By Melissa J. Oleen

Rowan Public Library

Rowan County is blessed with a number of wonderful organizations, agencies and non-profits all seeking to assist, support and improve the quality of life in our communities in myriad ways.

Rowan Public Library is blessed with its own very special support group – the Friends of Rowan Public Library. Friends of Rowan Public Library is a non-profit organization that raises money to support and enhance the programs, collections and services the library makes available to all Rowan County citizens every day, all year long.

This is not just citizens who can physically visit a library branch. It includes more than 1,300 children served at more than 20 different Stories To Go and Books to Grow sites and over 150 older adults served at more than 15 Rowan County retirement centers and lunch clubs, including the State Veteran’s Home.

The Friends’ support allows the library to offer not just three professional performers during summer reading, but seven. Friends’ support allows every second-grader attending a public or private school in Rowan County the chance to hear a professional oral storyteller at beautiful Sloan Park at the annual Stories by the Millstream Festival.

Friends’ support has allowed the library to explore the latest in cutting edge technologies and buy new library furniture. Through the Friends, rental copies of popular titles and movies are made available, decreasing check out wait times. Friends’ support provides increased training opportunities for library staff, helping us serve our citizens better.

December is the month when Friends’ memberships are up for renewal. On behalf of the Friends, I ask you to show your support for Rowan Public Library by renewing your membership. Please consider purchasing a membership for your own friends or making a donation in honor of a loved one. If you are not a current member, I encourage you to join.

Members receive a copy of the Friends’ monthly newsletter, entrance to the member’s only preview sale for the Friends’ Annual Book Sale, and can take advantage of Friends’ Literary Road Trips, an exciting travel program with upcoming trips to Mackinac Island, the Pacific Northwest, Austria and Germany slated for 2017. Donations are tax deductible and listed in the monthly newsletter. A Friends’ canvas book bag, only $10 each, makes an excellent gift and is the perfect way to let someone know you bought a Friends’ membership for them.

An individual membership is $10. Family memberships, $15. Literary and civic organization memberships, $25. Patron and business memberships, $100. Checks should be made payable to Friends of Rowan Public Library. They can be mailed to 201 W. Fisher St., Salisbury, NC 28144 or delivered to any library location. Credit/debit card payments are accepted in person or by calling 704-216-8240.

Please join the Friends in helping to make special things happen at Rowan Public Library which, in turn, makes things better for Rowan County.

Chapter Chats Book Club: A weekly club for teens 14-17, primarily for participants with developmental or intellectual disabilities, but all are welcome. Meets at East branch meeting room, Tuesdays, 5 p.m., Dec. 20.

No-School Cinema: Dec. 22, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., East Branch, Rockwell. This Marvel Marathon features “Iron Man” I, II and III. All three films are rated PG-13 and have run-times of, respectively, 126 minutes, 124 minutes and 130 minutes. “Iron Man I” begins at 9:30 am, “Iron Man II” at noon, and “Iron Man III” at 2:30 p.m. All ages are welcome. Children ages 13 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Light refreshments will be served. This event is free, open to the public.

Movie Night at East: “Rear Window,” Dec. 28, 6 p.m., East Branch, Rockwell. Starring Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly, this murder mystery is as well-crafted narratively as it is aesthetically. This film is PG; runtime is 112 minutes. Light refreshments will be served. This event is free, open to the public, and all ages are welcome.

Adult Outreach Movie: “Deck the Halls,” Dec. 20 at 2:30 p.m., headquarters. Christmas decorating turns into a feud between neighbors (Danny DeVito and Matthew Broderick) in this 2007 film. Rated PG, this film has a runtime of 92 minutes. Light refreshments will be served. This event is free, open to the public, and all ages are welcome.

Displays for December: Headquarters, National Parks 100th Year Celebration; East, “It’s a Wonderful Life” Village, Tammie Foster; South, Carson High School student art work.

Literacy: Call the Rowan County Literacy Council at 704-216-8266 for more information on teaching or receiving literacy tutoring for English speakers or for those for whom English is a second  language.