Recent Articles

September is Library Card Sign-up Month, a time when the Fontana Regional Library joins with the American Library Association and public libraries nationwide to make sure that people of all ages have the most important tool for lifelong learning -- a free library card.

Jackson County Public Library’s teens helped Build a Better World this summer by reaching out into the community. Along with making animal treats for the local animal shelter, teens made (wildflower) seed bombs, wrote letters to Veterans, and hosted their own Alex’s Lemonade Stand, where they raised over $150 dollars for Childhood Cancer research.

Photo: A Teen event on the WCU hiking trail held to promote healthy living and team building.

On June 12th the Macon County Public Library hosted the 1st region-wide broadband information sharing meeting.

Fontana Regional Library is partnering with Jackson, Macon, and Swain County Schools to support students’ ongoing education. We share the belief that a love of books and learning is a strong foundation for student success and we are working together to provide every public school student access to books and resources found at their public library.

Some of you may have seen the news racing across social media about New York, Los Angeles, and D.C. public libraries providing their patrons streaming access to the entire Criterion Collection, foreign films, documentaries, and award winners through Kanopy. Well guess what! Fontana Regional is just as cool as those big city libraries and we’re bringing you the exact same service. Starting this Fall you will be able to access the entire Kanopy catalog through our website.

Since being awarded “NASA @ My Library” status and the grant that accompanies that status, Fontana Regional Library has had 2 events that have qualified as official NAML events.  The first was at JCPL in mid-June, where a successful children’s activity had approximately 80 participants.  Macon County Public Library had a second activity (the “Intergalactic Zone”) in mid-July where there were approximately 60 participants.  

Marcia Winchester (right) of Bryson City was the winner of the double wedding ring quilt raffled by Marianna Black Library as a fundraiser for the new library. The winning ticket was drawn at the Fourth of July Freedom Fest, in Bryson City. According to Margaret Varner (left), quilt committee chair, $1,716 was raised for the campaign.

July marks Independent Retailer Month, and Fontana Regional Library was happy to celebrate. Libraries in Macon, Jackson, and Swain Counties have many resources for small businesses, from information on how to create a successful business plan to using specialized market research tools. For National Library Week in April of this year, FRL conducted a survey of library users. Under the topic of employment and economy, help for small and independent businesses was the top request.

Libraries are known as places where you can find the information you need. From materials such as books, videos, and audio to curriculum kits, telescopes, and science kits to photocopiers, computers, and Wi-Fi access, the many patrons who visit our libraries expect excellent service and convenient access to information in its many formats.

Fontana Regional Library’s Reading Rover Bookmobile has received a $1000 grant from the Swain County Community Foundation, an affiliate of the North Carolina Community Foundation.