Blog
Robotics Is Back!
Next class is July 14 at Harper Library; Register by calling (910) 457-6237 Elementary school students recently filled Harper library for the return of the very popular Lego WeDo Robotics program, thanks to a great collaboration from wonderful community partners who...
FOLSOI’s June 2022 Newsletter
It's summertime here in NC ... and that means it's time to dive into this great big pool of summer reading resources, including activities for teachers and families to help kids get ready for a fun, enriching summer. Find links to parent tips, themed booklists,...
OKI Author Captures Horror, Hope in the Flood
It was another full house of book lovers when FOLSOI hosted local author Cindy Horrell Ramsey at Barbee Library to discuss her latest novel, Trying Not to Drown, a heart-wrenching story about a family whose home is destroyed by flooding after Hurricane Florence. ...
Local Author Writing ‘New’ Civil War Series
The audience was “at attention” when Southport author Col (Ret.) Dobie McArthur was the guest speaker for FOLSOI’s Meet the Author program at Harper Library in mid-May. He was there to talk about his life, military career, and a thrilling series of Civil War books...
Promoting Reading from the Start
The idea started in a Brunswick Newcomers meeting when I was listening to Debbie Keener, the Executive Director of Samara’s Village (above, center, with FOLSOI's Gail Sawchuk, left; and Cindy Phillips, right), tell the audience about their mission of helping Brunswick...
Barbee Library Hosts Joy Class from Morganton
It was a day of fun this week when Barbee Library hosted a games party for a group of special needs adults and their caregivers from the JOY Sunday School class at Burkemont Baptist Church in Morganton, North Carolina. The group is here for a week-long work and play...
Rescue Me: Celebrate National Rescue Dog Day May 20
National Rescue Dog Day, Friday, May 20, aims to raise awareness of the wonderful dogs in need of permanent homes. Dogs find themselves in shelters for various reasons. Some are surrendered by owners no longer able to care for them. Some are brought in as strays,...
Celtic History and Culture: It’s Complicated
The latest installment of the Barbee Library Max and Sarah Williams Life Long Learners program on Celtic History and Culture explored Celtic Britain and Roman Britain and the rise of the Celts and Picts in Scotland. Zooming in, about 30 participants listened to two...
FOLSOI’s May 2022 Newsletter
Now: More Free eBooks and Audiobooks! Have you discovered Libby by Overdrive yet? The easy-to-use app connects with your library card, and lets you search and borrow audiobooks and ebooks from your phone! Just download the Libby app from your phone or tablet and...
Long Overdue, We Finally Get to ‘Meet the Authors’
Dennis Hetzel (above, right) a resident of Holden Beach with a distinguished career in journalism, entertained a full room at Barbee Library last week with a “Meet the Author” account of his transition into writing suspense novels. It was a welcome return for this...
If You Plant It, They Will Come
As any Carolina gardener can tell you, the challenge here is not just getting plants to grow, it’s also about keeping them from completely taking over! Enter the St. James Garden Club: These dedicated gardeners create order from chaos to make sure our surroundings...
Passover: A Re-telling of Exodus
"Let my People go" implores Moses. The Pharaoh of Egypt strenuously and promptly says, "No!" So begins the Torah (Old Testament) Book of Exodus. Passover, an eight-day Judaic holiday, recalls the Israelites’ journey from enslavement in Egypt to the foot of freedom in...
National Library Outreach Day: If You Lend It, They Will Come
Wednesday, April 6, is National Library Outreach Day, formerly known as National Bookmobile Day, celebrating the work of library professionals looking for new ways to engage the public. Some of their key innovations include bringing library resources out into the...
Check It Out! National Library Week April 3-9
Way back in the late 1950s, librarians and book sellers across the country began to ring the alarm on a dramatic decrease in library usage and book purchases—at the same time America's use of a new technology called television was rising. Worried that America’s...
Great World Religions: Understanding Islam
This week's session of Barbee Library’s Max and Sarah Williams Life Long Learners covered lectures five and six in the Great World Religions course, covering “The Muslim Community – Faith and Politics” and “Paths to God – Islamic Law and Mysticism.” One might rightly...
Take the Plunge with a Good Book on World Water Day
Water fascinates us, perhaps because we humans are largely made up of water and here in coastal North Carolina, we’re surrounded by it. And wherever we go, we have our bottle of water handy, reminding ourselves to stay hydrated. So, celebrate World Water Day 2022 on...
A World Poetry Day Ode to FOLSOI
Monday, March 21 is World Poetry Day, a day the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) set aside in 1999 to recognize the many wonderful forms of poetry that entertain, challenge and inspire us. In honor of this auspicious occasion,...
