By Jim Whalen

Rowan Public Library

Did you wonder what actors do after a successful television show ends? They can get lucky and go on to another show or you don’t hear about them for years. Some make their comeback by reinventing themselves.

For many years, the library’s demise was predicted. With home computers, eBooks, smart phones and growing technology advances ,why go to the library?

Rather than reinvent themselves, libraries kept up with advances in technology. In 1997, Gates Library Foundation was started to donate computers and technical help in making sure libraries throughout the U.S. had computers and Internet. Libraries were able to embrace the digital revolution and provide what patrons needed.

Libraries play a major role in helping people who can’t afford to access what everyone else has.

The library has been evolving and reinventing itself for many years. Libraries offer more than they ever did.

Summer reading includes many more activities than just stories. At the library, you can learn more about your iPhone, brush up on your gardening skills, learn to shag, join a book club, attend genealogy workshops, take part in teen escape rooms, learn computer skills, go to concerts, have fun at scavenger hunts, write your book, buy a book at the book sale, do a photo walk, start your own business and more.

Check us out and discover all that we offer.

Scavenger Hunt: Catch the Monster, Headquarters, South, through Oct. 30. Search the children’s room to see if you can find all of the monster pictures hidden there. Complete the challenge and get a prize. For more information, call 704-216-8234.

Scavenger Hunt: Corny Candy, East, through Oct. 30. Enjoy corny candy riddles during October. Find all the answers and you will be entered into a contest for a literary-themed prize. For more information, call 704-216-7842.

2019 Bookmark Contest: Oct. 7-Nov. 9. Children ages 4 to 11 may design a themed bookmark and win a cash prize. This annual contest, sponsored by the Friends of Rowan Public library, will award first, second and third-place prizes in three, age-based categories: 4 to 6, 7 to 9, and 10 to 11. Full submission guidelines, rules and entry forms available online or at any RPL location. For more information, call 704-216-8234.

Crafty Kids: Oct. 9, 6 p.m., headquarters. Children ages 12 and under may explore their crafty side using a variety of materials and techniques to create art. This will be in the Children’s Room. A responsible caretaker (age 16+) must accompany children 8 and under. For more information, contact Aida at 704-216-8234.

Drive-in Movie: Oct. 11, 10 a.m.noon, East. “Mars Needs Moms.” Let your imagination run wild in this program for children of all ages. First, create your own car. Then, sit in that car while enjoying the movie (2011, PG, 88 min.). Refreshments will be provided. A responsible caretaker (age 16+) must accompany children 8 and under. For more information, contact Tammie at 704-216-7842.

STEAM into Adventure: Oct. 12, 10:30-11:30 a.m., South. Clay Moons. Make a moon out of clay and talk about how craters are formed. This STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, & Mathematics) program is geared for ages 6 to 11. A responsible caretaker (age 16+) must accompany children 8 and under. For more details, call 704-216-7729.

Songbird Storytime: Headquarters, Oct. 12, 11 a.m. This is an interactive program of music, reading and learning for ages 7 and under. A responsible caretaker (age 16+) must accompany participants. For more information, contact Chelsea at 704-216-8269.

Reader’s Theater: Oct. 12, 1:30-2:30 p.m. South. Be an actor without the pressure of memorizing a script. This theater style conveys the story through vocal and facial expressions. This program is designed for ages 8 to 13. Questions? Call 704-216-7729.

Are You Smarter Than a Librarian: Halloween Showdown, Oct. 8, 4 p.m., headquarters; Oct. 10, 4 p.m., East. At this Halloween-themed trivia night, teen groups battle against a librarian to determine who is the ultimate expert on all things creepy. This teen program is designed for rising sixth- through 12th-graders. For more information, call Sydney at 704-216-8229.

Special Preschool Storytime: Stars with the Star Lab. East, Oct. 3, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Enjoy a star-themed storytime, then step into the Star Lab, a mobile planetarium, to see and learn about the stars in the night sky. A responsible caretaker (age 16+) must accompany children 8 and under. Questions? Call 704-216-7842.

Char’s Stars: Headquarters, Oct. 5, 11 a.m. Children ages 12 and under are invited to learn about their unique fingerprint pattern. Light refreshments will be served. A responsible caretaker (age 16+) must accompany children 8 and under. For more details, call 704-216-8234.

Wednesday Writers Club: Oct. 9, 6 p.m., East. Love writing? We do, too! Join the East Branch for a time of solo writing, group sharing and peer-to-peer reviews. Encouragement, coffee and snacks will be provided. This program is designed for teens and adults. Call 704-216-7840 for more information.

Technology Tuesday: Internet Privacy 101, Oct. 8, 7 p.m., headquarters. Worried about your privacy on the internet? Learn more about what your risks are and gain some practical tools that can be used to protect yourself on the web. For more information, contact Hannah at 704-216-8259.

Coffee House for NC Digital Library Collection: Oct. 9, 9-10 a.m., headquarters. Need help downloading ebooks, audiobooks or magazines? Attend this event to get started and learn more about our free digital resources available using your library card and the Libby App. Laptops, phones and tablets of all brands are welcome. Be sure to charge your device or bring your charging cords with you. Complimentary coffee will be available for attendees. Questions? Call 704-216-8242.

Cards for a Cause: Oct. 1-Dec. 18, headquarters, East and South. Create holiday cards that will be delivered to active service members in the U.S. armed forces and to veterans at the Hefner VAMC in Salisbury. Patrons can specify if their card(s) is delivered to a certain branch or to the VA. However, cards submitted for a branch of the armed forces do have specific deadlines: Nov. 6 for cards distributed internationally, Dec. 6 for cards distributed stateside. Cards submitted Dec. 7-18 will only be delivered to the VA. For more information, contact Tammie at 704-216-7842.

Meet Your Neighbor: Oct. 7, 6 p.m., East. Meet Beau Taylor, Rowan County native and mayor of Rockwell.  Taylor will tell his life story, with its beginnings at a small town grocery (which later became Food Lion) to his life of service for the town and his vision for its future. Refreshments and door prizes will follow. Call 704-216-7840 for more information.

Chapter Chats: Sensory storytime, East, Oct. 9, 10 a.m. This weekly program is designed for those with autism and/or sensory challenges and is coordinated in collaboration with Rowan-Cabarrus Community College’s Skills, Opportunity, Awareness, Readiness (SOAR) program and Rowan County’s Therapeutic Recreation Division. To learn more about how to participate in this program series, call Tammie at 704-216-7842.

Sensory Storytime: Oct. 11, 10:30 p.m., headquarters. Attendees will experience storytime through tactile stimulation as they touch, see, smell and hear different interactive elements. Low lighting and low music will also be used. This 30-minute storytime involves books, songs and movement and is designed for those with autism and/or sensory challenges. All ages and those of all abilities are welcome. A responsible caretaker (age 16+) must accompany children 8 and under. For questions or to make accessibility arrangements, call 704-216-8234.

Gardening Party Saturdays: South, Oct. 5, 11 a.m. Meet monthly with plant, garden and pollinator enthusiasts of all ages and experience levels. This month, Jamie Watkins talks Building Pollinator Houses for Bats and Bees. This event was rescheduled from Aug. 3. Light refreshments. For more details, call 704-216-7731.

Displays: Headquarters, Purple Shoe display in observance of Domestic Violence Awareness, presented by Family Crisis Council; East, original artwork by Beth Denton; South, miniature doll houses by Donna Deal and Terri Correll.

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.