Programs in Numbers

Hallo, Kinder!

Join UNC German Language students for a 25 minute storytime program for children and their families. Stories will be in German with simple vocabulary. No prior knowledge of German is needed. All are welcome!

Location: inside Southern Branch Library in Kid's Area. Library is on the first floor of the Drakeford building.

Children must be supervised by an adult caretaker at all times.

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).

You Can Ukulele is a community music program for adults designed to bring people together through music, learning, and social connection.

At 1:45pm, join Mickey Reed, the "Ukulele Lady of North Carolina" and director of the Silver Fleas Orchestra, for an introductory ukulele lesson! Participants will learn basic chords, strumming techniques, and simple songs in an accessible and welcoming environment. Up to 12 loaner ukuleles will be available, or feel free to bring your own.

At 2:30pm, Mickey will lead a cozy community sing-along for all skill levels with lyrics and chords provided. Bring your ukulele or other instruments and play, sing, or just listen and enjoy! (Use this link to register for the sing-along.)

Due to limited supply, attendees who register in advance will have first priority for loaner ukuleles. Register today if you'd like to secure an instrument!

You Can Ukulele is a community music program for adults designed to bring people together through music, learning, and social connection.

At 1:45pm, join Mickey Reed, the "Ukulele Lady of North Carolina" and director of the Silver Fleas Orchestra, for an introductory ukulele lesson! Participants will learn basic chords, strumming techniques, and simple songs in an accessible and welcoming environment. Up to 12 loaner ukuleles will be available, or feel free to bring your own. (Use this link to register for the learn-along.)

At 2:30pm, Mickey will lead a cozy community sing-along for all skill levels with lyrics and chords provided. Bring your ukulele or other instrument and play, sing, or just listen and enjoy!

Due to limited supply, attendees who register in advance will have first priority for loaner ukuleles. Register today if you'd like to secure an instrument!

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. 🌿

Celebrate the joy of sharing stories across generations! Join us for a storytime featuring books, songs, rhymes, and movement activities designed to bring children and the special grown-ups in their lives together. Grandparents, families, and caregivers of all kinds are welcome.

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.

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

Discover the science behind your favorite fizzy drinks! Explore bubbles, carbonation, and exciting hands-on experiments that make soda pop science fun. This program is designed for kids in grades 3 - 5. No registration 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

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.

This week's craft is: Paper Plate Owls!

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.

Looking for the perfect Halloween costume? Stop by the Main Library for our Kids’ Costume Bazaar! Families can browse our selection of gently-used costumes, dress-up clothes, and fun accessories—perfect for kids approximately ages 0–8. Pick out something “new-to-you” for trick-or-treating, school events, or imaginative play.

Costumes and accessories are generously donated by community members during our September 8 - October 6 costume collection drive.

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 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.

Mindfulness meditation and gentle movement can help you achieve greater focus, clarity, balance, and inner calm. Join us on the first Tuesday of the month from 12:00-1:00pm for an hour of inspiring guidance and deep relaxation. Poetry, music, and nature-connection activities enrich the practices.

Registration preferred.

About the Instructor

Valorie Hallinan is a mindfulness meditation teacher certified by the UC Berkeley Greater Good Science Center and the Awareness Training Institute. Her teaching draws on ancient wisdom practices combined with psychology, neuroscience, and trauma sensitivity.

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 be joined by Lesley Grill from Kid Clover! We'll read a fairy story and decorate fairies and fairy houses using recycled and found materials. Bring your imagination and whimsy!

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

Invitamos a las personas que están aprendiendo 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 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.

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.

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.

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

Kids and their families, drop-in from 12-5 to build a SPOOK-tacular creation.

Haunted houses, graveyards, and monsters galore. What's the spookiest thing you can build? Your haunted LEGO creations will then be displayed in the library to decorate the stacks for spooky season.

Children under 10 must be supervised by an adult at all times, this is not a drop-off event.