Programs in Numbers

Kids, join us for "Science Time" with hands-on science experiments!

This month's activity is bubbling monster heads to explore chemical reactions.

Each month we will start by sharing a themed read-aloud story and then let kids get messy in the library to apply what they've learned.

Children must be supervised by an adult caretaker.

First Monday Classics is a Community Member-Led book club which meets on first Mondays of the month at 6:30pm at Main Library located at 137 West Margaret Lane, Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278. The club discusses classic 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.

America 250 | First Monday Classics has been running over a decade, reading and discussing a mix of American and international novelists. In celebration of the Nation's 250th birthday, First Monday Classics has assembled a journey through American literature with its 2026 reading selections, from some of the earliest classics to classics from 50 years ago. Join us in this celebration of literature, culture, and authorship from these United States.

A250

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!

Instructors with UNC’s Community Workshop Series will teach topics needed in many workplaces, but that can be helpful to anyone, not just job-seekers. Meets on the 2nd floor, in Classroom 217 (the computer lab of the Skills Development Center/NC Works).

You are welcome to register for whichever topics interest you (no requirement to attend them all).

Class Topics:

October 3: Microsoft Word

October 10: Microsoft Excel

October 24: Troubleshooting (get more help on what you've practiced since previous classes, or bring other questions).

October 31: Internet Basics

November 7: Email Basics

November 14: Troubleshooting (get more help on what you've practiced since previous classes, or bring other questions).

Saturday Serenity Guided Meditation occurring on the last Saturday of the month 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.

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.

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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!

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 Thursdays at 1pm:
October 8
October15
October 22
October 29

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.

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.

Kids and their families, drop-in for crafting time!

Each week will have a new seasonal craft for families to enjoy together to add more fun to your library visits.

Program is designed for children to participate with the assistance of their adult family members on a drop-in basis, with instructions provided for self-led activities. Children must be supervised during library visits.

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.

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 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 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.