Open Mike Poetry Night

April is National Poetry Month. Every year, we celebrate by hosting an open Mike night here at the Albemarle library. You may read your original poetry or a favorite published poem. Please call Melanie at 704-986-3761 to register.

Date: Thursday, April 26, 2007
Time: 7:00-8:00 pm

Other ways you can celebrate National Poetry Month:

• Check out and read a book of poetry.
• Memorize a poem.
• Recite a poem to family and friends.
• Visit www.poets.org
• Attend a poetry reading.

It's Time for the Spring Booksale

Preview Sale for Friends Members

Thursday, March 29, 2007

5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Memberships will be available

Open to the Public

Friday, March 30, 2007

9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Saturday, March 31, 2007

9:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Whitethorn Woods by Maeve Binchy

I have a love/hate relationship with Maeve Binchy. She can create the best characters, and I love them all - the good, the bad and the ugly. But, her novels are more collections of short stories. I hate that I don't get to follow any of her amazing character for a whole book. The unifying theme in her newest book, Whitethorn Woods, is a pagan wishing well called St. Ann's Well in the Irish town of Rossmore, that is being threatened by a new road. Each of the wonderful characters in the book has some tie to St. Ann's Well. And the last section of the book is an unsatisfying tie up to some of the stories. I would love to hear from other readers of Maeve Binchy to hear your ideas of her books.

Reader's Circle Book Club

This morning I was frantically finishing up the book for book club when I realized that book club is NEXT Tuesday - March 20th. So now I'm ready to discuss The Memory Keepers Daughter by Kim Edwards. I hope everyone else has read it, or is working on finishing up. I can't wait to hear what everyone thinks of this book. It got lots of good reviews last year and was an unexpected paperback bestseller.

So I'll see you all next Tuesday, March 20th at 11:00 in the Albemarle Library meeting room!

Adult Winter Reading Program - Winner!

Our Adult Winter Reading Program has ended for the year and we have a winner for the $25.00 Barnes & Noble gift card. In fact, we have FIVE winners. There were enough prizes this year for each library location to have a final drawing winner. Thanks so much to the Friends of the Library who provide all the prizes for our reading programs. The Albemarle winning entry was for Love in the Present Tense by Catherine Ryan Hyde. Our winner said that this book about a bachelor who takes in a five-year old and finds the love of his life is a GREAT book. Why don't you check it out and see what you think. Watch for our Adult Winter Reading program next winter for your chance to read books and win prizes.

Free Genealogy Wokkshop

Local Guide to Genealogy and Preservation

Date:Saturday, March 3, 2007

Time: 9:00am- noon and 1:00-5:00pm

Pre-Registrater by Monday, February 26, 2007 by calling 704-986-3755

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  Session I: Basic Genealogy


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  Session II: Materials Preservation - including documents, photos and textiles

Sponsored by: Stanly County Public Library, Stanly County Genealogical Society, Yadkin River Patriots DAR, and the Stanly County Museum

New Date for the Best Books Program!

Thursday, Febraury 22nd at 7:00 pm.

Please come and join me for the discussion of the Best Books of 2006. And, I hope you'll hsare your best, and worst, books of the year.

See you then-

Best Books Program ReScheduled

Due to the weather today, the library was closed. I will definately re-schedule the Best Books 2006 discussion. I have lots of great things I want to share with everyone. Please keep a watch out for the new date - I'll be posting it soon.

It's Time for the Best Books Discussion!

It's that time of year again - when we spend an evening discussing the best, and worst, books of 2006. I have spent the last year reading reviews and collecting fun and interesting information about books and authors. I hope you'll come and join me on Thursday evening, February 1st at 7:00 pm at the Albemarle Library. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the books you read last year. For everyone who attends, I'll have a great handout with lists of bestsellers, notable books, books made into movies, award winning books and authors who have died - all in 2006.

Cathy Pickens will discuss her mysteries Southern Fried and Done Gone Wrong at the Albemarle Library on Thursday, January 25 at 6:00 p.m. Friends of the Stanly County Library will sponsor this program as well as the book signing which will follow. Pickens' novels will be available for purchase. For more information, call (704)986-3766.

Reading in a Winter Wonderland

Get warm and cozy this winter with a good book, and join our annual adult winter reading program.

