Programs in Numbers

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 15-20 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.

Learn computer basics and earn a computer!

Thanks to grant funding from NCDIT, we’ll be able to give away a laptop computer to each patron who attend all four sessions. Classes will include basic computer and internet lessons.

Some of what we will discuss:

Computer basics

Digital Identity

Digital Well-being (including internet safety and scam awareness)

Using Email

Digital Relationships

Digital Safety

Using the internet to access important real life information (banking, medical records, etc)

Social Media

Computers are provided for the class! You do not need to bring your own.

If you need transportation to participate in this program, call Orange County Public Transportation at (919) 245-2008 at least 48 hours before to book a Demand Response ride. There is no fee associated with this service.

You must attend all four sessions to receive a computer. If you are going to have a conflict with one of these sessions, please contact Andrew, the instructor (contact info is in the sidebar).

This class can accommodate 10 students. The instructor will alert people on the waitlist when the class is offered again in the future. Please do not sign up for this class if you have already taken it.

The sessions are Tuesday at 1pm at the Southern Branch Library in Carrboro:
September 8
September 15
September 22
September 29

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 build and create with LEGO bricks. Come design something amazing and see what you can dream up!

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

The Tuesday Evening Book Club is a Community Member-Led book club which meets the on 2nd Tuesdays of the month at 6:30pm at Main Library in Hillsborough. The club discusses a wide variety of popular and interesting books in a light atmosphere.

This event is free and open to the public. Registration is encouraged but not required. For reading selections and more information, visit the library's book club page.

Do you have a young reader at home who might want practice reading aloud, but is reluctant to do it with other people? Tales & Tails gives young readers the opportunity to read to a trained therapy dog at the library, building confidence and improving reading skills in a calm, non-judgmental environment.

To maintain a safe and comfortable space for both the reader and the therapy dog, each registered reader will be assigned a 15-minute time slot within the event window. During that time, they'll be able to read one-on-one with one of our therapy dog.

More about our therapy dogs:

Magnolia: I was named after a tree near the spot where my mom and dad found me and my two sisters when we were little puppies. I'm still pretty small, but I have long legs and can run fast! I passed my Therapy Dog test a few months ago when I turned one, which is very young, so I'm still learning. I love riding in the car, all kinds of doggie cookies, toys, and especially kids! I hope a lot of children will come to the library to read to me, and maybe I will learn some new words!

Izzy: I am a 6 year old female Bernese Mountain Dog. My mom and dad adopted me at just 7 weeks old! My breed started over 100 years ago in the cold, snowy mountains of Bern, Switzerland, as a constant, loving companion to farming families, as well as driving cattle and pulling wagons from the farm to the dairy. Now my job is to comfort people and make them happy. I am big and strong, but also calm, gentle, cuddly, friendly, and sweet. I love large and small humans, and belly rubs! I am excited to meet children who want to read to me at the library!

It’s been 25 years since Shrek’s release: let your nostalgia take ogre and spend an afternoon watching the iconic movie and making themed magnets or pins! Registration required; limited seats available.

Acompáñanos en Cuentacuentos con Sra. Clemente, un espacio de cuentos en español pensado para apoyar a los niños bilingües. Niños y sus cuidadores están invitados a disfrutar de cuentos en español con música, rimas y un tiempo de juego al final del evento.

Join us in Cuentacuentos (Spanish Storytime) with Sra. Clemente, a space for stories in Spanish designed to support bilingual children. Children and their caregivers are invited to enjoy stories in Spanish with music, rhymes, and time for open play at the end of the event.

Friendly Fiber Fridays Meet-Up | First and third Fridays of the month from 9am to 10:30am and Second Fridays from 1-3pm at Main Library located at 137 West Margaret Lane, Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278.

Do you knit, crochet, or do other fiber work? Bring your project and join us at Main Library in Hillsborough for a Friendly Fiber Fridays. This is a fun meet up for fibercrafty folks with space for you to spread out, work, and chat with other crafters. The library has yarn available for anyone to take if they like, and patterns are available in the fibercraft section of adult nonfiction (in the 746s). Feel free to bring your morning coffee and snacks along.

This is an Artember program celebrating and displaying community-made art all September long at Main Library in Hillsborough. Click here to view all Artember events and register.

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.

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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!

Travel across North America without leaving the library! Explore hands-on stations inspired by the traditions, creativity, and knowledge of Indigenous Nations through crafts, games, and fun activities. For children in Kindergarten through 5th grade and their caregivers. Siblings welcome.

Join us at the Main Branch in Hillsborough for a screening of "Who the #$&% Is Jackson Pollock?" (PG-13, runtime 73 minutes).

In this 2006 documentary, a 73-year-old former truck driver with no fine art experience purchases a $5.00 painting at a thrift store that might be a Jackson Pollock worth $50 million. Along her journey to authenticate the painting, she interacts with fine arts appraisers, forensic investigators, news reporters, and a wide range of opinions about her mysterious painting. The documentary provides a playful yet thoughtful look at aesthetics, class, and what it means to truly prove that a piece of art is the real deal.

