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From local authors to local history, the Buncombe County Public Library System is a fantastic resource for more than just books. Check out the many great activities for all ages and interests at our branch locations in January.
Go directly to the library calendar of events.
Buncombe County Public Libraries
PROGRAMS – January 2019
Birding Scavenger Hunt at Pack Library
Begins January 2
Pack Memorial Library
67 Haywood Street
250-4700
Participate in our Birding Scavenger Hunt throughout the month of January. Find birds in the Youth Services library and win prizes. Fun for all ages!
Winter Reading Challenge
Begins January 2
Black Mountain Library
105 Dougherty Street
250-4756
This winter, get rewarded for your love of reading. Pick up a Winter Reading BINGO Challenge card at the library and read a book from each category until you get five in a row. Turn in your completed BINGO card to be entered into a drawing for prizes! For readers age 18 and up. Drawing will be Monday, April 1. One BINGO card per patron.
Weaverville Afternoon Book Club: The Firebrand and the First Lady by Patricia Bell-Scott
Wednesday, January 2 at 3pm
Weaverville Library
41 N. Main Street
250-6482
Heroes Unlimited: Role Playing Game for Middle and High Schoolers
Wednesday, January 2 at 4pm
Fairview Library
1 Taylor Road
250-6485
Join us for another session of Heroes Unlimited at the Fairview Library. A team of heroes is being assembled. Do you have what it takes to defend the planet from the forces of evil?
Find out Wednesday, January 2nd at 4pm when we battle villains and save the day with Heroes Unlimited!
Heroes Unlimited meets the first Wednesday of the month from 4 to 5:30pm.
Role-playing games are a great way to cultivate creativity, encourage teamwork & cooperation, and teach problem solving skills. They’re also a lot of fun!
No experience necessary. Snacks and supplies provided. Space is limited. Stop by or call the library to guarantee your spot. Grades 6-12 welcome.
Itch to Stitch
Monday, January 7 at 10am-12n
Weaverville Library
41 N. Main Street
250-6482
A casual knitting and needlework group for all skill levels.
Mull it Over Book Club at High Five Coffee: Born on a Blue Day
Tuesday, January 8 at 7pm
Pack Memorial Library
67 Haywood Street
250-4700
The Mull it Over Book Club is reading Born on a Blue Day by Daniel Tammet. Books are available to be picked up at Pack Memorial Library or they are available to download from our digital library. The book club will meet at High Five Coffee at 13 Rankin Avenue and everyone is welcome to attend.
Read with Olivia the Therapy Dog
Tuesday, January 8 at 4-5:30pm
Weaverville Library
41 N. Main Street
250-6482
Come to the library and read with Olivia the Therapy dog - for kids of all ages. January 8 and 29 at 4pm.
Weaverville Evening Book Club: Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
Tuesday, January 8 at 7pm
Weaverville Library
41 N. Main Street
250-6482
Re-Gift BINGO!
Tuesday, January 8 at 11am
Pack Memorial Library
67 Haywood Street
250-4700
Library BINGO is the first Tuesday of every month from 11am to noon. Join us in January for re-gift BINGO. Bring your unwanted gifts and they could be someone else's treasure! Unselected items get donated. All ages are welcome.
Basic Computer Skills Class at Pack Library
Tuesday, January 8 at 4pm
Pack Memorial Library
67 Haywood Street
250-4700
A free basic computer skill class at Pack Library, every other Tuesday at 4pm. All skill levels and questions are welcome, no registration necessary.
Leicester Book Club: The Good House by Ann Leary
Tuesday, January 8 at 1pm
Leicester Library
1561 Alexander Road
250-6480
Enka-Candler Book Club: Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
Tuesday, January 8 at 7pm
Enka-Candler Library
1404 Sandhill Road
250-4758
Birds and Climate Change with Tom Tribble, the President of Elisha Mitchell Audubon Society
Tuesday, January 8 at 7pm
Fairview Library
1 Taylor Road
250-6485
For over 100 years, Audubon had focused on making the world a better place for birds. In 2014, National Audubon released a study on Birds and Climate Change. The report concluded that more than half of the breeding birds in North America are threatened by our changing climate. This seven-year science investigation, made possible by decades of community-science data, sounded an alarm that made news around the world. This presentation will summarize the results of the study and describe how individuals can help birds.
