Programs in Numbers

Join us for special readings with the Hillsborough Police Department!

Once a month, local police officers will visit the Main Library in downtown Hillsborough to share some of their favorite children’s stories. Families can choose the 30-minute session that works best for their schedule. Sessions are offered from 3:30–4:00 or 4:00–4:30 PM, and each session includes up to six children for a small, cozy storytime experience. Please check in at the children's desk when you arrive.

After the stories, children will have a chance to ask questions and learn what it’s like to be a police officer in our community. It’s a great way to enjoy books, meet local helpers, and have a fun, interactive library experience!

Registration for this program is required. Please register each child who will attend.

Parents are welcome to join in the storytime or remain close by during the program.

Break out of perfectionism with art prompts to spark a fun, random idea...Embrace your inner caveman and make “bad” art!

Check a square off your summer reading bingo, too 🙂

Join us as Orange County author Nancy Peacock discusses her new book Wildwood: A Memoir with fellow local writer Nora Gaskin at Orange County Public Library’s Main Branch in Hillsborough.

Register online or at the library to guarantee your spot!

About Wildwood:

Wildwood is a clear-eyed and honest memoir, beautifully constructed and written. It tells the story of a young woman growing into her destiny, to be a writer. It evokes a childhood spent in the expectations of a middle class family in the 1950s and '60s, the rebellion of teenaged years, then a chaotic young adulthood--as often denying the destiny as seeking it. Finally, Nancy Peacock becomes the fine writer and teacher she was always meant to be.

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!

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. A 30-minute Stay-and-Play follows Storytime. Registration is not required.

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.

Stick around after Babytime to hear information about common topics for parents of newborns and toddlers from local post-partum doula, Andrea Fowler, with Gift of Love Postpartum Care. These chat sessions are a preview before a FREE workshop with her at the library in July!

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 we will explore our nearest star through shadow drawings and sun-powered art. 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 June selection is Follow Me to Africa by Penny Haw, in keeping with the Summer Reading 2026 theme of "Unearth a Story." Be sure to sign up for Summer Reading if you want to complete your bingo for the chance to win a raffle: coming to book club will check off a bingo square!

Book club copies will be ready for check-out starting on the night of the May book club, until we run out. Click here or go to each date to see the other books for the year, though September and October have not been purchased yet and are subject to change.

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 Mondays at 1pm:
June 8
June 15
June 22
June 29

Teens (and their parents/guardians) are invited to meet live animals and learn about them in this interactive program!

Join us to meet real live animals and learn amazing information about them!

REGISTRATION REQUIRED.

This event is for teens who have already completed at least 6th grade and their parents/guardians. Teens may also attend unaccompanied. Please register each person who plans on attending this event, teens and adults. Adults, you will have to select a grade to register yourselves, you can put '12th'.

Younger patrons and siblings are not permitted to attend this event.

This event requires parents/guardians to submit a liability waiver, due to live animals being present. The waiver can be downloaded from the link on this page. This waiver can be submitted the day of the program or in advance. No signed waiver, no participation.

Doors for the program will close at 5:35 pm. You must be inside the event before this time.

About Wild Tails NC:
Wild Tails NC is a nonprofit that brings wildlife education to life with amazing rescued exotic animals! From snakes to wallabies, their animal ambassadors help teach the importance of protecting wild creatures and their habitats. With tons of energy and fascinating facts, Wild Tails makes learning about nature wildly fun for curious kids, teens, and families alike.

These programs are designed for patrons who have already completed 6th - 12th grade. Rising 6th graders may join teen programming after September 1, 2026.

The Summer Reading Program is generously funded by the Friends of the Library, whose support helps make our programs possible.

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!

Dance the morning away to our favorite songs and enjoy instructor-led movement activities to really get the wiggles out! For ages 2 - 5, with a caregiver. Siblings are welcome. No registration required.

