Early literacy and the public library go hand in hand, which is why our staff is proud to announce that we will be competing in United Way’s second Lip Sync Battle.
The fundraiser will support the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, which mails a free book monthly to any child 5 years old or younger in Robeson County. Our team will be performing “Can’t Stop the Feeling,” by Justin Timberlake, while dressed like trolls from the popular children’s movie.
The event is 6 p.m. April 2 at the Carolina Civic Center, located at 315 N. Chestnut St. in Lumberton. We are asking for your support on behalf of all young readers in Robeson County. You can purchase tickets to the event at www.unitedwayrobeson.org. You can vote for our team. Votes are $1 each. You may purchase votes at https://unitedwayrobeson.org/vote or with any library staff member.
Our staff works dedicatedly to encourage children throughout the county to learn to love books. Whether it is hosting story time, our 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program, or simply plundering the shelves with them to find just the right book, our staff loves it when kids enjoy books. We will greatly appreciate any support you give our team during this fundraiser.
If you’re interested in registering your child for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, you can stop by the library to fill out a paper registration form or register online at www.unitedwayrobeson.org. Eligibility is simple. The child must be a resident of Robeson County, and a parent or legal guardian must submit the registration request. It takes about eight to 10 weeks after submitting your registration for books to begin arriving at your home. Children just love checking the mail and receiving their books. Your child may continue in the program until they turn 5 or move out of Robeson County. More than 7,500 children in Robeson County have received free books through the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. This is a very worthy cause to support.
In other exciting news, we welcomed two new staff members to our team at the end of January. Sherry Oxendine is our new Youth Services specialist. She will be traveling around the county to provide children’s programming and assisting families in our Lumberton Children’s Library. Domonique Ellis is our new Circulation assistant. He primarily works the Lumberton evening shifts. He will be here to assist patrons in the computer lab, find your next favorite read and help manage your patron account. They’re both settling in very well with our staff and we hope you’ll stop by to welcome them.
Don’t forget we have two opportunities to get in the know about the census. Keela Reyes of the U.S. Census Bureau will present information sessions to help prepare our communities for the upcoming census. Join us on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in Osterneck Auditorium in Lumberton or Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Pembroke Public Library. The events are free and open to the public. If you attend the Pembroke event, take the opportunity to vote in the N.C. primary. Our Pembroke Public Library serves as an early voting site. The polls will be open until 7:30 p.m. that day. For more information about the census, visit www.census.nc.gov.
In January, our community borrowed more than 11,800 items from our public libraries. Thanks to each and every person who pops in to use the library. We can’t wait to see you again soon!