What’s Your Sign… of Spring?
When does spring begin? Lately, we’ve been told that “meteorological spring” begins on March 1. For gardeners, it might be the day that flowering plants emerge from the ground, and lawns show the first sign of green. For college students, it might be the first cold...
Life Long Learners Go Back to Ukraine
The Barbee Library Max and Sarah Williams Life Long Learners group took a brief detour from their ongoing program on the “Great World Religions: Islam” to revisit a session from 2016 on Ukraine and Russia. Given current events, this lecture supplied important...
FOLSOI’s March 2022 Newsletter
(Southport) Coffee and Friends Go Together! Mark your calendar for Thursday, March 17 when you should grab a friend or two for a delicious coffee drink from the good folks at Southport Coffee, 5503 Rob Gandy Blvd in Southport. That's because FOLSOI has been selected...
‘Early Chapter’ Books Vital to Building Next Gen of Readers
One of parents’ proudest moments is when their children learn to read. It’s right up there with learning to crawl, walking and saying their first words. But once the kids start reading, what kinds of books can parents find for their young readers? Fortunately,...
How Sweet It Was: The History of Sugar, Molasses, Maple Syrup, and Honey
“Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, … “ We sure love sugar because it helps to make our lives sweeter. But over the centuries, sugar has had an unsavory side to it, too. This week, Desiree Bridge of the Southport Historical Society hosted a Zoom and...
Remembering John Whiting, FOLSOI President 2005-2006
Friends of the Library Southport and Oak Island (FOLSOI) are saddened to hear the news of the passing of John Whiting on January 26. John served as president of FOLSOI in 2005 and 2006. His outstanding dedication to the libraries was recognized when he was named...
Essential Oils: Helping Pets Live Their Best Life
Essential oils are the “life blood” of plants, and ancient practice and modern science confirm that they offer many health benefits for people and for animals. Mary Beth Mount, an educator and distributor for Young Living products, hosted a presentation at Barbee...
It’s International Day of Women and Girls in Science!
How many female scientists, besides Marie Curie, can you name? Maybe the famous primatologist Jane Goodall comes to mind, or Rachel Carson, the environmental scientist who exposed the dangers of pesticides in the 1960s. But if you’re like most people, other names...
Cora Lee Greene: Opening Doors Even Beyond Death
Kicking off its Black History Month celebrations, the Southport Historical Society this week hosted an online presentation by Board Member Donnie Joyner on The Life and Times of Ms. Cora Lee Greene. Southport native and 1954 Brunswick County Training (BCT) school...
Safer Internet Day 2022: Be Careful Out There!
When many of us were young, our parents warned us against the world’s dangers. Don’t talk to strangers, they said. Come straight home without taking a detour through the woods. Tell a parent or other authority figure if you see or experience anything creepy or scary....
Soup’s On! Local Cooks Share Cold-Weather Faves for National Soup Month
The weather outside was certainly frightful for most of January--creating the perfect backdrop to celebrate National Soup Month! Who doesn’t love a good pot of something warm on the stove this time of year? So, some of our friends and local cooks shared what they had...
Libraries: What’s Not to Love?
February is National Library Lovers Month, a reminder that there is much to love about our public libraries. Here are some ways to show your love of Harper and Barbee Libraries and ensure that they continue to serve the needs of residents and seasonal visitors. Get...
Local Authors ‘Thrill’ Live Audience at Harper
This week, Harper Library hosted the in-person return of FOLSOI’s “Meet the Author” program, featuring two well-known thriller writers from the area, Alan Woodruff (in picture, left) and Henry Hack. While FOLSOI had successfully live-streamed two MTAs during the...
Borrow It for Free
I just saved $28.99 today! No, I didn’t rack up a $700 bill at Food Lion to get my “savings." I borrowed a book from Harper Library, and the receipt they handed me said I saved $28.99 today, and during last year, I saved a total of $359.75. How is that? Well, of...
Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2022
This Friday, January 28, marks the 10th annual celebration of “Multicultural Children’s Book Day (MCBD)” an event designed to raise awareness of children’s books that celebrate diversity, and to make these books more available in classrooms and libraries. MCBD was...
FOLSOI January 2022 Newsletter
Got something yummy on the stove this month? Snap a picture of your best pot of soup and send us the recipe. Email us, or share it on our social media pages with #soupweather. From the FOLSOI Blog Local Author --and "Ellie"--Donate to Harper Library by Carol Brolley...
What Keeps Life Long Learners Engaged?
