Content tagged with: "Fontana Flyer - Spring 2018"

Would you rather… Duel Dumbledore or Voldemort?

Children at the Macon and Jackson County Public Libraries joined libraries and bookstores around the world to celebrate the fourth annual Harry Potter Book Night on February 1, 2018.  This unforgettable night was themed around Fantastic Beasts. 

April 8-14 is the 60th annual National Library Week, a celebration of the life-changing work of libraries, librarians and library workers. Libraries aren’t just places to borrow books or study — they’re also creative and engaging community centers where people can collaborate using new technologies and develop their skills and passions. Fontana will be marking this week by kicking off our annual survey of the library needs in our local communities. Please plan to take a few minutes in April to fill out our survey and let us know how we are doing and what we can do better.

Macon County Public Library will present Family Science Night: The Science of Food and Drink on Thursday, April 12^th from 5:30 - 7PM. Family Science Night is an official event of the 2018 North Carolina Science Festival presented by the Biogen Foundation.

Through funds from Fontana Regional Library Headquarters, the Marianna Black Library recently purchased an automated external defibrillator (AED). Here are staff receiving training on how to use the device from Brooks Wolfe of the Nantahala Outdoor Center’s SOLO Southeast. AEDs are also available at the FRL libraries in Jackson County.

As reported in the Winter Fontana Flyer, during a report to the Swain County Commissioners in October, a discussion ensued in which the New Library Planning Committee and the commissioners agreed that it was time to appoint a member of the commission to the planning team to act as a liaison between the two groups. We are happy to say that Swain native, Danny Burns, volunteered to join the team and was appointed last November.

Each year our libraries commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King in January and Black History Month in February. Hudson Library combined these two and intertwined them with Civil Rights in a multi-faceted display of books, films, and other memorabilia celebrating Freedom Summer, Black Lives Matter, Dr. King, Black Panthers, Malcolm X, President Barrack Obama, and much more.
 

Fontana Regional Library’s Board of Trustees held its annual retreat in February at Southwestern Community College in Webster. They were joined by members of the local Library Boards, Friends of the Library, and Library management staff.

It’s hard to imagine running our libraries without volunteers.  The services volunteers provide are valued and valuable.  In fact, most of the libraries in the Fontana Regional Library system were established by volunteers.  Volunteers continue to be essential partners in making our libraries the heart of our communities.
 
With the help of dedicated volunteers, we can achieve our mission of providing excellent service and convenient access to resources that will meet the needs of those we serve.  The library belongs to our communities and everyone in them.
 

The 7th Annual Friends of the Albert Carlton-Cashiers Community Library Chocolate Cook-Off was once again a resounding success. With delicious entries from the entire community, everyone who attended was a winner. One especially captivating centerpiece was this hand poured and painted sugar and chocolate fantasy. The talent and creativity of our community continues to amaze. Thank you again for all of your support and we look forward to next year.

Assistant County Librarian Jessica Philyaw pictured with the library’s new baby grand piano. The instrument was purchased by the Jackson County Arts Council, who retain ownership, while Library personnel will administer its use in the Community Room. It is available for public performances, recitals, and community fundraisers  on a first-come, first-served reservation basis.

StudentAccess, the program launched this fall that allows all students in the county school systems  of Jackson, Macon, and Swain to have access to Fontana Regional Library materials through their student ID numbers, has recently been expanded.
 

The Jackson County Public Library has announced a new series of public programs to run through the summer called Mind and Body: Health, Nutrition, and You. These monthly presentations will focus on community health priorities and have been created in collaboration with local agencies and organizations. Topics include nutrition, diabetes prevention, PTSD, suicide prevention, addiction, dementia, and end-of-life care and planning.

Winter Highlights:

FRL is delighted to announce that Wood and Jody Lovell, owners of Highlands Sotheby’s International Realty, have contributed a generous $10,000 to sponsor Kanopy film streaming service for all FRL card-holders. This type of sponsorship is a first for FRL, and a new venture for Highlands Sotheby’s as well.

As of this writing, FRL is anticipating a significant upgrade to the underlying architecture of the shared NC Cardinal catalog. Previously maintained and hosted by Equinox, Inc., the catalog and patron database will be moving to servers hosted by MOBIUS, an arm of the Missouri State Library.

On February 20th the Jackson County Public Library hosted the 2^nd in a series of region-wide broadband information sharing meetings.
 
Because there are broadband developments happening in our region, the Fontana Regional Library is committed to having semi-annual public meetings that will help all to "stay on the same page.”
 

A campaign to tackle the stigma and lack of understanding around dementia is underway in Macon County with the support of area churches, the Southwestern Commission Area Agency on Aging, Macon County Public Library, Angel Medical, Macon County Senior Services, and  Macon County DSS.