Programs in Numbers

Did you know that North Carolina has a statewide Star Party every year? 2026 marks the 14th annual North Carolina Statewide Star Party, a signature event of the 2026 NC Science Festival.

Orange County Public Library invites you to celebrate with Star Party at Home on the evening of Saturday, April 25th. Register for a party kit and you'll get a beginner's stargazing quick guide, easy activity and hosting ideas, and star party headbands to decorate. One headband per registrant, please, though a group or family can register multiple people.

For all ages. Pick up your kits beginning Wednesday, April 15th at upstairs desk at the Main Library located at 137 West Margaret Lane, Hillsborough.

This program is a Green Literacy event that encourages people of all ages to enjoy nature, learn about the environment, and build earth-friendly habits. Click here for a list of upcoming Green Literacy events.

GreenLiteracy

Hillsborough Climate Challenge

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.

Saturday Serenity Guided Meditation occurring on the last Saturday of the month (February 28th, March 28th, April 25th, May 30th) from 3:00-4:00pm 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.

Friendly Fiber Fridays Meet-Up | First and fourth Fridays of the month from 9am to 10:30am 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.

Lovers of journaling, stationery, and creative organization, come work together and socialize every two weeks on Friday evenings, starting Feb 13! (Date/time has changed from January, which previously met on Thursdays).

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. Bring your notebooks, stickers, or just yourself; everyone’s welcome!

Who can join: Anyone living in NC with a love for journaling, planning, or creativity.

Join us, get inspired, and connect with other journalers who understand the joy of the journal. 🌿

Orange County Public Library and the Hillsborough Climate Challenge invite you and your family to celebrate Earth Day with The Lorax movie! (Movie Rated PG) Feel free to bring your favorite (nut-free) movie snacks!

Hillsborough Climate Challenge is a month-long series of events for all ages occurring at venues all over town with the goal of presenting practical and accessible things people can do in their everyday lives to combat climate change. Click here to find a complete list of Hillsborough Climate Challenge events happening throughout Hillsborough.

GreenLiteracy Green Literacy

This winter and spring, 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 March 3rd. 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 marzo hasta finales de mayo, 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 3 de marzo. 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!

Celebrate Earth Day by getting creative with plants and words! Kids will build a self-watering planter and write an Earth Day acrostic poem to show their love for the planet. Designed for children in grades 3–5. Registration not required.

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.

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.

Celebrate Earth Day with creativity and conservation!

Join us for an Upcycled Art Lab where everyday throwaways become amazing works of art. Teens will use recycled and repurposed materials to create new and creative art pieces.

Registration for this program is encouraged but not required

This is a Hillsborough Climate Challenge (HCC) event. HCC is a month-long series of events for all ages occurring at venues all over town with the goal of presenting practical and accessible things people can do in their everyday lives to combat climate change. Click here to find a complete list of Hillsborough Climate Challenge events happening throughout Hillsborough.

GreenLiteracy Green Literacy

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!

This winter and spring, 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 March 3rd. 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 marzo hasta finales de mayo, 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 3 de marzo. 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.

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. Buzz into Earth Week as we make our own wild flower seed bombs and help plant a brighter, bee-friendly world! Children may participate in this program independently or with their caregivers. Caregivers must remain inside the library for the duration of the program.

This is a Hillsborough Climate Challenge (HCC) event. HCC is a month-long series of events for all ages occurring at venues all over town with the goal of presenting practical and accessible things people can do in their everyday lives to combat climate change. Click here to find a complete list of Hillsborough Climate Challenge events happening throughout Hillsborough.

GreenLiteracy Green Literacy

Join us as we welcome Hillsborough Poet Laureate, Amal Kassir, for an Earth conscious poetry workshop entitled "On Home and Earth: Writing the Places We Love" on Tuesday, April 21st at 5:30pm at Main Library in Hillsborough located at 137 West Margaret Lane, Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278.

This workshop launches a new community writing series inviting all residents of Hillsborough—writers and non-writers alike—to tell their stories through poetry. Through simple prompts and guided reflection, participants will craft heartfelt pieces about land, home, memory, and belonging in a time of rapidly changing climate. Whether reflecting on a childhood creek, a garden, a front porch, or the forests and fields that shape our region, this workshop invites us to write about the places that hold us. Pieces created here may be shared at the April Last Fridays Open Mic and submitted to the Hillsborough Community Chapbook, a town-wide poetry anthology celebrating Hillsborough voices.

Amal Kassir is a Syrian American poet born and raised in Denver, Colorado. She has performed and taught in 13 countries and cities all over the world 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. She is also the founder of the mental Wellness Program for Muslim Youth for Positive Impact in Colorado, working to create access and dismantle stigma around mental health in the Muslin community. Amal is the Town of Hillsborough’s 2025-2027 Poet Laureate. She and her husband Omar Rezk own a farm in Hillsborough. https://www.amalkassir.com/

Hillsborough Climate Challenge (HCC) is a month-long series of events for all ages that presents practical and accessible things people can do in their everyday lives to combat climate change. Though HCC events occur at venues all over town, a number of them will take place at Main Library located at 137 West Margaret Lane, Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278.

This program is a Green Literacy learning event that encourages people of all ages to enjoy nature, learn about the environment, and build earth-friendly habits. Click here for a list of upcoming Green Literacy events.

Click here to find a complete list of Hillsborough Climate Challenge events happening throughout Hillsborough.

GreenLiteracy

April is National Native Plant month!

Come learn from Jeanette O'Connor of Land & Waters South about the critical role native plants play in a healthy ecosystem and discover how to create a native pollinator garden where you live.

Main Library's Local History Help Drop-In Hours are most Mondays from 12-3pm. Help by appointment can be requested most Thursdays from 12-3pm. 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 12pm and 3pm 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.

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.

We have limited space in the class. If you can't make these sessions, there will be more in the very near future.

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.

The sessions are Mondays at 1pm:
April 6
April 13
April 20
April 27

Tales & Tails at Southern gives 2nd-5th graders the opportunity to read to a trained therapy dog, building confidence and improving reading skills in a calm, non-judgmental environment.

Each registered reader will be assigned a 15-minute time slot within the event window on a first come-first served registration basis. During their 15 minutes, they'll be able to read one-on-one with the therapy dog.

Siblings are allowed to share a session, up to two children. Feel free to bring a book from home that the child is working on or we will have lots of books at the library for you to choose from!

To maintain a safe space for both the reader and the therapy dog, we are only accepting readers currently in 2nd-5th grade at this time.

Monday April 20th is with Lulu!

Call to register: 919-245-2719

Join us for a brand-new Spring edition of the library's cookbook club, now meeting seasonally in 2026! For this potluck-style event, we'll sign up for recipes from Yotam Ottolenghi's Ottolenghi Comfort and Melissa Clark's Dinner in One, now available to browse at the front desk of the Main Library and access digitally on libby. On the night of, bring your dish and take part in a delicious spring feast!

Registration is required for this event. We'll follow up to confirm your recipe (and check for duplicates) after registration. If you have any questions ahead of the meeting, please call the library (919-245-2525; ask for Daniel) or email dlawrence@orangecountync.gov. While the event will start at 6:30 p.m., you are welcome to come set up any time after 6.

Participants of the Stuffed Animal Sleepover will return to pick up their stuffed animals, enjoy a light breakfast, and watch a slideshow of their stuffies' sleepover hijinks!