This week’s session of the Barbee Library Max and Sarah Williams Life Long Learners series “How Winston Churchill Changed the World” explored Churchill’s pivotal decision to fight Germany rather than to surrender to those around him urging appeasement. This was the...
National Hobby Month: Resolve to Try Something New!
January is National Hobby Month, celebrating the ways we pursue creativity, strength, nutrition, relaxation, exhilaration, wisdom and good cheer. The term “hobby” comes from a 16th century term “hobyn” meaning a small horse or pony. Toy hobby horses – sticks with the...
Local Author–and ‘Ellie’–Donate Children’s Book to Harper Library
Meet Ellie! She lives on Bald Head Island with her grandparents, Robin and Mark Prak. Ellie loves to explore the island, enjoying the beautiful scenery and scents, all while searching for the local wildlife that call Bald Head home. Ellie likes to chase squirrels,...
You Say You Want a Resolution?
A few days into 2022 and you’re already wavering on your New Year’s resolutions? It’s not too late to reclaim the year and live it on your terms! Committing to daunting challenges when we’re exhausted, broke, and emotionally spent… and facing another spike in a...
December 2021 FOLSOI Newsletter
From the FOLSOI Blog Elks Golfers Score Again for Local Charities by Patricia Langer | Donating money to help local charities is par for the course for the Oak Island Elks Lodge. After all, “Elks Care, Elks Share” is their motto. Over the last several years, the OKI...
Hanukkah: Food, Folks and Fun
Hanukkah, like all Jewish holidays land in accordance to the lunar calendar. This year it started on Sunday, November 28th at sunset (all Jewish holidays begin at sunset). The dates change yearly, although it is always observed for eight days. The Food The two...
Ready, Set, Read! It’s the Battle of the Books Student Competition
It’s a battle like no other! And while history has provided us with lots of battles to study, none of them may be as important to the children in Brunswick County than the North Carolina School Library Media Association’s (NCSLMA) Battle of the Books, starting in...
Elks Golfers Score Again for Local Charities
Donating money to help local charities is par for the course for the Oak Island Elks Lodge. After all, “Elks Care, Elks Share” is their motto. Over the last several years, the OKI Elks have donated approximately $12,000-$18,000 annually to such charities as...
FOLSOI’s November 2021 Newsletter
From the FOLSOI Blog Adult Spelling Bee Supports Life-Changing Literacy Skills by Diana Fotinatos Bibliophiles, grammarians, brainiacs, and word geeks, some in costume and some in official police uniform paired up for the 31st annual Adult Spelling Bee and silent...
November is Native American Heritage Month
From the earliest accounts of Wampanoag Indians teaching settlers in Plymouth, Massachusetts, how to grow corn (Thanksgiving anyone?) to today’s Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland, a Pueblo Indian, Native Americans have always had a tremendous impact on our country. ...
How Winston Churchill Changed the World: Lessons for Life Long Learners
The Max and Sarah Williams Life Long Learners Program at Barbee Library (streaming live on Zoom on Thursdays at 10am) is now exploring the Great Courses series of “How Winston Churchill Changed the World.” The first session was led by Marti Fowler and attended by 30...
Adult Spelling Bee Supports Life-Changing Literacy Skills
Bibliophiles, grammarians, brainiacs, and word geeks, some in costume and some in official police uniform paired up for the 31st annual Adult Spelling Bee and silent auction event sponsored by the Brunswick County Literacy Council and held at the Odell Williamson...
FOLSOI’s October 2021 Newsletter
'Books Unite Us' Is Theme of Banned Book Week by Patricia Langer How would you feel if someone said you couldn’t read the Bible because it was banned due to its religious content? What would your book club do if it was blocked from reading The Kite Runner by...
Mystery of the Long-Lost Library Book
My grandson is a prolific reader of books acquired from family and friends, augmented by books on loan from his school library, where he is a dedicated and responsible patron. His mother was therefore shocked to get a bill from the school library for a book that he...
Don’t Stress! Try Meditation, Zentangle, and Other Cool Ways
So, who’s stressed out? This week at Barbee Library, Kate Kusterback, RN (in photo, above) and certified Health and Wellness Coach, got our attention really quickly, first by her delightful, dynamic personality, and next by asking how many of us in the group were...
Voter Registration Day Spotlights Key Right, Responsibility
While Election Day is still more than a month away (Nov. 2), it’s time to get registered to vote! That’s why Tuesday, September 28 is National Voter Registration Day, celebrating American democracy and voter registration. Established in 2012 by the National...
