Twice a year the Friends ask library staff to put together proposals on how best to spend the money earned at all the book sales the Friends hold. Each proposal is reviewed and ranked and voted on and the winning proposals are funded. This past spring we asked for money to start our ebook collection and the Friends came through for us.

So if you are enjoying our latest offering, ebooks, thank a Friends, better yet, join the Friends and support the book sales they have going on all year. http://durhamcountylibrary.org/friends.php

To learn how ebooks work with DCL check out our Ebooks Basics Page.

Louis Austin, The Carolina Times and the Long Black Freedom Struggle
Sunday, August 21, 3pm, Main Library Auditorium, 300 N. Roxboro St.

Louis Austin, long-time owner and editor of Durham’s historically black newspaper, The Carolina Times, was a force to be reckoned with in Durham and NC’s civil rights struggle. This Sunday, August 21, at 3:00 in the Main Library auditorium, Jerry Gershenhorn, associate professor of history at North Carolina Central, will speak about Austin’s life and work in a talk entitled “Louis Austin, The Carolina Times and the Long Black Freedom Struggle.” Ken Edmonds, grandson of Austin and current Carolina Times publisher, will also say a few words about his grandfather.

To see online issues of the Times from the 1930s-1950s, go to http://digitalnc.org/collections/newspapers/carolina-times-durham-nc .

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Duke Transformed: The Making of A Major Research University in the Post WWII Era
Monday, August 22, 7p.m., Main Library Auditorium, 300 N. Roxboro St.
In the decades after WWII, Duke’s student body, programs and facilities expanded dramatically. Maintaining a cohesive look and flow for the campus in this era of rapid growth was a challenge, one that Duke also faces today. Executive Vice President, Tallman Trask and University Architect, John Pearce, will guide us through the changing visions for campus architecture over the last five decades and provide insights into Duke’s current approach to campus planning.

MEET ROSIE THE RIVETER
Sunday, August 7, 3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Southwest Regional Library, 3605 Shannon Rd.
Rosie the Riveter appears at the library! During World War II, women riveted, welded and made bullets, working in defense industry factories to aid the war effort. Rosie the Riveter is a composite figure drawn from records and memories of actual women defense workers, unsung heroines who helped to win the war. Dr. Sally Ann Drucker, who previously appeared here as Emma Goldman, presents this costumed re-creation.

Fans packed the Casbah in downtown Durham as the band rocked Harry Potter related tunes.

Thanks to the Durham Library Foundation for sponsoring the band’s return to the Bull City.

Summer Readers were encouraged to reach their reading goals at today’s Pit Stop Rally at the Main Library.

A little break in the heat made for a beautiful day for train rides, face painting, a moon bounce, classic cars from the Durham Street Rods and performances from Didgeridoo Down Under and Bright Star Children’s Theatre.

Summer Reading lasts through August 13, when there will be grand prize drawings for everyone at finale’s throughout the library system. Check out the summer reading pages at http://www.durhamcountylibrary.org/2011_sr.php.

Keep reading and stay cool!

Moon Bounce

Inside the Moon Bounce

Try to stay on your feet!

A Durham Street Rod classic car.

Didgeridoo Down Under

Library Director, Tammy Baggett

Bright Star Children's Theatre

For the third year running, Jay O’Berski and Dana Marks will lead a troupe of professional actors in this production by Little Green Pig Theatrical Concern. Jay says, “What better way to support a community’s love of reading than by bringing their favorite stories to life?” You can vote for your favorite books at this link http://www.durhamcountylibrary.org/banned_book_vote.php and help spread the word by inviting your friends to vote too.

In the past, the troupe chose from a list of books that were banned from schools, libraries and bookstores. They selected seven to 10 scenes to mount a thrilling performance that celebrates our freedom to read. Most memorable for me was Michael Goolsby’s interpretation of And Tango Makes Three. This children’s book is based on a true story about two male penguins raising a chick together. Goolsby’s emotion and palpable desire for a family wrenched my heart. This banned book has been called anti-family and unsuited for young children.

Please vote and prepare to open your mind and heart on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 3 p.m. in the Main Library auditorium. In a 90-minute, professionally-staged performance – costumes, live music, professional lighting – you will directly experience the language, emotions, insights and perspectives of the banned works. A talk-back with the actors will follow the performance.

Anastasia Bush, Durham County Library Grant Writer

For the first time ever, the Festivals will be held at every library throughout Durham County. Each celebration will have a carnival feel and will feature activities, games, refreshments, giveaways, music connected to a world theme and free RIF books for children.

The 2011 summer reading theme is ‘One World, Many Stories’ and the library has planned an exciting summer of world-class reading fun. Everyone will get an opportunity to ‘visit and explore’ any continent, country, city, town or village to learn about world cultures, dress, food, music and more.

Join us for the kickoff and throughout the summer, and enjoy “One world, many stories.”

Here’s the kickoff schedule:

Day/Date/Time:             Friday, June 17, 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Locations:                            
Bragtown Library & Family Literacy Center, 3200 Dearborn Dr.
McDougald Terrace Community Library, 1101 Lawson St.

Day/Date/Time:             Saturday, June 18, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Locations:                           
Main Library, 300 N. Roxboro St.
East Regional Library, 211 Lick Creek Ln.
North Regional Library, 221 Milton Rd.
South Regional Library, 4505 S. Alston Ave.
Southwest Regional Library, 3605 Shannon Rd.
Stanford L. Warren Library, 1201 Fayetteville St.

Cost:                                       Free and open to the public

For the past twenty-one years, those of us with questions about Durham’s history have made a beeline for one book: Jean Bradley Anderson’s Durham County, first published in 1990 by our friends at the Duke University Press.

Now, Mrs. Anderson’s second edition of Durham County, released in April, tells Durham’s history up to the end of the twentieth century.

To celebrate, the Duke University Archives has joined with the Durham County Library to present an afternoon with Jean Bradley Anderson. Join us at the Durham County Library’s Main Library, where Mrs. Anderson will discuss this monumental book, as well as interesting and surprising moments in her research. She’ll also answer questions from the audience—so here’s your chance to ask the expert historian everything you’ve ever wanted to know about Durham! A book signing and refreshments will follow the discussion.

Can’t make the event? Leave us a comment and let us know what you’d like to ask Jean!

The Friends Book Sorters — the group of 20+ volunteers who run the book sales — are behind-the-scenes workers whose labor and retail acumen fund the generous contributions of the Friends of the Durham Library to library programs and services.

It’s difficult (and painful, too!) to imagine our library without the Friends’ support. There would be no library newsletter, no Season’s Readings, no RIF book giveaway during Summer Reading. There would be no Wii games at the library, no book club kits, no LDC projectors in the meeting rooms and no computer classes outside Main Library. And those are just some of the obvious things that library patrons would notice right away.

Library customers and staff depend on support from the Friends. Last year, the Friends gave the library $100,000 for dozens of projects ranging from scholarships for library staff to attend college, to a machine that cleans and repairs CDs and DVDs.

Anyone can support the Friends (http://www.durhamcountylibrary.org/friends.php) by becoming a member and by shopping at the booksales. If you would like to become involved as a Friends volunteer, or if you have questions about the Friends, please email the library’s staff liaison to the Friends, Anastasia Bush, at abush@durhamcountync.gov.