Note that in June, Saturday Serenity Guided Meditation will be occurring on June 20th from 12:00pm-1:00pm instead of its usual time (last Saturday of the month from 3:00-4:00pm). The event will still be held at the Main Library in Hillsborough, located at 137 West Margaret Lane, Hillsborough, NC 27278. Registration is preferred.

Unwind with breathing exercises and guided meditation to rejuvenate the mind, body, and soul. This holistic session, brought to you by The North American Institute of Vihangam Yoga, is designed to guide you through:

Breathing Exercises to calm the mind, reduce stress, and boost energy;
Chanting to cultivate focus and harmony; and
Meditation to connect with your inner self and awaken your spiritual potential.

Join us as we begin a new cycle of seasons by embarking on a journey of self-discovery, peace, and enlightenment.

Join us as we welcome Hillsborough Poet Laureate Amal Kassir for a poetry workshop entitled "On Wisdom: Harvesting Life's Lessons" on Saturday, June 20th from 2:00pm-4:00pm at the Main Library in Hillsborough located at 137 West Margaret Lane, Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278.

In honor of the fullness of summer, this workshop invites participants to reflect on the lessons life has given them. Through guided prompts and storytelling exercises, we will harvest the wisdom gathered across years—moments of growth, challenge, love, loss, and discovery—and shape them into short poems meant to be shared with the community. Participants will craft pieces that offer reflections, advice, or insights for future generations of Hillsborough. Poems from this workshop may be performed at the September Last Fridays Community Poetry Showcase and included in the Hillsborough Community Chapbook.

Our Instructor: Amal Kassir

Amal Kassir is Hillsborough's 2025-2027 Poet Laureate, born and raised in Denver Colorado to an Arab father and an American mother. She has performed & taught in 13 countries and cities all over, in venues ranging from orphanages to refugee camps to youth prisons. At the University of Colorado Denver, she designed her own undergraduate major, titled Community Programming in Social Psychology, where she has been able to create programs for a range of causes and people. She is the founder of House of Amal, a global writing community that sits at the intersection of introspection, faith, and literature.

Learn more about Amal and the Poet Laureate Program!

Join us at Southern Branch library for storytime!

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

These events are free and require no registration.

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

Location: Library is on the first floor of the Drakeford Library Complex building--information desk inside can direct you.

Town of Carrboro's Toddler Playtime partnership will resume in the fall of 2026.

Crack secret codes and solve dinosaur puzzles in this fun, hands-on program.

This program is designed for children in grades 3 to 5 and registration is not required.

American Red Cross

Main Library Blood Drive

137 W. Margaret Ln.

Hillsborough NC 27278

June 17 from 10:00 am - 2:30 pm in Rm 116

For an appointment, please visit redcrossblood.org OR call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767)

Walk-ins are welcome

Create something beautiful with nature at our Dried Flower Suncatcher program! Use pressed flowers and simple materials to design your own unique, light-catching artwork. Hang it in a window and watch the colors shine. All supplies provided—just bring your creativity!

Registration for this program is encouraged but not required

Rising 6th graders may join teen programming after September 1, 2026.

Looking for helpful tips on building a budget? Join Fifth Third Bank at the Orange County Public Library in Hillsborough at 6:30pm on Wednesday, June 17th, 2026 for an information session on creating straightforward, easy-to-use plans that help you and your household manage money wisely. In this workshop, participants will:

1. Explore the importance of creating and maintaining a budget.
2. Examine the differences between wants and needs.
3. Set goals for spending, saving, and debt repayment.

Registration is recommended but not required for this event.

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. A 30-minute Stay-and-Play follows Storytime. Registration is not required.

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.

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.

Try something different and break out of perfectionism with prompts to spark random, creative ideas! Experienced artists and complete novices are all welcome. (If you consider yourself bad at visual art, now you can join the club...literally.)

Supplies provided. Don’t stress over the outcome: we'll focus on having fun and enjoying the process.