'1,000 Books Before Kindergarten' challenge underway

Ready to start the new year off with an exciting reading challenge for you and your little one? “1000 Books Before Kindergarten” is a national challenge that encourages adults and children to read 1,000 books together before that child enters kindergarten because being read to from birth has been shown in studies to have a huge impact on the language and brain development in children.

When the goal is achieved, your whole family will be invited to an annual celebration to honor all the families that completed the challenge that year. If your child isn’t participating yet, please see the circulation staff at any of our three locations to register and start logging your books today.

If you are already enrolled in the program, this would be a great time to check in with your local branch to verify your address and phone number and to turn in any logs that you have finished.

Don’t forget that repeat reads DO count. If your child wants to read the same book over and over, that’s okay; each time counts. Repetition builds those literacy skills, too.

If the challenge seems a little too daunting, did you know that if you read three books a night, you will reach the goal in less than a year? This means that 4-5 year olds going to kindergarten next year still have time.

Make it two books per night, and you will still reach it within a year and a half.

February is about to begin, so mark your calendars for these events that are happening soon.

Are you wishing for snow? Let’s create our own at the C.B. Hildebrand Public Library’s Family Fun Friday on Friday, Feb. 6. Join us to make your very own puffy paint masterpiece from 10 to 11:30 a.m. This program is open to all ages, and no pre-registration is required.

National Take Your Child to the Library Day is Saturday, Feb. 7, and the Morganton Public Library is celebrating. There will be a craft available for kids who drop in between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Come see us to find out what is going on at our library and get a library card if you don’t already have one.

The Community Snowball Fight is happening again this year. Join the Morganton Public Library and the Morganton Parks and Recreation Department at Martha’s Park on Monday, Feb. 9, at 3:30 p.m.

There will be a snow machine, a snowball fight using fake snowballs, and stories.

 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, Feb. 11, at 2 p.m. for our “Is That AI?” class. We will learn how to recognize content generated by AI. No pre-registration is required and the class is free of charge.

Adult Programming

Remember to read to win during the Bookopoly Adult Winter Reading Challenge. You can still pick up a game board at any Burke County Public Library location or download one at bcpls.org. The challenge runs Jan. 1-Feb. 28.

All programs are adults only unless otherwise stated. For more information, call Danielle at 828-764-9269, or email danielle.townsend@burkenc.org.

Young Adult Programming

Happy Library Lovers' Month! This month there are several activities that require pre-registration, including a D&D One-Shot Afternoon, DIY Hot Cocoa Bombs, and a STEAM Craft Night.

This month also brings our first-ever Read Local Fest 2026 on Saturday, Feb. 21, from 11 a.m to 3 p.m. Registration is now open to all local authors, booksellers, journalists, bloggers, and book clubs.

All Young Adult Services programming is limited to middle and high school students only unless otherwise noted.

For more information on these programs and everything that YAS has coming up, visit us online at bcpls.org. If you are interested in pre-registering for activities or have questions, contact Lizzie at 828-764-9273 or by email at lizzie.whisnantt@burkenc.org.

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 764-9276 or email at jwilson@bcpls.org.

eBooks @ your library

More than 6,000 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. Please contact the library if you need any assistance.

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.

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 1,130 of these most wanted books.

Current New York Times Best Sellers and NC Cardinal Consortium Holds

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans – 1,391 holds

Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid – 55 holds

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden – 136 holds

Theo of Golden by Allen Levi – 1,028 holds

Woman Down by Colleen Hoover – 139 holds

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry – 49 holds

The Long Game by Rachel Reid – 9 holds

The Devil’s Daughter by Danielle Steel – 113 holds

Game Changer by Rachel Reid – 47 holds

Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston -- 124 holds