening, speaking, reading, and writing in an interactive group environment.

Classes meet twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:30 to 11:00 a.m., starting Tuesday, September 1st. All classes are free, but registration is required. To sign up, please fill out our online registration form or call the library at 919-245-2525.

Location: Main Meeting Room (Room 116), 137 W Margaret Ln, Hillsborough NC 27278

If you have any questions, please contact Daniel Lawrence at dlawrence@orangecountync.gov.

--

Desde septiembre hasta finales de noviembre, la biblioteca principal en Hillsborough ofrecerá una clase de inglés (nivel principiante) para hablantes de otros idiomas. Los estudiantes practicarán escuchar, hablar, leer, y escribir en un ambiente interactivo.

Las clases se reunen dos veces a la semana, martes y jueves de 9:30 a 11:00 de la mañana, empezando el 1 de septiembre. Las clases son gratuitas, pero se requiere inscribirse. Para apuntarse, rellene nuestro formulario en línea o llame la biblioteca al numero 919-245-2525.

Lugar: Sala de reuniones principal (Main Meeting Room, 116), 137 W Margaret Ln, Hillsborough NC 27278

Si tiene preguntas, escríbale a Daniel Lawrence (correo: dlawrence@orangecountync.gov)

Join us for songs and stories at the Farmers' Market Pavilion in downtown Hillsborough, 140 E. Margaret Lane. Children from walkers to age 5 and their caregivers are invited to participate in a 25-minute interactive program that incorporates age-appropriate books, rhymes, music, and movement. Registration is not required.

*Storytime will be cancelled if the temperature is projected to be 32 degrees or below or there is heavy precipitation. Please check the library’s online calendar for up-to-date cancellation information.

Join us in the kid's area of the Southern Branch Library

For a 20 minute early literacy program for babies with stories, rhymes, bounces, and songs! For newborns up to walkers with their caregivers and siblings.

Location is inside the Southern Branch Library on the first floor of the Drakeford Library Complex in Carrboro, NC.

Calling all curious kids! The Curiosity Crew is a program where Kindergarten–2nd graders can build, create, and discover through fun projects in art, science, and beyond. This week the Curiosity Crew will explore the inside of a pumpkin! Kids will help scoop out pumpkin guts, collect seeds, and watch them roast into a crunchy treat. Afterward, we’ll dive into a pumpkin craft perfect for autumn creativity.

Children may participate in this program independently or with their caregivers. Caregivers must remain inside the library for the duration of the program.

Join us in-person on the 4th Tuesday of the month at the Southern Branch Library in Carrboro for an engaging discussion on a great selection of books. We welcome everybody to come talk with us, even if you didn't finish the whole thing! Register for book club below or in person at either of our Orange County Public Library branch locations.

Our October selection is The Saturday Night Ghost Club by Craig Davidson. Book club copies will be ready for check-out starting on the night of the September book club, until we run out.

Library After Dark is a librarian-led silent reading club which takes place on 4th Tuesdays of the month from 6:30-7:30pm at Main Library in Hillsborough located at 137 West Margaret Lane, Hillsborough, NC 27278. For more information about this and other book clubs, visit the library's book club page. Registration is preferred.

Wouldn't it be great to have a quiet hour to just sit and read whatever you want (and maybe have a little snack)? You can do that at Library After Dark! We'll gather in the library's Meeting Room starting at 6:30 -- be sure to get here before the library closes at 7! Bring whatever you'd like to read. We'll also have a selection of Lucky Day and New Release books to check out if you like. Coffee, tea, and some light refreshments will be available.

We'll read silently together for an hour. If you'd like to stick around after, we'll chat for a while about what we've been reading lately. If this sounds like fun, be sure to register!

NightsWithTheLibrary

Main Library's Local History Help Drop-In Hours are most Mondays from 10am-1pm. Help by appointment at other times and on other days of the week can be requested. Help hours take place in the Local History Area on the second floor of Main Library located at 137 West Margaret Lane, Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278

Need help navigating the resources in our local history collection? The local history liaison can assist! Stop by on Mondays between 10am and 1pm or make an appointment using this form. Whether you're just browsing the section or you're wading through our materials for specific information, the local history liaison can help lead you to resources you need to further your research.

Join us for an afternoon of sewing. Bring your sewing machine and your current project. Or use our space to spread out for cutting patterns or to enjoy the company of other sewists while you catch up on some hand-stitching. While it's not a class, this is an opportunity for folks to work on projects together and learn from each other.

Want to make reading practice a treat? Sign-up to read to Berna-doodle D'Oreo!

Tales & Tails gives K-5th readers the opportunity to read to a trained therapy dog at the library, building confidence and incentivizing reading practice in a calm, non-judgmental environment.

Select a 15-minute time slot from the listed options. During their 15 minutes, they'll read one-on-one to therapy dog D'Oreo, who might even show off some tricks! Please bring a book that the reader is comfortable with or working on.

Due to limited availability siblings are encouraged to share a session, just write in both children's names in one entry line. This program is only for children currently in Kindergarten through 8th grade.