Registration is preferred but not required for this event. Assistive listening technology is available upon request.

Board Game Swap | Wednesday, September 2nd at 4:30-6:30pm, Main Library in Hillsborough
If you have games you'd like to donate for this event, feel free to drop them off at the front desk of the Main Library throughout the month of August.

Calling all board game fans! Are you ready to refresh your collection? Do you have a game you’re willing to part with? Swing by the library’s meeting room and join in the fun! You can donate your gently used games, swap them out for new ones, or just take a look and grab one that catches your eye. You can even sit down and play a board game or two with your friends and neighbors!

We ask that any donated games be in good condition with all their pieces and instructions included. Donations are not required in order to leave with a new game. Games will be available to participants on a first-come, first-served basis.

Join the Orange County Public Library for Get Carded: Trivia Nights, a fun and engaging evening of trivia held at The Rookery in downtown Hillsborough. Show off your knowledge, compete for bragging rights, and connect with fellow trivia lovers—all while enjoying a lively atmosphere and local brews.

When: Wednesdays at 7:00 PM
Where: The Rookery, 115 W Margaret Ln, Hillsborough, NC 27278 (right beside the Main Library in Hillsborough!)
Audience: Adults only

No registration required. Come early to grab a seat and a drink!

Acorn Caps Hat Drive | Give a someone in need the gift of warmth this winter by knitting or crocheting a hat for Acorn Caps, a local organization which creates and distributes hats, gloves, and more to community members in need. Fibercrafters make hats over the summer and fall then drop them off at Main Library in Hillsborough through the end of the year.

Visit AcornCaps.org and stop by Main Library to borrow supplies, pattern books, and more. and more at

Looking for patterns? Knitting or crochet patterns for child-sized winter hats can be found on Ravelry.com, a free website for fibercrafters. The library also has a knitting and crochet book section which will contain patterns.

This is an Artember program celebrating and displaying community-made art all September long at Main Library in Hillsborough. Click here to view all Artember events and register.

Community Art Exhibits at Main:

Artember is a celebration and display of community-made art during the month of September at Main Library in Hillsborough. Sign up for an event, or stop by and see what what you and your neighbors have created!

Offerings include:

Tiny Art Show | From July 25th through August 25th this year, we invited adults & 6th-12th Graders to submit an art piece no larger than 5x7 inches to Main Library using either an art kit we provided or their own supplies. The Tiny Art Show is a display of those amazing submissions. They will be on display upstairs at Main Library throughout September.

Nature of Orange Photography Contest Winners | Nature of Orange Photography Contest is an annual contest open to adults and youth sponsored by Orange County Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation in conjunction with the Commission for the Environment and the Parks and Recreation Council. The purpose of the contest is to have photographers of all ages capture the beauty of Orange County through nature. Winning photos will be on display on the top floor of Main Library.

Knit or Crochet Hats for Community | September 1st - December 31st, Upstairs | Borrow supplies from the library or use your own to make a hat for a community member in need. Join our morning or afternoon fiber meetup groups and chat over snacks while you make your hat, or make it on your own. Bring completed hats to Main Library.

Who the #$&% Is Jackson Pollock? (2006 Documentary Film) | Thu, September 3rd at 6:30p | A 73-year-old former truck driver with no fine art experience purchases a $5.00 painting at a thrift store that might be a Jackson Pollock worth $50 million.

Reading Your NC Stories | Sat, September 12th at 2pm, Upstairs | A reading of works submitted by adults to WAX2, the library’s art and literary zine. All are welcome.

Click here to view all Artember events and register.

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.

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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 15-20 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.

Invitamos a las personas que están aprendiendo inglés o español a que vengan y practiquen conversando entre ellas en este evento. Los bibliotecarios ofrecerán formas divertidas de iniciar conversaciones en ambos idiomas para que nadie tenga que ponerse nervioso por elegir un tema de conversación. Es necesario registrarse.

We invite people who are learning Spanish or English to come practice speaking with each other at this program. Librarians will provide fun conversation starters in both languages, so no one feels awkward trying to choose what to talk about. Registration required.

Note: there will not be a session on November 3rd due to Election Day.

Nota: No habrá sesión el 3 de noviembre debido a que es día de elecciones.

Join us for a fun and engaging playgroup for children under five years old. While this group is specially geared toward Dads, Grandpas, Uncles, and male caregivers, all caregivers are welcome to join in the fun and connect with others. Feel free to bring toys to share and enjoy quality time with your little one!

Learn about what osteoporosis is and what you can do to strengthen your bones! Certified physical therapist Sophia Pelton and family physician Dr. Abigail DeVries will lead an interactive discussion on medication, exercise, and nutritional strategies to maintain bone health. You'll leave with practical strategies, movement suggestions, bone-healthy snacks, and plenty of insights from two women's health experts.

Registration for this event is recommended but not required.

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. 🌿