Best of Friends Friends of the Durham Library Newsletter Fall 2014
A portion of the cover illustration of March: Book One, the Durham Reads Together 2014 selection.
Durham Reads Together 2014 Presents March: Book One urham Reads Together 2014, presented by Durham County Library, will focus on March: Book One by Congressman John Lewis. The month-long celebration of reading invites participants to read the same book and attend programs around its theme, inspiring the Durham community to discuss important issues, including race, family, identity, faith, education, culture, music and visual art. This year’s event will kick off with a march on Saturday, October 4, and conclude on Thursday, October 30.
D
Durham County Library Director Tammy Baggett says, “We are so pleased to welcome Congressman Lewis and feature his riveting memoir for Durham Reads Together. Our examination of his fight for civil rights could not come at a more important time in our history as we witness continued struggles for rights and recognition across the country. We are pleased to present a range of programs throughout October that will allow discussion about a variety of topics, from the history of civil rights to the making of a graphic memoir.”
A vivid first-hand account of John Lewis’ lifelong struggle for civil and human rights, meditating in the modern age on the distance traveled since the days of Jim Crow and segregation, March is rooted in Lewis’ personal story, but also reflects on the highs and lows of the broader civil rights movement. The first installation of a trilogy, Book One spans Lewis’ youth in rural Alabama, his life-changing meeting with Martin Luther King, Jr., the birth of the Nashville Student Movement, and the battle to tear down segregation through nonviolent lunch counter sit-ins.
This celebration is co-sponsored by Durham Library Foundation and Friends of the Durham Library. Additional partners include Durham Comics Fest, Durham Public Schools, Durham Technical Community College, Duke University, North Carolina Central University, Hayti Heritage Center, North Carolina Mutual and Mechanics and Farmers Bank.
Kickoff weekend events on page 3
The Library Family Board of Trustees Henry Felder, Chair Shawn Miller, Vice Chair Rosemarie Kitchin, Secretary Tamara Bynum Sandra Chambers Joe Hewitt Rosemarie Kitchin Shawn Miller Eve Marion, Friends Liaison Wendy Jacobs, BOCC Liaison
Upcoming Board of Trustees Meetings November 20, 2014, South Regional January 15, 2015, Main Library
Friends of the Durham Library Janet W. Hessling, President Alan B. Teasley, Vice President Shayne Goodrum, Treasurer Lauren Spohrer, Secretary Martha Scotford, Past President Betty Danielson Robert Colver Jane Goodridge Felicia A. Leggett Arlene Lutenegger Eve Marion Tina Oshinski Carol Owen Leah Rutchick Elnora Joyner Shields André Vann Carol Ann Walters Elsa Woods Angela Zoltners
Durham Library Foundation Phil Hutchings, President Elizabeth Townsend, Vice President Bonnie Cox, Treasurer Andrew Hutchings, Secretary Alice Alexander De (Diane Elizabeth) abeth) Cutshaw Dannette Daniels els Leslie Dillon Frances Dyer Pierce Freelon Tom Keller Anne Lloyd rg Bob Otterbourg Frances Rollinss Anne Wright Henry Felder Board of Trustees steees Representative Repr ep essentativee Betty Danielson n Friends Representative eseentative ive
Letters Bookshop Partners with Friends and Welcomes Members
W
hen Land Arnold opened the Letters Bookshop in downtown Durham in December 2013, it represented a dream come true. As one of the previous owners of Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, he’d been in the book business since 2003. Yet, Durham always held a special place in his heart. After falling in love with the downtown scene, Arnold decided that the space on 313 W. Main Street (part of the renovated old Thom McAn building) would make a perfect location for a locally owned and operated book store. Letters sells gently used books, along with some rare and new volumes. Letters has quickly become an integral part of Durham’s urban renaissance. What’s more exciting is that Letters partners with locally focused, not-for-profit organizations, including Book Harvest, an organization that gives books to children who otherwise might not have them in their homes.
The exterior of the newly opened Letters Bookshop.
The Friends of the Durham Library has also formed a new partnership with Letters, which is the latest bookstore to offer members a 10% discount. The Regulator Bookstore and Wentworth & Leggett also offer the same benefit to Friends members. Arnold, a fellow Friends member, looks forward to welcoming other Friends of the Durham Library to the Letters Bookshop.
