This news item expired on Friday, November 30, 2018 so the information below could be outdated or incorrect.
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 November, including tons of opportunities for spooky storytimes!
Go directly to the library calendar of events.
Buncombe County Public Libraries
Programs - November 2018
Fairview Holiday Giving Tree
Begins Thursday, Nov. 1
Fairview Library
1 Taylor Road
250-6485
You can make the holidays bright for a child in Fairview! Our annual Holiday Giving Tree program places books in the hands of local children in need. Throughout the month of November, visit the Fairview Library and select a child from our tree. Purchase a new book ($10 minimum retail value) and return it to the Fairview Library OR donate $10 and the Friends of the Fairview Library will do the shopping for you. Please bring donated books unwrapped. The donations will be given to children in need in the Fairview community.
For more information, call 828-250-6484.
Give Thanks for Thanksgiving at Pack Library!
Begins Thursday, Nov. 1
Pack Memorial Library
67 Haywood Street
250-4700
What’s better than saying thank you to someone you love? Come on in and give thanks! Throughout the month of November, children may use our special Thank You Card Kit to write a thank you card. Show the librarian your addressed envelope and we’ll even give you postage. You’ll have everything you need to give thanks!
East Asheville Book Club: The Last Castle by Denise Kiernan
Thursday, Nov. 1 at 6:30pm
East Asheville Library
902 Tunnel Road
250-4738
Meals on Wheels Pet Food Drive
Begins Thursday, Nov. 1
Swannanoa Library
101 West Charleston Street
250-6486
Seniors and other homebound folks need someone to love and take care of, but it's just as hard for them to feed pets as themselves. Pets give love and companionship, but they need food too! Please bring cat and dog food to the Swannanoa Library. They especially need little dog kibble and small cans of cat food. Small bags of litter and new pet toys and treats are appreciated also. Purrs & wags for all your generosity.
Sugar Skulls for Teens
Friday, Nov. 2 at 4pm
Pack Memorial Library
67 Haywood Street
250-4700
Make your own sugar skull for el día de los Muertos. Free program for ages 11-18. Please register online on the library calendar at buncombecounty.org/library. Click on the sugar skulls event to register.
Used Book Sale at the Weaverville Library
Saturday, Nov. 3 at 10am-3pm
Weaverville Library
41 N. Main Street
250-6482
The Friends of the Weaverville Library are having their annual HALF-PRICE sale. Everything is half off the marked price!
The Red Herring Puppets Present: Adventures in Folklore
Saturday, Nov. 3 at 3pm
East Asheville Library
902 Tunnel Road
250-4738
Join us at the East Asheville Library for Adventures in Folklore. Enjoy multi-cultural tales hosted by Rowby, a friendly green alien who loves sharing stories he collects from planet Earth. This is a free event but registration is required. Please stop by the East Asheville Library or call 250-4738 to reserve your ticket!
Family Story Time with Eliada
Monday, Nov. 5 at 7m
Enka-Candler Library
1404 Sandhill Road
250-4758
Join us for a special after-hours story time as we celebrate families of all kinds! Brought to you along with Eliada in celebration of National Adoption Month, this evening story time will delight kids of all ages.
Free Art Class: Create a Snow Scene in Watercolor
Tuesday, Nov. 6 at 6-7:30pm
South Buncombe/Skyland Library
260 Overlook Road
250-6488
Sign up at circulation desk or call 828-250-6488 for this free art class. Class limited to 10 participants – teens over 13 and adults. All materials provided.
Enka-Candler Evening Book Club: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Tuesday, Nov. 6 at 7pm
Enka-Candler Library
1404 Sandhill Road
250-4758
Peter Sellers – A Life & Career in Four Films: Dr. Strangelove
Tuesday, Nov. 6 at 6pm
Fairview Library
1 Taylor Road
250-6485
“People trying to be funny are never as funny as people trying to be serious and failing.”
-Roger Ebert on Dr. Strangelove
Peter Sellers once again plays multiple characters in Stanley Kubrick’s political satire and dark comedy, Dr. Strangelove. This time around he’s accompanied by hilarious performances by George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Slim Pickens, and many others.
When an insane General (Hayden) orders a nuclear attack on Russia, it’s up to General Turgidson (Scott), Group Captain Mandrake (Sellers), President Muffley (Sellers), Captain Tong (Pickens), and an eccentric ex-Nazi scientist named Strangelove (Sellers) to stop a disaster that will end all life on Earth as we know it. True to Kubrick form, government and military absurdity are on full display in this comedic send-up of Cold War hysteria.
Dr. Strangelove is the third in a four part series exploring the life and career of Peter Sellers. The film will be introduced by James Rosario (thedailyorca.com), who will lead a discussion after.
This film is Rated PG and the run time is 94 minutes. Popcorn generously provided by Grail Moviehouse.
