Catawba County News

This Week at Your Library [Dec 26-Jan 1]

Published: December 23, 2020

ONLINE
828.465.8665

Festive Light Bulb Upcycling DIY
Throughout December
Want to try a fun and easy upcycling craft? Now you can turn your burned-out light bulbs – smaller bulbs work best, ideally nightlight-sized [C7] or small, vintage candle-type [C9, C11, or CA5] – into festive, easy holiday decorations! When you register for this craft, you supply the bulb, and the kit will have everything else. To participate, send an email with the subject line 'Light Bulb DIY' to share@catawbacountync.gov, including your name and the library location where you’d like to pick up your kit.

2020 Memories
Throughout December
The past year has been dramatically different than any other in our memories. We've all been literally living through history that has yet to be written. The library would like to play a part in preserving your experiences of this time for posterity. We present for you two options – do either or both: 

• Haiku 2020
Translate your experience of the past year and the pandemic into the form of a haiku poem (a total of 17 syllables, divided into three lines, respectively, with five, seven, and five syllables). Poems will be displayed in a gallery on Facebook and in an exhibit in the Newton Library. Submit your poem electronically or in person, with a signed waiver.

• Your 2020 Story
Share your memories long-form by letting the library create a private, one-on-one Zoom recording of your recollections to be preserved in our Local History collection. We’ll get you started by asking a few questions:  1) What is your most striking memory from this past year? 2) How was your life different this year? 3) Did you have to cope with aloneness? 4) If you were to give some advice to your children/grandchildren/the future, based on what you learned this year, what would it be?

The waiver is located on the Arts @ the Library page of our website. Send poems, waivers, and requests for a recording session to share@catawbacountync.gov or turn in poems to any library location. The Facebook gallery and Newton exhibit will be presented in January.

Your Art with Us: mini-abstractions Art Show
Throughout December
From an exploration of Matisse’s "Goldfish" to the study and interpretation of six mini artworks inspired by Warhol, Keith Haring, Picasso, Mondrian, Stella, and Van Gogh, explore how Maiden Middle School's 7th-grade art class reinterpreted famous works of art from diverse styles, including expressionism, pop art, and abstract art. On display at the Main Library in Newton for the month of December.

Tech Talk Tuesday
Tuesday, December 29 at 2 pm
Join us on the last Tuesday of each month to discuss questions submitted by you! If you’d like a librarian to answer a technology question or you’re interested in learning more about tech topics, we'd love to hear what you're curious about. Please register and submit your questions prior to our Tech Talk by sending an email to share@catawbacountync.gov with the subject line 'Tech Talk.' We'll send a Zoom link out the day before the program. 

Live Preschool Storytime via Zoom
Thursday, December 31 at 10 am
Gather the kids and join us for a live, interactive preschool storytime! This family-friendly virtual event will include singing, reading, finger plays, and lots of your favorite activities! Please register at https://tinyurl.com/CatawbaThursdayStorytime. You’ll receive the registration confirmation and Zoom link in your email. 

Upcoming! Hearts & Minds OLBC
Thursday, February 18 at 5:30 pm
This OnLine BookClub has a focus on health and wellness. We’ll meet on Zoom to discuss Stephanie Butland’s The Curious Heart of Ailsa Rae. Make yourself a cup of tea or coffee and settle in with the rest of us to talk about this novel and its themes of life, loss, love, and living. Send an email to share@catawbacountync.gov to receive the Zoom invitation.

COMMUNITY
828.465.8665

Virtual Tai Chi
Wednesday, December 30 at 12 noon
Join our lunchtime tai chi class, led by Cooperative Extension director Dr. George Place. This short virtual session is designed to help people relax in their offices or home environments during a quick 30 minutes. It also helps promote balance and alleviate the effects of arthritis. Check www.facebook.com/catawbacountylibrarysystem for the Zoom code the day of the class. 

Santa Letters and Kindness Bingo
Through December 31
Head to downtown Newton to create a joyful holiday season! Outside Refuge Designs (24A E 1st St) you'll find a box with Santa Letter templates and a Kindness Bingo sheet. If you complete 10 or more acts of kindness, bring your sheet by the Newton Library or share it with the Downtown Newton Development Association on Facebook for a chance to win Downtown Dollars. We'll draw a winner the first week of January! This project is in partnership with the Downtown Newton Development Association.

SUFFRAGE Exhibit: Hickory Museum of Art
Through January 24, 2021
Stop by the Coe Gallery to view a new exhibit celebrating the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment. Six regional artists will display artwork that responds to themes associated with the women’s suffrage movement, and a special series of panels created by Catawba Valley Community College graphic design students will trace the movement's milestones. Also featured is an installation called The Feminist To Do List by fiber artist Susan Lenz. Its 42 vintage quilt blocks have been stitched with civic-minded call-to-action phrases. The SUFFRAGE exhibit was created in conjunction with the Historical Association of Catawba County, the Catawba County Library System, the League of Women Voters of Catawba Valley, and the United Arts Council of Catawba County.

HOLIDAY CLOSINGS

All library branches will be closed from Thursday, December 24 through Monday, December 28 for the Christmas holiday. Branches will also close at 5 pm Thursday, December 31 and remain closed on Friday, January 1 for the New Year's holiday.