First Library in Space Wins International Award
T
he Urban Libraries Council named Durham County Library a 2014 Top Innovator for the First Library in Space program. A panel of expert judges chose FLIS from more than 180 applications in the fifth annual ULC Innovations Initiative. Susan Benton, ULC President and CEO, presented the award at the August Board of County Commissioners meeting.
Urban Libraries Council is a membership organization made up of North America’s premier public library systems and the organizations that serve them. ULC’s Innovations Initiative highlights members’ programs, services and operating practices that demonstrate their leadership by creating new approaches and practices to ensure the public library is continuously meeting the ever-changing needs of the community. First Library in Space won in the category of Positioning the Library. Sponsored by the Friends, FLIS took the library to new heights last summer, as we launched a capsule designed by local teens into near space using a weather balloon. Visit firstlibraryinspace.org to see the video.
Tammy Baggett, Director ett, t, Libr LLibrary ib ary ar Di Dire recto or published lished hed in suppo support ort r of Best of Friends is publis Durham Countyy Library, w with it primary ith ryy expenses for printing inting and d distribution ist s ribution paid pai pa ad by the Friends of the Durham Library. The newsletter is produced by the library’s Marketing & Development Division.
The FLIS capsule reaches space. 2 Best of Friends Fall 2014
Durham Reads Together 2014 Continued from page 1
Highlights of Durham Reads Together Film Screening: Freedom Summer
Durham Reads Together 2014 Kickoff Weekend, Oct. 4-5 Durham Marches Together Saturday, Oct. 4, 9 a.m. Main Library, 300 N. Roxboro St. Free and open to the public Join us for a unity march that celebrates Durham’s history and progress on civil rights. We will march from the Main Library to the new Civil Rights Mural, which is located beside the Durham Arts Council. A short rally will welcome Congressman John Lewis and his co-author Andrew Aydin and kick off Durham Reads Together. The mural depicts scenes of Durham’s involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. Durham Reads Together Kick Off: March: Book One Saturday, Oct. 4, 2:30 p.m. B. N. Duke Auditorium, North Carolina Central University 1801 Fayetteville St. Free and open to the public Join Congressman John Lewis and co-author Andrew Aydin for a reading and discussion of Lewis’ graphic memoir, March: Book One. Winner of a Robert F. Kennedy Book Award and a Coretta Scott King Honor Book, March is also a Reader’s Digest Graphic Novel that Every Grown-Up Should Read. It was a New York Times and Washington Post bestseller and an American Library Association Notable Book. A book signing will follow the reading. Durham Remembers Together Sunday, Oct. 5, 3 p.m. Hayti Heritage Center, 804 Old Fayetteville St. Free and open to the public Join Congressman John Lewis and Frank Stasio, host of WUNC’s The State of Things, for a conversation about the March on Washington and the Civil Rights Movement, past and present. Those who attended the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom will be recognized at the program. Co-sponsored by the Hayti Heritage Center. A book signing will follow.
Tuesday, Oct. 7, 7 p.m. Main Library, 300 N. Roxboro St. Over 10 memorable weeks in 1964, known as Freedom Summer, more than 700 student volunteers from around the country joined organizers and local African Americans in a historic effort to shatter the foundations of white supremacy in Mississippi.
Meet the Author: Howard Fuller Sunday, Oct. 12, 3 p.m. Hayti Heritage Center, 804 Old Fayetteville St. Howard Fuller will read from his autobiography, No Struggle, No Progress: A Warrior’s Life from Black Power to Education Reform, co-authored with Lisa Frazier Page. Free and open to the public.
Durham Sings Together: Songs of the Civil Rights Movement Thursday, Oct. 16, 7 p.m. Hayti Heritage Center, 804 Old Fayetteville St. A historic intramural performance of freedom songs. Free and open to the public.
Comics Fest: The Comic Book that Changed the World Sunday, Oct. 26, 3 p.m. Southwest Regional Library, 3605 Shannon Rd. Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story was published in December 1957 by the Fellowship of Reconciliation. This comic inspired Lewis and many other young activists to join the movement and use the principles of nonviolence to battle racial discrimination.