Drawing Class for Adults
Tuesday, Nov. 6 at 5-7pm
Pack Memorial Library
67 Haywood Street
250-4700
A fun drawing class that doesn't take itself seriously, learn to draw figures, objects, and draw from your thoughts. Listen to a selected album and draw what you hear, have a timed switch draw with other people in the class and see what is created. Materials are supplied or bring your own drawing materials!
This free program is for adults and will be held in our auditorium downstairs. If you cannot make the full 2 hours, come when you can! Please be sure to sign up so we have enough supplies for everyone and the instructor can prepare properly. Visit buncombecounty.org/library and locate the event on our calendar to sign up.
Basic Computer Skills Class at Pack Library
Tuesday, Nov. 6 at 6-7pm
Pack Memorial Library
67 Haywood Street
250-4700
A free basic computer skill class at Pack Library, every Tuesday at 6pm. All skill levels and questions are welcome.
BINGO at the Library
Tuesday, Nov. 6 at 11am
Pack Memorial Library
67 Haywood Street
250-4700
Library BINGO is the first Tuesday of every month from 11am to noon. Coffee, snacks, prizes and fun! Free for all ages.
Weaverville Evening Book Club: Humboldt's Gift by Saul Bellow
Tuesday, Nov. 6 at 7pm
Weaverville Library
41 N. Main Street
250-6482
Weaverville Afternoon Book Club: The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
Wednesday, Nov. 7 at 3pm
Weaverville Library
41 N. Main Street
250-6482
Writing Sci-Fi and Fantasy: Diversity, World Building and Writing the Other
Thursday, Nov. 8 at 5pm
North Asheville Library
1030 Merrimon Avenue
250-4752
Join local author Babs Mountjoy for a guided science fiction and fantasy writing workshop. Alexander, who is the published author of more than fifteen novels, will be focusing on how to create interesting and diverse characters and how to approach writing the "other." This event is free and open to the public, and no tickets are required.
Piano Performance and Lecture with Esther Parks and the Asheville Area Piano Forum
Saturday, Nov. 10 at 2-3:30pm
Pack Memorial Library
67 Haywood Street
250-4700
Asheville Area Piano Forum presents Dr. Esther Parks with “Most Effective Practice Techniques for Successful Presentations” musical performance and lecture. This free program will be Saturday November 10 from 2-3:30pm.
Free Pilates Class at the Library
Saturday, Nov. 10 at 11am
Pack Memorial Library
67 Haywood Street
250-4700
Join us for a mixed Level Pilates with Alexis Miller of Cisco Pilates on Saturday, October 13 @ 11 AM. This class is free, but registration is required. Sign up on the library calendar at buncombecounty.org/library by clicking on the Pilates class at Pack Library.
Read with JR the Therapy Dog
Saturday, Nov. 10 at 11am
Swannanoa Library
101 West Charleston Street
250-6486
Come visit J.R. the tail-waggin' tutor and read out loud to him. He loves the attention, and especially books about squirrels! Reading aloud builds confidence and aids in comprehension. For children from K-6th grade. Please sign up for your 15 minute slot either at swannanoa.library@buncombecounty.org, or 828-250-6486, giving the child's age/grade and a time, 11, 11:15, 11:30, 11:45.
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The Sub-Zero Effect
Saturday, Nov. 10 at 10:30am-11am
South Asheville/Oakley Library
749 Fairview Road
250-4754
Science can be cool - 322 degrees below zero cool! Using liquid nitrogen, we'll shatter a ball, make an explosion, and examine the three states of matter! For school-age scientists.
Asheville Prison Books Collective
Tuesday, Nov. 13 at 6pm
North Asheville Library
1030 Merrimon Avenue
250-4752
Asheville Prison Books is a volunteer-run collective which has worked since 1999 to distribute free literature to individuals incarcerated in the Southeast. Volunteers from Asheville Prison Books will introduce the collective and speak about literacy in prisons. Book donations to the collective are encouraged--all books welcome. This event is free and open to the public, and no tickets are required.
Mull it Over Book Club at the Wedge Foundation: American Fire
Tuesday, Nov. 13 at 7pm
Pack Memorial Library
67 Haywood Street
250-4700
Mull it Over monthly book club meeting is at the Wedge at Foundation at 7pm on November 13. We are reading "American Fire" by Monica Hesse. Adults over 21 are welcome.
Hazel Creek: The Life and Death of an Iconic Mountain Community with Dan Pierce
Tuesday, Nov. 13 at 7pm
Fairview Library
1 Taylor Road
250-6485
The Friends of Fairview Library are proud to host Dr. Daniel S. (Dan) Pierce, author of Hazel Creek: The Life and Death of an Iconic Mountain Community on Tuesday, November 13th at 7pm. Dr. Pierce is an NEH Distinguished Professor in the Humanities and resident professional hillbilly at the University of North Carolina, Asheville.
