Does your family love to explore the Great Outdoors? If so, ecoEXPLORE is a wonderful program to encourage your kids to get outside and explore while also teaching them about the animals and plants that are all around them!
EcoEXPLORE (Experiences Promoting Learning Outdoors for Research and Education) is an incentive-based citizen science program for children in grades K-8.
Developed by The North Carolina Arboretum, this innovative program combines science exploration with kid-friendly technology to foster a fun learning environment for children while encouraging them to explore the outdoors and participate in citizen science.
If you would like to see what all the excitement is about, visit any of our branches to pick up an activity sheet. Follow the included instructions and submit your findings through the website to start earning badges and prizes.
January and February are ornithology season, so find a bird to watch and then submit your observations. When redeeming prizes through the site, the N.C. Arboretum will mail the prize to your child.
Visit www.ecoexplore.net to sign up today, see more of the offered prizes, and to get more information. You can also visit one of our locations for more information.
Today, Saturday, Jan. 24, the Valdese Public Library will have a new Touch-A-Tale Story Adventure for children in kindergarten and younger.
This month’s adventure is to experience the story of “The Mitten,” by Jan Brett, in specially curated stations that bring the story to life through sight, touch, and sound. Drop in between 10 and 11:30 a.m. No pre-registration is required.
Senior Tech
Digital Literacy for Seniors Drop-In sessions, offered by the Western Piedmont Council of Governments Planning and Transportation department, are available at the Morganton Public Library from 9:30 a.m. until noon Tuesday, Jan. 27.
These sessions are one-on-one meetings with our Digital Navigator. Pre-registration is required.
If you would like individual help with smartphones and tablets, laptops, apps on your devices, online bill pay, making online appointments, online shopping, and more, stop by the Adult Services circulation desk or call 828-764-9261 to schedule your 30-minute appointment. These sessions are free of charge.
Adult Programming
Monday, Jan. 26, is Mixed-Media Monday. Join us at 6 p.m. at the Morganton Public Library where we will be creating DIY Wax Melts. Pre-registration is required to attend, and this program is open to adults only.
The Oxymorons New Adult Book Discussion group will meet Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 6 p.m. at the Morganton Public Library. We will discuss the book “In the Woods,” by Tana French. The discussion is open to older teens and adults only.
Young Adult Programming
It’s the final week of January, and YAS is going out with something for everyone.
Pre-registered teens can join us at the C.B. Hildebrand Public Library on Monday, Jan. 26, at 4:30 p.m. for a D&D One-Shot Afternoon where they will be given premade characters and go on a thrilling heist adventure.
Tuesday, Jan. 27, at 4:30 p.m. adults and teens who participate in our ongoing D&D @ the Library campaign can log on to the library’s Discord server to play in a campaign session.
Thursday, Jan. 29, is the night for crochet lovers at our monthly Crochet Cafe at the Valdese Public Library at 6 p.m. Tonight, adults and teens come together to bond over the love of all things crochet.
Finally, we wrap up the month with a “Survivor”-themed Winter Reading Challenge Finale Day on Saturday, Jan. 31, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the C.B. Hildebrand Public Library.
Pre-registration is required, and participation is limited to middle and high school students only.
At this program, teens will be divided into two teams and will compete in a “Survivor”-style competition complete with games, competition, tribal councils, immunity idols, and more.
Lunch will be provided to all pre-registered participants. For more information or to pre-register for any YAS program, contact Lizzie at 828-764-9273 or by email at lizzie.whisnant@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 bestsellers and NC Cardinal Consortium holds:
- “The Housemaid” by Freida McFadden – 150 holds
- “Heated Rivalry” by Rachel Reid – 53 holds
- “Theo of Golden” by Allen Levi – 1,003 holds
- “The First Time I Saw Him” by Laura Dave – 231 holds
- “The Correspondent” by Virginia Evans – 1,338 holds
- “The Housemaid’s Secret” by Freida McFadden – 119 holds
- “The Long Game” by Rachel Reid – 8 holds
- “People We Meet on Vacation” by Emily Henry – 54 holds
- “Dungeon Crawler Carl” by Matt Dinniman – 42 holds
- “Project Hail Mary” by Andy Weir – 57 holds
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