Visit durhamreadstogether.org for additional information about these and other DRT events. Dessert Reception with Congressman John hn Lew Lewis Saturday, Oct. 4, 7:30-9 p.m. Hill House, 900 S. Duke St. A Fundraiser presented by Durham ham Library Foundation Foundatio Join Congressman John Lewis and nd Andrew Aydin for a dessert reception at the historic Hill House, John Sprunt Hill’s elegant ant mansion. Durham Library Foundation is in the midst of a $1.55 million dollar campaign for the library. The campaign will help p to purchase a new bookmobile, enhance Humanities programming ing and expand the local history archives. $75.00 per ticket. Available ilab at durhamreadstogether.org or durhamlibraryfoundation.org. g. For additional information, please call Alice Sharpe at 919-560-0193 or email asharpe@dconc.gov. Friends of the Durham Library Newsletter 3
Adult &
Humanities Programs at Durham County Library Brought to you with support from Durham Library Foundation. All programs are free and open to the public.
Humanities
For October programs, visit durhamreadstogether.org
NOV. - dec. 2014
From Glazed to Gourmet: Donut Shops in NC
Programs E x p a n d Yo u r K n o w l e d g e . . . E n g a g e i n C o n v e r s a t i o n . . . E x p e r i e n ce S o m e t h i n g N e w. . .
Thursday, Nov. 6, 7 p.m. South Regional Join Julie Thomson, Durham’s own resident donut ambassador and historian, for a delicious dip into donut history. Learn about North Carolina’s rich donut past, as Thomson traces our state’s contributions to donut history. Donut samples will be served.
Fall Into Romance Friday-Saturday, Nov. 7-8 , See ad on page 5 Southwest Regional Join Sarah Frantz, editor at Riptide Publishing; USA Today bestselling author Farrah Rochon; and New York Times bestselling authors Carla Neggers and Cathy Maxwell for a day of romance!
Art with the Experts: Miró: The Experience of Seeing Monday, Nov. 10, 7 p.m. Main Library Join Marshall Price, Nancy Hanks Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, and Juline Chevalier, Curator of Education at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, for a discussion and slide lecture on Mirό: The Experience of Seeing. Spanish born Joan Miró is one of the great masters of the 20th Century. This exhibit is the first one to focus on his final 20 years and the Nasher is its only east coast venue.
Transforming Our Response to Youth Crime: Kids for Cash Screening and Discussion Sunday, Nov.16, 3 p.m. Main Library Join us for a screening of excerpts from Kids for Cash, a documentary spotlighting the scandal involving judges in Pennsylvania, and relevant to reforms of juvenile justice and education systems anywhere. The film will be followed by a panel discussion including Judge Marcia Morey; Brandy Bynum, NC Child; Tasha Jones, chief court counselor, Durham; and others involved in transforming our approach to youth who commit crimes. Co-sponsored by Youth Villages and MST Services.
Meet The Author: Marcie Cohen Ferris Tuesday, Nov. 18, 7 p.m. Southwest Regional Author Marcie Cohen Ferris reads and discusses her book The Edible South:The Power of Food and the Making of an American Region. Ferris presents food as a new way to chronicle the American South’s larger history. She reveals how food – as cuisine and as commodity – has expressed and shaped southern identity to the present day. A book signing will follow the reading.
Anita Woodley’s Boomerang Sunday Dec. 7, 3 p.m. Main Library Award-winning actress/journalist Anita Woodley’s new one-woman performance, Boomerang, examines her transformative trip to the rainforest in Cameroon, Africa. In 2010, while visiting the rainforest, Woodley reunited with her maternal Tikar tribe in the Chiefdom of N’ditam Village. She was named Princess Bekang, which translates into Boomerang, because she was the first AfricanAmerican of Tikar descent to return to their village.
Duke Ellington: Man, Myth, Music and the Eternal Sacred Tuesday, Dec. 9, 7 p.m. Stanford L. Warren Library The last words of Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington shortly before his death were, “Music is how I live, why I live and how I will be remembered.” In this interactive lecture and listening session, jazz musician and historian Daoud A. Haroon will explore the social, historical and creative implications of jazz icon and visionary Duke Ellington on 20th century music and American cultural life.