Hazel Creek is an exploration of one of the most iconic watersheds in the Southern Appalachian region, focal point of the infamous Road to Nowhere controversy, research subject for Horace Kephart’s classic work Our Southern Highlanders, and the haven of legendary moonshiners, trout fishermen, and bear hunters. Hazel Creek was a 2017 Finalist for the Thomas Wolfe Literary Award.
Refreshments to be served after by the Friends of Fairview Library.
Holiday Crafts: Make A Trinket Box
Tuesday, Nov. 13 at 6pm
Weaverville Library
41 N. Main Street
250-6482
Make a gift card holder and a trinket gift box for those special people in your life, with scrapbooker extraordinaire Diane Anna. All materials will be provided, just bring your creativity! Space is limited, so free tickets will be available at the Weaverville Library beginning October 30th. Sponsored by the Friends of the Weaverville Library. For more information call the Library at 828-250-6482.
KidSenses: Sub-Zero Effect
Tuesday, Nov. 13 at 4pm
Swannanoa Library
101 West Charleston Street
250-6486
Science can be cool, really cool, about 322 degrees below zero Fahrenheit cool! Using liquid nitrogen, we’ll shatter a ball, make an explosion, and examine the three states of matter!
Intro to Ornithology
Tuesday, Nov. 13 at 4pm
South Buncombe/Skyland Library
260 Overlook Road
250-6488
Scientists need YOUR help in studying animals everywhere, including your own backyard!
Join us for an introduction to ornithology, the study of birds. You can also join our crew of ecoEXPLORERS — kids who submit observations of plants and animals for scientists to study and earn prizes while they do it.
Find out how you can earn your Ornithology Field Badge and a free pass to The Great Backyard Bird Count Day on February 16th.
Fight Fraud
Tuesday, Nov. 13 at 6-7:30pm
Swannanoa Library
101 West Charleston Street
250-6486
Scam artists abound! Most of us have been, and will be contacted by someone wanting our money. Many are very clever and sound believable – a heart-rending charity plea, a deal that sounds so amazing – and we have to figure out whether the appeal is legitimate … or not. Come to the AARP fraud prevention program and get armed with good information to help you ward off fraudsters and make good decisions about these issues.
Enka-Candler Afternoon Book Club: Mayflower by Nathan Philbrick
Wednesday, Nov. 14 at 3pm
Enka-Candler Library
1404 Sandhill Road
250-4758
Creative Writing Interest Group
Wednesday, Nov. 14 at 4-5pm
South Buncombe/Skyland Library
260 Overlook Road
250-6488
Join us for creative writing exercises, to meet other writers, and to help shape a writer’s community at our library. Open to adults and teens 15 and older.
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Corn Husk Dolls and Homemade Butter
Wednesday, Nov. 14 at 4pm
Pack Memorial Library
67 Haywood Street
250-4700
Celebrate fall by making corn husk dolls and homemade butter. For ages 5 and up.
Skyland Library Book Club: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
Thursday, Nov. 15 at 2:30pm
South Buncombe/Skyland Library
260 Overlook Road
250-6488
Friends of the South Buncombe Library Book Club will be reading The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin. Please join us!
Swannanoa Book Club: Sing Unburied Sing by Jesmyn Ward
Thursday, Nov. 15 at 6pm
Swannanoa Library
101 West Charleston Street
250-6486
Sing, Unburied, Sing is many things: a road novel, a slender epic of three generations and the ghosts that haunt them, and a portrait of what ordinary folk in dire circumstances cleave to as well as what they — and perhaps we all — are trying to outrun. --Tracy K. Smith, U.S. Poet Laureate
Writing Sci-Fi and Fantasy: Crafting an Ending
Thursday, Nov. 15 at 5pm
North Asheville Library
1030 Merrimon Avenue
250-4752
Local author Babs Mountjoy continues her discussion of science fiction and fantasy writing with a guided class on how to write an ending that feels solid and makes sense for your story. Participants need not have attended the first class, "Diversity, World Building, and Writing the Other," to enjoy the second. This event is free and open to the public, and no tickets are required.
Free Concert: Atlanta Guitar Trio
Friday, Nov. 16 at 6pm
North Asheville Library
1030 Merrimon Avenue
250-4752
Scott Plato, Adam Craighead, and Bill Hearn have many decades of experience in guitar performance and as educators of guitar. Working together as The Atlanta Guitar Trio, they provide audiences with exciting, fun, and entertainingly musical concert programs.
The group performs music from many different historical time periods. Scott, Adam, and Bill incorporate not only guitar in the trio ensemble, but they also perform arrangements of music for guitar and mandolin, as well as guitar and theorbo. During concerts, the trio entertains audience members with historical information on the musical instruments they use. They also provide historical insight into the composers and compositions performed.
