Programs in Numbers

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

WonderKids is an exciting and engaging program designed to spark curiosity in older preschoolers through interactive, hands-on activities that explore the wonders of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics. Each month we will read a story together and then dive into themed STEAM activities inspired by the book.

This month, we will do fun activities and crafts all about Dinosaurs and Paleontology, in conjunction with our Summer Reading theme: Unearth New Adventures. Come make your own fossil impressions, dig for dinosaurs, and more! For children ages 4 & 5 with their caregivers. Siblings welcome.

Hotwheels Handspinners is an active group of fiber artists whose craft begins (mostly) at the spinning wheel, where we make yarn to knit, weave, crochet, felt, macrame, and more! We meet monthly at the Orange County Public Library's Main Branch in Hillsborough, and welcome spinners of all levels of expertise who have fiber to spin and something to spin it with. While the meeting room offers ample space for spinning wheels, we ask that you register in advance to help us properly prepare for each meeting.

Be on the lookout for occasional “Learn To Spin” gatherings for both adults and children, as well as an annual fiber swap. For inspiration, feel free to browse the library's collection of books on handspinning.

Registration in advance for this event is strongly recommended

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!

Music Maker Foundation has described their Song Keepers book and CD anthology as "a powerful collection of images, stories and songs that is both a celebration of and part of the living culture of American music." Learn about roots musicians and Music Maker Foundation’s important work to preserve and nurture homegrown music at this presentation from author Georgann Eubanks and Tim Duffy, photographer and Music Maker's co-founder.

Music Maker is a 501(c)(3) that meets the day-to-day needs of the artists who create traditional American music, ensures their voices are heard, and gives all people access to our nation’s hidden musical treasures. It is based in Hillsborough and is also known for Carrboro's Freight Train Blues concert series.

Can't make it on this date, but still want to attend? The Main Library in Hillsborough is also hosting Tim and Georgann on July 23!

Travel back in time and discover the world of dinosaurs at All About Dinos!

A special guest from the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences will visit the library to share fascinating facts about these incredible prehistoric creatures. Dig into exciting recent discoveries, including the famous “dueling dinosaurs”—a remarkable fossil capturing a Tyrannosaurus rex relative and a Triceratops locked in an ancient battle. Explore how scientists study fossils to solve mysteries millions of years old and uncover what really happened between these two dinosaurs.

You’ll also learn about groundbreaking new research on Nanotyrannus, a small tyrannosaur now confirmed to be its own species rather than a young T. rex—changing what we know about dinosaur life and growth. Discover how dinosaurs adapted to their environments and how some of those traits can still be seen in animals today.

Perfect for curious minds of all ages, this engaging and educational program is sure to spark your inner paleontologist!

This event is open to curious minds of all ages! Parents must accompany their children for this program.

There is no registration for this event. Doors will open at 10:15 am.

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

How do you create a world that is believable for your characters to move through? Story world goes beyond setting—it’s the interwoven elements including large components such as time period and location, to the small details like smells and textures that your characters interact with throughout their journey. Building a believable story universe will propel your story forward and immerse readers in that world. In this workshop, 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. This writing workshop includes a writing exercise so please bring your personal writing tools (laptop, iPad, paper, pen, pencil, etc.).

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.

Beginners are welcome at this workshop!

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Kids and their families are invited to join the library for this program presented by the NC Museum of Natural Sciences to unearth the story of the dinosaurs!

Friendly Fiber Fridays Meet-Up - Added Time! | First and fourth 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 coffee and snacks along.

June 12 | 5:30 - 8:15 pm | Grades: Rising 7-12 | Registration Required

Join us for an exciting after hours event! We are going to take over the library's meeting room, chill in our PJs, stuff our faces with nachos (both savory and sweet), and watch a movie. Blankets, pillows, and other comfy items are encouraged but not required. Participants and staff will be in the Meeting Room for the duration of the program. The movie will be decided by majority vote the night of the event.

Movie options:

Ella Enchanted

Zootopia

Zootopia 2

Fantastic 4: First Steps

Wild Robot

Registration and parent permission slip required for each attendee.

This is a parent free event. Interested teens will need to fill out a parent/guardian permission slip and submit it to the teen librarian. The permission slip is attached and can be submitted in advance or brought signed when teens sign in for the program. Teens who show up without a signed permission slip will not be permitted to attend. Teens must be in the building and signed in for the program before the library closes its doors at 6:00 pm. Teens must be picked up by a parent or guardian between 8:15-8:30 pm.

These programs are designed for patrons who have already completed at least 6th 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 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.

Make your own “insect in amber” using soap and a plastic bug! Kids will create a cool, fossil-like keepsake while learning a little about how real amber forms. A fun and easy mix of science and crafting!

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

Not a Book Club | The next best thing to reading a good book is talking about it with your fellow readers. Join us online on the 2nd Thursday of the month at 6:30pm for an informal book discussion. We’re "Not a Book Club," so there’s no assigned reading and no pressure. Just grab a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, and let’s talk books! Registration is required for the link to join the discussion.

For more information about this and other book clubs, visit the library's book club page.

#NaBC

Relax with quiet reading and chill ambience in good company.

Chat about your books, if you want, in the last half hour (or just keep reading!)

Registration is not required, and you can come and go whenever between 5 and 7. If you'd like to be emailed a reminder of the date/time, feel free to register.

Sparkling water provided, while supplies last.

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 discover the magic of sight, test our skills with hands-on games, and explore how animals see the world in surprising ways. 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.

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

Kids, do you know dinos better than any grown-up? Adults, does your archaelogy expertise leave the kiddos in the dust?

Prove which age group knows best in this summer reading themed trivia game for all ages!

Adults can attend without a child, but children must be accompanied by an adult caregiver.

If you're registering for your family, please list everyone who will be coming, so we can make sure we have enough seats.

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.