Religion in NC: Documenting Diversity, Enhancing Cultural Memory Thursday, Dec. 11, 7 p.m. Southwest Regional Join Ken Woo, Doctoral Fellow for Research and Education, Duke Divinity School Library, for an evening of stories from the Religion in North Carolina Digital Collection, a collaborative digitization project led by Duke, UNC and Wake Forest University. Come hear examples of the personal and community narratives preserved in the collection, which highlights the diversity of North Carolina’s cultural past and preserves its memory for the benefit of current and future generations.
Baile y Bomba Boriqua Saturday, Dec. 13, 3 p.m. East Regional Enjoy a lecture demonstration on the unique music and dance form of Plena and Bomba from the island of Puerto Rico. An explanation of the drum and its origin in Africa will be discussed, along with its use for communication, entertainment and celebration purposes. The sounds of the different drums: bongo, conga and pandero, will be demonstrated, with a focus on the Bomba drum.
For more information, call 919-560-0268 or visit durhamcountylibrary.org 4 Best of Friends Fall 2014
Meet Jan Hessling: Artist Turned Friends’ President Jan Hessling is one who indeed knows the arts and libraries. As the newly elected president of the Friends, she works to support creative library initiatives that appeal to her love of both. Hessling is a painting conservator in private practice with a profound appreciation of books and libraries that dates back to her youth. She grew up in the small town of Peru, Illinois and fondly recalls her family being very active library users.
As president, Hessling wants the general public to understand the importance and scope of what the Friends do. “Growing” the Friends’ membership base by encouraging library patrons to become “official Friends” members will be a priority. “To financially support library programs, the book sales are our main fundraisers,” states Hessling. “But our second largest source of revenue comes from membership dues. Members support the library just by joining the Friends.”
“We were brought up that way,” says Hessling. “My hometown had a Carnegie Library, and we were in there so often as a family. I remember when my sister and I were little girls, the library was remodeled, turning its basement into the new children’s library room.” Hessling chuckles remembering her excitement and playful times spent in that renovated children’s library space, and how this has framed her fondness for books and the arts. She still enjoys reading the classics as well as mysteries that involve art (stolen, faked or long lost), art/general history and historical fiction. Hessling earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame in Liberal Studies, and a MA in Art History and Certificate of Advanced Study in Art Conservation from Buffalo State College. In 2009, Hessling opened a studio in Durham after working in the Conservation Department at the North Carolina Museum of Art and as a freelancer on murals in landmark buildings throughout the South and Midwest. Her service to the Durham community also includes tenure as a board member of the Historic Stagville Foundation and as a volunteer for Preservation Durham.
Fall into Romance
Her involvement with the Friends of the Durham Library was also driven by these interests, and influenced by family ties. For years, her mother served on the library board back home. Little did she know that her future service to a library would be as president of the Friends of the Durham Library.
Hessling will also work on the details of how the Friends will continue to operate when the Main Library undergoes its pending renovation, predicted to commence in the next three years. While plans are ongoing, the Friends are already contemplating how to keep all the book sales active and how to accept donations throughout the construction period. Library patrons may also look forward to seeing more of a Friends’ presence at events and online in the near future. The current Friends’ webpage is slated to be updated, and tweets from the Friends about activities and events are forthcoming. Hessling is excited about all of these plans. “It’s been really interesting working behind the scenes, observing how things actually get done,” she said. “While it may take a great deal of effort to support library programs, to the Friends, it’s really rewarding work. I would encourage everybody to join the Friends and support the library with their dues, book purchases and book donations.”
A two-day celebration of the romance genre Friday-Saturday, November 7-8 Fall into Romance Kickoff Party Friday, November 7, 6 - 8p.m. Six Plates Wine Bar, 2812 Erwin Rd. #104 Mingle with other fans at the Fall Into Romance Kickoff Party. Light hors d’oevres provided. Beverages available for purchase from the bar. The event is free, but registration is required. Call 919-560-8594 to register after October 1.