Samples of their music may be found at www.atlantaguitartrio.com. This event is free and open to the public, and no tickets are required.
Movies at Pack: Home for the Holidays
Saturday, Nov. 17 at 2pm
Pack Memorial Library
67 Haywood Street
250-4700
Preparing to head out of town for the holiday or host Thanksgiving at your house? Come take a break before it happens with our free screening of "Home for the Holidays"! Program is held in our auditorium downstairs. This free film is rated PG-13 with popcorn and beverages provided.
Spinning Yarns Knitting and Crochet Group
Tuesday, Nov. 20 at 6-7pm
South Buncombe/Skyland Library
260 Overlook Road
250-6488
Beginners can learn a basic pattern. Those with experience are welcome to work on a project and share your knowledge. Supplies will be available for beginners. Come spin some yarns at the library!
Fairview Book Club: Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, the Man Who Would Cure the World by Tracy Kidder
Tuesday, Nov. 20 at 7pm
Fairview Library
1 Taylor Road
250-6485
Fairview Evening Book Club will be reading ‘Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, the Man Who Would Cure the World’ by Tracy Kidder for the month of November and will be discussing it on Tuesday, November 20th at 7pm.
“In his latest work, Pulitzer Prize winner Kidder…turns his documentarian gaze on the life and work of Paul Farmer, a medical anthropologist and physician who has spent much of the past 20 years transforming healthcare in the impoverished central plateau of Haiti. Part biography, part public health text, and part travelogue…Farmer's work is fascinating-as is the author's compassionate portrayal of the lives of the Haitians with whom his subject lives and works…”
~Library Journal
No sign up or registration is required to join book club, and new members are always welcome.
Black Mountain Mystery Book Club: Open Season by C.J. Box
Tuesday, Nov. 20 at 7pm
Black Mountain Library
105 Dougherty Street
250-4756
Spanish and English Intercambio
Tuesday, Nov. 27 at 6-7pm
South Buncombe/Skyland Library
260 Overlook Road
250-6488
Con un grupo de personas amigables, esta es tu oportunidad de conocer a alguien que como tú, quiere practicar y mejorar su nuevo idioma. Come practice your English and Spanish language skills in a friendly group of folks who want to learn a new language from each other.
Free Terrarium-Building Workshop
Tuesday, Nov. 27 at 6pm
North Asheville Library
1030 Merrimon Avenue
250-4752
Just because winter's coming doesn't mean you need to give up gardening! Join Elizabeth Catlett at North Asheville Library for a free terrarium-building workshop. Catlett will begin the session with a brief talk on moss, including its history, biology, environmental benefits, and cultivation. Participants will then build their own moss terrariums to take home and enjoy.
Moss, soil, and decorative items will be provided. Participants must bring their own clear glass container (not larger than 8" in diameter), and the container must have a lid. This class is free but limited to 25 participants. Call (828) 250-4752 to reserve your space at no cost. Suitable for adults, teens, and mature children accompanied by an adult.
Civil War Stories of Catherine Henry and James Henderson
Wednesday, Nov. 28 at 6pm
Pack Memorial Library
67 Haywood Street
250-4700
Join us at Pack Library for a dramatic reading presentation of local Civil War era letters and journals
James M. Henderson of the 25 N.C. Regiment from Haywood County wrote to his wife Maria and young son from the front lines of the Confederacy. Henderson was killed August 23, 1864 at battle of Weldon Railroad in Petersburg, Virginia.
Cornelia Catherine Smith Henry (1836-1917) was the wife of William Lewis Henry. Cornelia’s diary records daily events from January 1860 to October 1868 and are one of the best local sources for daily information in WNC during and immediately following the Civil War.
The readings will show contrasting views during the same time period of the war–one from a soldier and one from a woman trying to carry on at home. This free program is directed by Deborah Austin and everyone is invited.
Read to J.R. the Therapy Dog!
Friday, Nov. 30 at 4pm
Enka-Candler Library
1404 Sandhill Road
250-4758
Kids are invited to stop by between 4 & 5 pm 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.
Book to Movie Film Screening: The Shawshank Redemption
Friday, Nov. 30 at 2:30pm
West Asheville Library
942 Haywood Road
250-4750
West Asheville's Friends of the Library Book-to-Movie program proudly presents The Shawshank Redemption on Friday, November 30th at 2:30.
An innocent banker is sentenced to life in a state prison for the murder of his wife and her lover. He is abused by prison staff and other inmates, until he is befriended by a cynical lifer. Starring Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, William Sadler, and Clancy Brown, this film was directed by Frank Darabont and is based on Stephen King's novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. This free film is rated R and is 2 ½ hours long.