Tom Tribble is President of Elisha Mitchell Audubon Society, the local Audubon chapter that covers Henderson, Buncombe, Madison and several adjacent counties. Tom has been an Audubon member and avid birder for more than 40 years. He’s worked for 30 years at the NC Center for Geographic Information & Analysis, the State's Geographic Information System, retiring in 2013. He holds a Bachelor's degree from Vanderbilt University and a Master's degree from Duke University.
This program is presented by the Friends of Fairview Library. Refreshments will be served after.
Toddler Gym
Begins Wednesday, January 9 at 11:30am
Fairview Library
1 Taylor Road
250-6485
Fairview Library is very excited to now be offering Toddler Gym, just after Toddler Storytime. This is a free play time for little ones ages 0-3. We will have baby & toddler sized toys, climbing structures, tunnels, and more! Indoor fun for you and your little one during the cold winter months!
EcoExplore Bird Watching
Wednesday, January 9 at 4pm
West Asheville Library
942 Haywood Road
250-4750
Scientists need YOUR help in studying animals everywhere, including your own backyard!
Join us for an introduction to ornithology, the study of birds. You’ll learn all about our feathery friends and go on a short birding walk! You can also join our crew of ecoEXPLORERS — kids who submit observations of plants and animals for scientists to study can earn prizes.
Find out how you can earn your Ornithology Field Badge and a free pass to The Great Backyard Bird Count Day on February 16th. For ages 5 to 13 but all ages are welcome to attend
Spanish Conversation Group
Thursday, January 10 at 5pm
Pack Memorial Library
67 Haywood Street
250-4700
This group is for adults who want to practice their language speaking skills in a fun environment! No registration necessary. Meets in computer lab at Pack Memorial Library on the second and fourth Thursday of the month.
Storytime and Art
Thursday, January 10 at 11am
West Asheville Library
942 Haywood Road
250-4750
Join us for a winter-themed family storytime with a special art project afterwards with the Asheville Art Museum. All ages welcome.
Upcycled Sweater Projects for TEENS
Friday, January 11 at 4-5:30pm
Pack Memorial Library
67 Haywood Street
250-4700
Make an old sweater even better. Or just rip it apart and make it into something else! Participants are welcome to bring unloved sweaters, but we will have plenty on hand to share. All supplies are provided. Hot cocoa and cookies will be served.
This class is free, but registration is required. There are three ways to register for this program:
Register online by selecting the class on the library calendar at www.buncombecounty.org/library
Call the library at 828-250-4700
Drop by the library and register in person
Foreign Film Night: Sweet Country
Tuesday, January 15 at 7pm
Weaverville Library
41 N. Main Street
250-6482
Join us for this Australian western set on the Northern Territory frontier in the 1920s, where justice itself is put on trial when an aged Aboriginal farmhand shoots a white man in self-defense and goes on the run as a posse gathers to hunt him down. Commentary by Roy Turnbaugh. This free film is sponsored by the Friends of the Weaverville Library.
Geri-Fit: Free Exercise Class for Seniors
Tuesday, January 15 at 10:30am
Pack Memorial Library
67 Haywood Street
250-4700
Sign up to participate in a study sponsored by Let's Move in Libraries and Geri-fit! This class will be 45 minutes long every Tuesday and Friday from January 15 through March 29. All you need is a workout stretch band. The class is free but registration is necessary.
This class is free, but registration is required. There are three ways to register for this program:
Register online by selecting the class on the library calendar at www.buncombecounty.org/library
Call the library at 828-250-4700
Drop by the library and register in person
Fairview Book Club: The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman
Tuesday, January 15 at
Fairview Library
1 Taylor Road
250-6485
Fairview Evening Book Club will be reading The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman for the month of January and will be discussing it on Tuesday, January 15th at 7pm.
Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award, The Spirit Catches You is a study in the collision between Western medicine and the beliefs of a traditional culture focused on the hospitalized child of Laotian immigrants, members of the Hmong tribe, whose belief that illness is a spiritual matter comes into conflict with doctors' methods.
No sign up or registration is required to join book club, and new members are always welcome.
Black Mountain Mystery Book Club: The Monogram Murders by Sophie Hannah
Tuesday, January 15 at 7pm
Black Mountain Library
105 Dougherty Street
250-4756
Acting Up with Ovation for Kids
Tuesday, January 15 at 4pm
Weaverville Library
41 N. Main Street
250-6482
Join us for some fun theatre games that will inspire your creativity and confidence. On January 15 and 22 at 4pm.
Intro to Ornithology & DIY Bird Feeders with the NC Arboretum
Wednesday, January 16 at 4pm
Pack Memorial Library
67 Haywood Street
250-4700
Our Friends from the NC Arboretum will be back at Pack to provide an exciting introduction to ornithology, the study of birds. You’ll learn all about our feathery friends, and have a chance to join their crew of ecoEXPLORERS. Kids who submit observations about plants and animals for scientists to study can earn prizes!
Following the Arboretum’s presentation, we’ll be making homemade treats for the birds in your own backyard. Each participant will leave with a hanging bird treat. This is a peanut butter free event.
Enka-Candler History Book Club: Destiny of the Republic by Candace Millard
Wednesday, January 16 at 3pm
Enka-Candler Library
1404 Sandhill Road
250-4758
Black Mountain Afternoon Book Club: The Works of Charles Frazier
Wednesday, January 16 at 3pm
Black Mountain Library
105 Dougherty Street
250-4756
Our afternoon fiction book club is discussing the work of Charles Frazier. Read any one of his books to share. Don't have time? Join us anyway for an afternoon in the company of other booklovers.
Reading with JR The Therapy Dog
Friday, January 18 at 4-6pm
North Asheville Library
1030 Merrimon Avenue
250-4752
Come practice your reading with J.R., certified therapy dog and amazing listener. Kid readers up to age 12 can sign up for 15 minute sessions. Stop by the library to register or call 828-250-4752. JR will be at the library on Friday, January 18, February 15 and March 15 from 4-6pm.
Book to Movie: Sophie's Choice
Friday, January 18 at 2pm
West Asheville Library
942 Haywood Road
250-4750
West Asheville's Friends of the Library Book-to-Movie program proudly presents Sophie's Choice on Friday, January 18th at 2pm.
Sophie is the survivor of Nazi concentration camps who has found a reason to live with Nathan, a sparkling if unsteady American Jew obsessed with the Holocaust. They befriend Stingo, the movie's narrator, a young American writer new to New York City. But the happiness of Sophie and Nathan is endangered by her ghosts and his obsessions. Starring Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, and Peter MacNicol, the film is directed by Alan J. Pakula and based on the novel by William Styron.
This free film is rated R and is 2 hours 40 minutes long.
20th Anniversary Kick Off Party at the Fairview Library
Saturday, January 19 at 2pm
Fairview Library
1 Taylor Road
250-6485
2019 is Fairview Library’s 20th Year, and we are celebrating big!
Join us at our Kick Off to this year-long celebration on Saturday, January 19th at 2 pm.
We will have pie, a community art project where you can share you memories of the library, pie, a library obstacle course for kids, and did we mention pie?
This will be a big year for the library, and our Kick Off Party is just the beginning!
Graphic Novel Book Club at the North Asheville Library
Tuesday, January 22 at 3pm
North Asheville Library
1030 Merrimon Avenue
250-4752
Come join the Graphic Novel Book Club! We'll come together at the North Asheville Library on the 4th Tuesday of every month at 3pm. We'll discuss the graphic novel of the month and create some related artwork! Sign up at the North Asheville Library circulation desk or call 828-250-4752!
Uke Jam
Wednesday, January 23 at 3-5pm
Wednesday, January 30 at 3-5pm
Weaverville Library
41 N. Main Street
250-6482
Come and jam on your ukulele! For all skill levels. Meets January 23 and 30.