For additional information on this and other events, visit the web site at fallintoromance.org. Friends of the Durham Library Newsletter 5
6 Best of Friends Fall 2014
C A M P A I G N
F O R
T H E
L I B R A R Y
House and Garden Club and DCL - A Growing Relationship In 1955, Fran Bryant recalls that the mother of a friend called 25 or so young wives and mothers to focus on beautifying their gardens and the community. Members of the House and Garden Club focused on serious garden topics, hosted great speakers and funded community projects...traditions that continue to this day. In 2010, Club members Carolyn London and Lou McCutcheon, former DCL trustees and DLF members, championed DCL and DLF as potential recipients of support from House and Garden. The relationship between the Club and the library has “blossomed” since. Upon completion of the Southwest Regional Library renovation, Carolyn and Lou felt that the green space behind the building needed something for the children to enjoy. The Club purchased a lovely garden bench and plants. Next, working through member Gale Glenn, the Club funded the creation of the beautiful and well-loved children’s garden. Delighted kids plant, harvest and eat from “their” garden.
Thank You to The Forest At Duke The Forest at Duke (TFAD) and DCL have had a great relationship for more than 15 years. Through the Older Adult and Shut-In Services (OASIS), DCL provides valuable services to the residents. DCL staff member Priscilla Barbee makes Priscilla Barbee prepares sure that TFAD residents get their OASIS requests. requests for books, CDs, DVDs and audio books, just as OASIS does for 35+ locations. TFAD also is home to many who serve or have served as Durham County Library Foundation board members, Friends, Trustees and Humanities program volunteers. In August, TFAD awarded DLF a $12,000 gift. A portion of this gift will be used to produce a performance of “Screams Echo” in February at the Hayti Heritage Center. Murry Perlmutter, a TFAD resident, brought the play to the library’s attention last spring, and we were eager to collaborate to bring such a powerful play to the entire community. Here’s to more service, support and collaboration in the future!
Left: (l-r) Carolyn London, Fran Bryant, Gale Glenn, Lou McCutcheon and Nancy Hudson. Right: Sherry Townsend
Club member Carolyn Borden and her husband, K, have stepped up to fund “Borden’s Walk,” a brick path that will make the area more accessible to all. DLF cannot thank the Bordens enough for this generous gift. DCL and DLF sincerely appreciate the support given by House and Garden Club. We will continue to grow this special relationship!
Durham Library Foundation Welcomes New Member The board is pleased to add Alice Alexander as a new member. Alice writes, “As a passionate supporter of the Durham County Library system, I am convinced it provides an essential and effective service in increasing literacy, enhancing personal and professional opportunities for residents, strengthening the influence of the humanities and building the community through knowledge and connections. “Serving on the Foundation board aligns with my personal passions and motivators: to make an impact (in keeping with my young baby boomer demographic); to help Durham and Durham residents be the best they can be; to build community – and what better way to build community than to have a strong library; to strengthen the power and influence of the Humanities in our society; to increase literacy, which in turn supports myriad benefits for personal, community and economic growth; and to work with an amazing group of committed volunteers who believe as I do.” Welcome, Alice! Stay tuned for profiles on Leslie Dillon and new board secretary, Andrew Hutchings in the next issue. Friends of the Durham Library Newsletter 7
Nonprofit org. U.S. Postage PAID Durham, NC Permit No. 312
P.O. Box 3809 Durham, NC 27702
durhamcountylibrary.org
Friends of the Durham Library Membership: Become a member of the Friends of the Durham Library or renew your membership: Name Phone Address
E-Mail City
Zip
Type of Membership: Memberships expire in one year (except Life memberships) Family $25 Senior (over 65) $10 Sustaining $50 Life $300 Adult $15 Youth (18 and younger) $5 Patron $100 Additional gift of Please make your check payable and mail to Friends of the Durham Library, PO Box 3809, Durham, NC 27702. Questions: Dionne Greenlee (919-560-0190 or dgreenlee@dconc.gov). Financial information about this organization and a copy of its license are available from the State Solicitation Licensing Branch at 1-888-830-4989. The license is not an endorsement by the State.
Donations of $25 or more to the Foundation include membership in the Friends of the Durham Library.
To Make a Donation to Durham Library Foundation: Yes, a stronger library makes a stronger Durham. Here’s my contribution! $30 $50 $75 $150 $250 Other Name Phone Address
E-Mail City
Zip
Please make your check payable and mail to Durham Library Foundation, PO Box 3809, Durham, NC 27702. Questions, bequests & other planned giving needs: Alice Sharpe (919-560-0193 or asharpe@dconc.gov).
Donate online any time at durhamlibraryfoundation.org