Please note: to create a productive experience of the child's one-on-one connection with the animal, adult caretakers are invited to sit in seating provided on the side of the room to give the child independent space, or in the seating right outside the room.

Registration Required

Join Andrea Fowler, Postpartum Doula & Certified Lactation Counselor, to start your infant feeding journey off with calm and confidence!

During this workshop you will learn small, but impactful adjustments to help ensure your comfort and baby’s ability to remove milk effectively during direct breast/bodyfeeding. We will practice paced bottle feeding, discuss different bottle/nipple shapes and explain how to introduce a bottle, so that you can feed your baby in the way that works best for your family.

Registration is encouraged but not required. This program is intended for pregnant or lactating parents and their support partners. Babies in arms (under 1 year) are welcome. The workshop will be 9:30am-11:30pm including time to address your specific questions and concerns. Snacks and socializing will follow.

Topics we will discuss include:

Parent positioning

Baby positioning

What an ideal latch looks like

Signs of a shallow latch

Adjustments to improve latch

Postpartum support resources

Feeding goals

Introducing bottles

Bottle type selection

Paced bottle feeding

Pacifier use

Flange fit for pumping

Find more FREE resources and support for postpartum/lactating parents at https://giftoflovepostpartumcare.weebly.com/resources.html

What: Calm and cozy meet-ups, perfect for getting lost in your journal. Drop by for deep focus journaling, reflective writing, and low-key creative time. Some supplies provided, but bring your own journal.

When: Saturday afternoons, every two weeks, from 3 to 5 pm.

Where: Southern Branch Room 114

More about Carolina Cozy Journaling Club:

This is a cozy community for all journal enthusiasts living in North Carolina. Whether you’re into daily journaling, collage spreads, or love talking pens and planners, you’ve found your people. Join us, get inspired, and connect with other journalers who understand the joy of the journal. 🌿

Celebrate the joy of sharing stories across generations! Join us for a storytime featuring books, songs, rhymes, and movement activities designed to bring children and the special grown-ups in their lives together. Grandparents, families, and caregivers of all kinds are welcome.

This fall from September to November, the Main Library in Hillsborough is offering a beginning-level English class for adult speakers of other languages. Students will practice listening, speaking, reading, and writing in an interactive group environment.

Classes meet twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:30 to 11:00 a.m., starting Tuesday, September 1st. All classes are free, but registration is required. To sign up, please fill out our online registration form or call the library at 919-245-2525.

Location: Main Meeting Room (Room 116), 137 W Margaret Ln, Hillsborough NC 27278

If you have any questions, please contact Daniel Lawrence at dlawrence@orangecountync.gov.

--

Desde septiembre hasta finales de noviembre, la biblioteca principal en Hillsborough ofrecerá una clase de inglés (nivel principiante) para hablantes de otros idiomas. Los estudiantes practicarán escuchar, hablar, leer, y escribir en un ambiente interactivo.

Las clases se reunen dos veces a la semana, martes y jueves de 9:30 a 11:00 de la mañana, empezando el 1 de septiembre. Las clases son gratuitas, pero se requiere inscribirse. Para apuntarse, rellene nuestro formulario en línea o llame la biblioteca al numero 919-245-2525.

Lugar: Sala de reuniones principal (Main Meeting Room, 116), 137 W Margaret Ln, Hillsborough NC 27278

Si tiene preguntas, escríbale a Daniel Lawrence (correo: dlawrence@orangecountync.gov)

Join us at The Drakeford Library Complex for storytime and playtime!

Starting at 10:30am, Southern Branch librarians will lead a 25 minute program with stories, songs, and movement for toddlers-preschoolers and their caregivers!

From 11am-12pm, continue the fun with Carrboro Rec and Park's playtime with lots of provided toys!

These events are free and require no registration.

Children must be supervised by their adult caretakers at all times.

Location: Various rooms on first floor of the Drakeford Library Complex--information desks can direct you!

Writers: maybe you know your characters as well as your family, but how do you create a world that is believable for them to move through?

In this workshop, local author Melora Fern will break down the intricacies that make up a story world and dive into how to create one that aligns with your characters. By deconstructing the components of themes, designing principles, setting techniques, and symbolism she will help you build a world where your characters thrive.

You will leave this writing workshop with a deeper understanding of the fabric that can be woven around your characters and how it is more than just a backdrop to your story.

The workshop includes a practice exercise so please bring your personal writing tools (laptop, iPad, paper, pen, pencil, etc.).

Writers of all experience levels welcome!

Melora Fern moved from Texas to North Carolina to become herself. Growing up as the perpetual “new kid” she persevered by making up stories and recently has learned how to hone that skill into writing fiction. As a recovering CPA, she now counts seashells, colorful stones, or words discovered on her walks. She is the author of Whistling Women and Crowing Hens, a novel inspired by her grandmother's history as a touring whistler in the 1920s.

Can a bowling ball float? How much space do different objects really take up? Explore floating, sinking, size, and volume through fun hands-on experiments with big and small objects!

This program is designed for kids in grades 3-5. Registration not required.