Documentary Film Screening to commemorate the WWI Centennial: The American in Paris
Wednesday, January 23 at 1pm-2:30pm
Pack Memorial Library
67 Haywood Street
250-4700
This free film is about the American Hospital in Paris during World War 1. The hospital played an important role in Paris and France during WWI, and many Americans – doctors, nurses, and philanthropists – volunteered to provide the medical and support services well before America officially entered the war. Many volunteers related to the ambulance corps of the hospital went on to form the Lafayette Escadrille, two members were from Asheville. Members of the Vanderbilt family were directly involved with the war effort at the hospital as well.
Coaching and Healing for the Living and Dying
Thursday, January 24 at 12:30pm
Pack Memorial Library
67 Haywood Street
250-4700
Certified Sacred Passage Doula for the dying Maggie Purnell, BSN, RN, will guide an open and loving conversation about Living and Dying Consciously by learning to embrace the inevitable with light, compassion and peace of mind. This event is free and open to the public. Maggie's website is: https://maggiepurnellspd.wixsite.com/mysite
Acting Up with Ovation for Teens
Friday, January 25 at 7pm
Weaverville Library
41 N. Main Street
250-6482
Join us for some fun theatre games that will inspire your creativity and confidence. For ages 14-18.
Acting Up with Ovation for Seniors
Friday, January 25 at 10:30am
Weaverville Library
41 N. Main Street
250-6482
Join us for some fun theatre games that will inspire your creativity and confidence.
Read to J.R. the Therapy Dog!
Friday, January 25 at 4pm
Enka-Candler Library
1404 Sandhill Road
250-4758
Kids are invited to stop by between 4 and 5pm to practice their reading skills with a gentle, patient and adorable canine friend. J.R. is a certified therapy dog and he can't wait to meet the readers of the Enka-Candler community! No advance registration is required for the ENKA program
Mixed level Pilates with Cisco Pilates
Saturday, January 26 at 11am
Pack Memorial Library
67 Haywood Street
250-4700
A mixed level group where the instructor works with you to find your comfort level. Bring your own mat, a water bottle, and a towel if needed. The library has some mats available, email us after you register to reserve a mat. This class is for adults.
Guided Meditation with Ronya Banks of Asheville Insight Meditation
Monday, January 28 at 6pm
Pack Memorial Library
67 Haywood Street
250-4700
Join Ronya Banks in one hour together exploring meditation and life practices that bring more joy and peace to our lives with meditation. This class is free but you do need to register.
This class is free but registration is required. There are three ways to register for this program:
Register online by selecting the class on the library calendar at www.buncombecounty.org/library
Call the library at 828-250-4700
Drop by the library and register in person
Local Author Robin Gaiser Presents Open for Lunch
Tuesday, January 29 at 6pm
North Asheville Library
1030 Merrimon Avenue
250-4752
Join local author Robin Gaiser at North Asheville Library for a presentation of her new book, Open for Lunch. Open for Lunch follows Gaiser's encounters with a dozen strangers in casual lunch spots from upstate New York to Asheville. "Soon," she writes, "the stunning stories of my lunch mates took me deeply into my own narrative." Gaiser is a Certified Music Practitioner who provides therapeutic music to the ill, the elderly, and the dying in hospitals and nursing homes.
In the words of Lois McMahon, PhD, Gaiser's book "holds invaluable lessons for us all about pain, suffering, redemption, forgiveness, healing, and love." This event is free and open to the public, and no tickets are required.
Beginner's Spanish Class with Geri Solomon
Wednesday, January 30 at 4:30pm
Pack Memorial Library
67 Haywood Street
250-4700
This class is for people who want to learn some basic Spanish language skills, all you need to bring is a writing utensil and a notebook, and we will provide the rest. The class will run for 8 weeks, every Wednesday evening. This class is for adults only.
This class is free but registration is required. There are three ways to register for this program:
Register online by selecting the class on the library calendar at www.buncombecounty.org/library
Call the library at 828-250-4700
Drop by the library and register in person