Burke County Public Library offers programs for all ages this week
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Angela K. Copeland
Editor
The following programs can be found at your local Burke County Public Library branches.
SUMMER READING KICKOFF
BCPL Summer Reading Program Kickoff on the Courthouse Square in Morganton is Thursday, June 4, from 5-8 p.m. There will be numerous local organizations and businesses providing information about their services and resources, along with games and giveaways.
Additionally, the local Gravity Check Juggling team is back this year for loads of exciting entertainment. New this year, Asheville Plays will be bringing their 30-foot mobile pirate ship escape room, The Flying Dutchman, to join the fun. This exciting ship is a great introduction to escape rooms for families of all ages. It is designed to be solved quickly, allowing a large number of participants to rotate through the unique pirate-themed experience.
All of these activities are offered at no charge.
CHILDREN’S PROGRAMMING
Story times will resume the week of June 8. Pre-registration is required for all story time programs, and they fill up quickly.
Touch-A-Tale is back at the Valdese Public Library from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Saturday, June 6. This month’s theme is the book “Dinosaurumpus.” Touch-A-Tale programs give children the chance to experience our favorite picture books and stories in a brand new, sensory-filled way and are for children in kindergarten and below.
The Morganton Public Library is calling all tiny dinos for our Dinosaur Tea Party on Saturday, June 6, at 3 p.m. Wear your fancy clothes or dinosaur attire to enjoy dinosaur stories, games, and tea party snacks. This program is for children ages 6 and younger and requires pre-registration.
YOUNG ADULT PROGRAMMING
The library’s 2026 Summer Reading Program is right around the corner, and we’re celebrating with our third annual Kickoff to Summer Party on the Burke County Courthouse Square. Tracking on READSquared starts on June 4. For information about this year’s Young Adult Summer Reading Program, contact Lizzie at 828-764-9273 or by email at lizzie.whisnant@burkenc.org.
ADULT PROGRAMMING
Needlework in the Morning meets Friday, June 5, at 10 a.m., at the Valdese Public Library. No registration is required.
All programs are open to adults only unless otherwise stated. For more information, call Danielle at 828-764-9269 or email danielle.townsend@burkenc.org.
SENIOR TECH
The Western Piedmont Council of Governments Planning and Transportation Department is offering monthly Digital Literacy for Seniors classes at the Morganton Public Library. Join us Wednesday, June 10, at 2 p.m. for our “Everyday Uses of AI” class. We will look at common applications of AI across multiple industries and examine the ways AI is already present in everyday tasks, ranging from voice assistants to customer service and healthcare. No pre-registration is required, and the class is free of charge.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Volunteers are needed at the Morganton Public Library to assist with landscape maintenance. We need some folks to help us keep our landscaped areas free of weeds and debris. If you would like to help, call Library Director Jim Wilson at 828-764-9276 or email him at jwilson@bcpls.org.
EBOOKS @ YOUR LIBRARY
More than 6,300 Burke County Public Library users have registered to use the library’s digital collection available through the e-iNC consortium and NC Kids Digital Library. This digital collection includes eBooks, audiobooks, and streaming video available to Burke County Public Library cardholders.
Apps are available for download for a variety of devices, including Kindle, iPhone, and Android phones. Go to http://omc.overdrive.com to see the apps. To access the collection and download items, go to http://e-inc.lib.overdrive.com and follow the instructions to set up an account.
You will need to know your library card number and your PIN. Contact the library if you need any assistance.
MOST WANTED LIST
Donations of new or gently used copies of any of the best-selling titles are most appreciated. To date, the library has received 1,147 of these most wanted books.
Current New York Times bestsellers and NC Cardinal Consortium holds:
- “A Parade of Horribles” by Matt Dinniman – 23 holds
- “Theo of Golden” by Allen Levi – 1,650 holds
- “Yesteryear” by Caro Claire Burke – 732 holds
- “Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby Van Pelt – 226 holds
- “Project Hail Mary” by Andy Weir – 333 holds
- “The Fourth Option” by Jack Carr and M.P. Woodward – 73 holds
- “Broken Dove” by Dani Francis – 25 holds
- “Our Perfect Storm” by Carley Fortune – 213 holds
- “Dungeon Crawler Carl” by Matt Dinniman – 65 holds
- “The Deal” by Elle Kennedy – 75 holds
FIND US ON THE WEB
Go to www.bcpls.org for a list of programs and events. Unless noted otherwise, all library programs are free. Some programs have pre-registration and age requirements.
