Catawba County News

This Week at Your Library [Feb 13-19]

Published: February 10, 2021

LIBRARY PROGRAMS
828.465.8665

Contribute to Our Seed Library
Ongoing
Help us build a seed library, where the community can exchange seeds for free! We'll accept viable seeds at all locations during their standard business hours, and heirlooms are especially welcome. Please package and label any donations you drop off. The seed swap collection will be available to the public in early March and will be housed at the Main Library in Newton. Seeds are subject to availability and cannot be reserved.

Your Art With Us: The Future 
Through March 8 
Take a trip to the future! Thomas Cole was a 19th-century American landscape painter who told stories through his work. Eighth-grade students at Maiden Middle School studied Cole’s series, The Course of Empire, and envisioned a sixth painting for the series, which the students titled The Future. Open to interpretation, this new painting could identify the future as a day in Cole's era in 1836, be set in the present day, or look well beyond. The exhibit of student art is on display at the Main Branch in Newton and virtually on the library's website.

Happy ValenThyme! DIY: Zoom Demo
Monday, February 15 at 2 pm
Celebrate your love of herbs during the Valen“thyme” season and join our live Zoom program, where you'll plant thyme, create an herb stake, and learn all about the herb. Register to receive a kit and/or the Zoom invitation for our discussion and demo at https://tinyurl.com/ccls-valenthyme-reg. Thyme can be used for health benefits, recipes, and more! Kit includes seeds, flower pot, items to make the herb stake, and instructions.

Virtual Zumba with Honey & Jossiah
Monday, February 15 at 6 pm
This fun dance workout is appropriate for every skill and ability level and open to anyone 14+ (parental signature required for teens under 18). Access the session with this Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87120563944?pwd=S09kaEVkd0dydm1VYW14WnVUZG9sUT09. Then enter the meeting ID: 871 2056 3944 and follow it with the passcode: Dance. [Please note that this word is case-sensitive. Enter it exactly as shown.] You can also visit www.facebook.com/ZumbaWithHmongSibs/. Meets every Monday.

ESL Class – Intermediate
Tuesday, February 16 at 6 pm
Practice speaking English with us on Tuesday evenings! We'll spend the first 20 minutes or so on grammar and then start our conversations. If you'd like to register for class or get more information about the weekly series that runs through May 2021, please call the Newton branch at 828.465.8664.

Yoga & Chill
Wednesday, February 17 at 9:30 am
Take time for yourself and join our certified yoga instructor on Zoom for a meditation, some yoga poses, and a brief wellness topic of the month. Registration (and waiver) required at https://tinyurl.com/ccls-yoga-chill. Meets every third Wednesday.

Black History Discussion Group
Wednesday, February 17 at 4 pm
To celebrate Black History Month, we’re taking the path less traveled to talk about Jason Reynolds, National Ambassador for Young Peoples’ Literature and author of books for middle grades and teens. Take a look at his appearance at the 2020 Library of Congress National Book Festival: https://www.loc.gov/item/webcast-9423/ and https://www.loc.gov/item/webcast-9552/. Watch the two videos and then register to attend our discussion on Zoom at https://tinyurl.com/ccls-bhdg-reg.   

LIVE Library to Go in Catawba
Thursday, February 18 from 10 am-2 pm
The Library to Go will be visiting the Town of Catawba on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month at Redeemer Lutheran Church (200 South Main Street). To ensure safety, we're asking visitors to make their stops brief, to sanitize their hands as they come in, and to wear a mask while in the building. We'll be taking temperatures at the door and will have extra masks and hand sanitizer for everyone to use. We're looking forward to seeing you safely! 

Live Preschool Storytime via Zoom
Thursday, February 18 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. 

Spring Into Reading STEAM Program: Ski Challenge
Thursday, February 18 at 4 pm
Join us to learn about the physics of skiing and then create your own skier and slope. Put your skier to the test to see how fast it can go! Participants must register at https://www.tinyurl.com/SpringIntoReading to receive the Zoom link and a materials list. Note: This is the third of seven STEAM programs connected to our youth-targeted Spring Into Reading challenge coordinated through Beanstack. Participants can use this same link to register for any of the weekly STEAM programs running from February 2 through March 18.

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.

Let’s Get Organized: Paperwork Edition
Friday, February 19 at 4 pm
Building on our progress from last month's organization workshop, we're now inviting participants to share their tips and tricks for managing all kinds of papers. Library staff will share strategies to deal with mail, receipts, statements, and other types of paper that turn up around the home. Register at https://tinyurl.com/ccls-organize-reg.

COMMUNITY
828.465.8665

Virtual Tai Chi
Wednesday, February 17 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. 

Positive Parenting Workshops
Thursday, February 18 from 6-7:30 pm
The Catawba County Partnership for Children is hosting a three-part series to offer practical tips for managing common parenting challenges and helping families develop loving relationships. The series meets via Zoom on February 4, 11, and 18. Call 828.695.6565 to register and get the Zoom meeting info.

REGISTER KIDS NOW!

Our Spring Into Reading challenge runs seven weeks, beginning on Groundhog Day (February 2) and ending on the first day of spring (March 20).

The challenge has two parts: 

1. Kids are asked to read a total of 120 minutes each of the 7 weeks.
2. They're encouraged to attend 5 of  the 7 virtual STEAM programs we're offering as well. 

If they complete the reading challenges and the STEAM program requirements, they'll be entered into a drawing to win a cool, 3-D-printed monster! 

To register for the virtual STEAM programs and get materials lists to participate, visit https://tinyurl.com/SpringIntoReading. To log reading time each week and to document STEAM programs a child has attended, register the child at https://catawbacountync.beanstack.org/reader365. Reading time can be entered under the 'logging badges' tab, and STEAM programs can be entered under the 'activity badges' tab.

The STEAM challenges are as follows:

• Week 1:  Shadow Puppets - Tuesday, February 2 at 4 pm
• Week 2:  Borax Crystal Snowflakes - Tuesday, February 9 at 4 pm
• Week 3:  Ski Challenge - Thursday, February 18 at 4 pm
• Week 4:  Save Han Solo - Saturday, February 27 at 3 pm
• Week 5:  Bug Out Robots - Thursday, March 4 at 4 pm
• Week 6:  Origami Rainbow Flowers - Friday, March 12 at 4 pm
• Week 7:  Pi Day - Thursday, March 18 at 4 pm

For more details, call 828.465.8665 or visit www.catawbacountync.gov/library.

UPCOMING
828.465.8665

Winter Farmers' Market
Saturday, February 27 from 10 am-1 pm
Come see us at the Winter Farmers' Market in Hickory! We'll be set up in the First Presbyterian parking lot at 2nd Street and 3rd Avenue NW (street address: 237 2nd St NW). We'd love to chat with you about library resources while you pick up fresh foods and check out the wares of local vendors. We look forward to seeing you!

Read to Me
Mondays, March 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29 at 4 pm
Calling all kid readers! Want to practice your reading and do something kind for others? On Mondays in March, we'll be Zooming with senior citizens in local nursing homes, and we hope you'll join in and read to them. For more information, call 828.465.8665 and sign up to read at tinyurl.com/cclsread2me. 

Mystery Mavens Book Club
Wednesday, March 3 at 6:30 pm
This monthly book club focuses on mysteries of all types and is open to everyone. Join us via Zoom for a lively discussion of Black Rabbit Hall by Eve Chase, led by Amy McCauley, Catawba County's communications and marketing director. Please register at https://tinyurl.com/CCLS-MysteryMavens. You’ll receive the Zoom link in your email. Please feel free to attend even if you haven’t read this month’s selection.