‘Books Unite Us’ Is Theme of Banned Books Week
How would you feel if someone said you couldn’t read the Bible because it was banned due to its religious content? What would your book club do if it was blocked from reading The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, also because of fears about religion? Think about the...
FOLSOI Annual Membership Meeting: Good News in the Storm
On a dark and stormy afternoon, several dozen FOLSOI members braved flooded streets and donned their masks to attend our 31st Annual Membership Meeting at the Southport Community Building. President Carol Brolley opened the meeting by introducing FOLSOI ‘s Board of...
Esperanza: Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month!
It’s time to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, starting Wednesday, September 15 and spotlighting the history, culture, and achievements of Americans of Spanish, Mexican, Caribbean, and Central and South American heritage. This year’s theme is “Esperanza: A...
Advocating for Our Libraries in a Fast-Growing Community
[Photo above: Southport Woman's Club president Roxie Smith (left) with FOLSOI president Carol Brolley.] While much has changed in our lives over the past 18 months due to the pandemic, one thing hasn’t changed for the Friends of the Library Southport & Oak Island:...
The Wisdom of History: Ignore It at Your Peril!
What can we learn from history? How can it help us today? Last week’s Max and Sarah Williams Life Long Learners program at Barbee Library (Thursdays, 10am via Zoom) featured two lectures by Dr. Rufus Fears from the “The Wisdom of History” Great Courses series....
Your Library Card: Not Just for Books Anymore
September is Library Card Sign-Up Month. A library card is your passport to information, education, recreation, imagination, and exploration. In Brunswick County, “everyone who lives, works, goes to school, or owns property” in the county is “eligible for a FREE...
“Voice of Customers” Focus Groups Point to Libraries’ Future
[Photo: FOLSOI President Carol Brolley addresses Brunswick County Commissioners in June with the results of the focus group findings.] It is common, if not essential, for any board of directors to think about strategy. FOLSOI is no different. In fact, we would not be...
FOLSOI’s August 2021 Newsletter
From the FOLSOI Blog: The Five Laws of Library Science | by Barbara Lemos National Librarian’s Day in India on August 12 celebrates the life’s work of a great mathematician. Wait, what? Yes, Shiyali Ramamrita (S. R.) Ranganathan, born in 1892 in British-ruled India,...
3 More Ways to Celebrate National Book Lovers Day
Hopefully by now you’ve chosen a book—or stack of books—to read on National Book Lovers Day, Monday, August 9. So, you may be wondering, “What else can I do to celebrate?” Here are three great ideas: Why not make National Book Lovers Day a time to sort through your...
Did You Know? National Book Lovers Day Is August 9
Books, books, and more books! Books that educate us, books that entertain us, books that raise our awareness and increase our empathy toward others. Who can get enough of them? If you are one of those people, then National Book Lovers Day is a day for you! Put down...
S.R. Ranganathan: Father of Indian Library Science
National Librarian’s Day in India on August 12 celebrates the life’s work of a great mathematician. Wait, what? Yes, Shiyali Ramamrita (S. R.) Ranganathan, born in 1892 in British-ruled India, earned degrees in Mathematics, intending to teach, but he would make his...
Celebrate ‘Paperback Book Day’ July 30
There’s just something about a book. The sensory experience of feeling thin sheets of paper as you turn the pages, the smell of pulp and cardboard, the sight of books stacked in colorful piles on your nightstand or neatly arranged on shelves in the library. ...
‘Tales of Ocean Tails’ Delights Kids this Week
Beginning with a tadpole hunt, kids “zooming” into the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher this week were treated to a variety of tailed animals from bullfrogs to alligators, otters, stingrays, snakes, and horseshoe crabs in their habitats. Kristin Holloman-Noe,...
FOLSOI’s July 2021 Newsletter
July is National Ice Cream Month! Want a great read to celebrate this most delicious month of reading? Try "The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street: a novel" by Susan Jane Gilman. Irresistibly good! From the FOLSOI Blog: Celebrating Dads Around the World | by Patricia...
Never Too Late to Celebrate!
Did you know that FOLSOI marked its 30th anniversary in September, 2020? Disappointingly, COVID-19 cancelled the annual meeting where the party (complete with cake and ice cream!) was to be held. The 12-person volunteer board of directors is just not going to let the...
Celebrate Juneteenth, A Long Overdue Holiday!
When Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862, to free slaves in the Confederate states, slavery was ended… or was it? Some enslaved people were released from their bonds, able to embark on a life of freedom, but many in the South...