Starting on January 2, sign up at your local library - in Albemarle, Badin, Norwood, Oakboro, or Locust - and you will receive a special book mark. For each book you read, drop and entry form into the weekly drawing box and be eligible to win a limited edition library mug. All weekly entries will be eligible for the final drawing of a $25.00 gift certificate to Barnes and Nobel Bookstore.

This is the time to read some of the great books that have been published in the last year, or to pick up an old classic you've been meaning to read, and maybe win a prize!

Program Sponsored by the Children's Department

Homeschool Open House
January 12, 2007
at
10:00 AM
Stanly County Public Library
Meeting Room

Resources for Book Groups

The library has a Book Group Network to offer support and assistance to Stanly County book clubs. Advantages of being a Book Group Network member are: help with program ideas, including author information, discussion questions, book sets, and program speakers. There is also a monthly newsletter with notices of local literary and library events and reminders of Friends of the Library book sales that gets e-mailed to the group secretary. All network members also have the opportunity to recommend books for the library to purchase.

I have two special DVD's for book clubs to use. The first is Barbara Delinsky Talks About Writing & Books, and I also have At Home With Adriana Trigiani. Both authors have created these DVD's to help book groups discuss their books. These DVD's are available only to Book Group Network Members.

If your group would like to use one or both of these DVD's, or if you would like to register your book club with the Network, please give me a call at 704-986-3761.

Books to Warm Your Heart

The weather is finally feeling winter like. Are you looking for a good book to curl up under the covers with? Try one of these:

The Cross Country Quilters by Jennifer Chiaverine
The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas
Walking Across Egypt by Clyde Edgerton
Fried Green Tomatoes by Fannie Flagg
A Painted House by John Grisham
Home to Harmony by Philip Gulley
Friendship Cake by Lynne Hinton
A Common Life by Jan Karon
Patty Jane's house of Curl by Lorna Landvik
Where the Heart is by Billie Letts
The Ladies of Covington Send Thier Love by Joan Medlicott
Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson
Julie and Romeo by Jeanne Ray
Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind by Ann B. Ross
Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani

We really do want your opinions!

As Miss Melanie wrote the other day, the library is in the process of working with an outside consultant to determine the directions in which our programming and services should move... and the opinions of the community we serve are an important component -- if not the most important -- in making those decisions.

If you would like to help us out in plotting the direction of library services here in Stanly County, please click on this link to go directly to the 2006 Citizens Survey. Thanks!

Oakboro Tourism Marketing Plan

Now available for public viewing at the Oakboro Branch Library is a copy of the Oakboro Tourism Marketing Plan 2007. This plan was presented by Greta Lint to the Oakboro Board of Commissioners on November 6. She has been promoting the town is working to expand the infrastructure of tourism marketing.

We want your opinion!

We want your opinion. Stanly County Public Library will post a survey on library use on the blog from Monday, November 27 through Wednesday, November 29. The link will direct you to a Citizens Survey that the library Strategic Issues Committee will use to determine the future direction of the library. This committee is working with planning consultant Bill Millett to create a new five-year plan for the library. We'll post the results here after they have been tabulated.

Celebrating Veterans

As we celebrate our veterans this weekend, check out some of these award winning novels about the military.

Gods and Generals by Jeff Shaara

Jacob's Ladder: A Story of Virginia During the War by Donald McCaig

Dog Company Six by Edwin Howard Simmons

Warning of War: The Marines of North China by James Brady

To the Last Man: A Novel of the First World War by Jeff Shaara

Articles of War by Nick Arvin

Check the library's online catalog by following the link on the right side of this page.

New Book Club Looking for Members

The Norwood Branch Library is starting a new book club, and is looking for new members. The book club will hold their organizational meeting on Monday, November 6th from 7:00-8:00 PM. Please come prepared to discuss and share your favorite books. Call the Norwood Branch Library at 704-474-3625 if you have any questions.

For the Holiday Season

The Oakboro Branch Library is having a holiday Gift Wrapping and Bow Making class. The class will be held on Tuesday, November 14th at 6:00 pm. Participants must call the Oakboro Branch Library at 704-495-4310 to pre-register and get a list of supplies they will need to bring. Because space is limited this class is for adults only.