CRISPR’s Promise and Peril
In the final installment of the Barbee Library Life Long Learners series on DNA, 32 participants on Zoom learned about CRISPR, the gene editing technology promising brilliant medical breakthroughs or apocalyptic ethical perils (or both). CRISPR stands for Clustered...
Celebrate Dad on Father’s Day, June 20
Dads around the world are celebrated on Father’s Day, which is always the third Sunday of June in the United States, the UK, the Netherlands and India. In much of Europe and Latin America, Fathers are honored on St. Joseph’s Day, a Catholic holiday day in March. Fun...
Pride Month: A Time to Read
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals have been with us for centuries. Because many chose to (or were forced to) live their lives in secrecy, their emergence in recent decades, and their ability to celebrate their lives in pride, may seem...
DNA Helix Quarrel Spirals Out of Control
Much of success comes from being in the right place at the right time; the rest comes from publishing your results first. Barbee Library’s Life Long Learners program on “The History of DNA” illustrated this in this week’s installment, “The Double Helix Revealed,”...
Try Writing a Limerick!
In the spirit of Limerick Day, Wednesday, May 12, why not try writing one of your own? Crafting limericks is fun and challenging, very much like solving a verbal puzzle. Here are some basic guidelines for limericks: Limericks are short, rhythmic, rhyming poems that...
Moms Get Love from League of Women Voters
Thanks to The League of Women Voters of Lower Cape Fear, Harper Library’s two display cabinets are currently showcasing a wonderful photographic tribute to Moms and their service to their country. Moms who ran for public office, were appointed to public office, won...
Treasure Discovered on Oak Island!
This week, FOLSOI amateur archeologists Diana Fotinatos (past president, and current publicity committee chair) and Barbara Lemos (Roving Reporter) uncovered a treasure trove of ancient manuscripts dating back to the 1990s, the Dark Ages before the construction of...
There Once Was a Day Called Limerick (Wed., May 12)
There once was a man named Ed Lear Who wrote poems that would bring you to tears Not lovely nor eloquent But fun and irreverent We now celebrate limericks each year! National Limerick Day, held every year on May 12, pays homage to the man who made the short poems...
Red Dresses Highlight Plight of Indigenous Women
In the United States, indigenous women are ten times more likely to be murdered than the national average. An astounding 84% of indigenous women will be physically abused or sexually harassed sometime during their lifetime. Perpetrators are likely to go unpunished...
Generous Donation in Memory of Matt and Jini Lamer
Matthew B. Lamer, Jr. and Virginia L. Lamer (in photo, above) were loving parents who instilled the love of reading in their children and believed in giving back to their community. There may be no better way for a daughter to honor her parents than through a donation...
FOLSOI Spinning ‘Record Sales’
Jane Austen said, “Without music, life would be a blank to me.” Leo Tolstoy said, “Music is the shorthand of emotion.” Corinne Bailey Ray sang. “Girl, put your records on. Tell me your favorite song. You go ahead, let your hair down.” They’re definitely on the right...
Wham! Pow! Celebrate National Superhero Day April 28
Superheroes help us escape from reality. They entertain us. But most of all, they show us that good triumphs over evil and justice wins out. So, it’s no wonder we love them. And this week, we’ll celebrate them on National Superhero Day, Wednesday, April 28. We love...
How to Take Action for Earth Day 2021
There are many, many ways to take part in Earth Day 2021, Thursday, April 22. Such as: Plant a tree! Pick up trash! Build a birdfeeder! Or, you can take a few simple steps to make your home more energy efficient like switching to LED bulbs, lowering your heat and...
BEMC Grant Brings Summer Reading Fun to Kids
FOLSOI is excited to announce a $1,000 grant from BEMC (Brunswick Electric) to help fund the Harper and Barbee Libraries’ summer reading programs for children of all ages. In keeping with Covid restrictions, this summer all programs will be via Zoom. The line-up is...
Earth Day Highlights Need for Global Change
Earth Day, Thursday, April 22, continues to grow in importance every year. Although much legislation has been passed to restrict chemical pollution and regulate emissions, there are new examples of harmful contaminants seemingly every day. In our own region, the...
Not-So-Silent Spring: Earth Day 2021
Thursday, April 22 will mark the 51st Earth Day Celebration, an annual event held around the world to demonstrate support for environmental protection The theme for 2021 is “Restore Our Earth” with an emphasis on reducing climate change. Earth Day originated in 1970...
FOLSOI Crosses the ‘Vinyl’ Frontier!
Conditions were ideal for FOLSOI’s latest Book Sale at Southport Realty on Saturday, April 10, as a rainy morning gave way to sunny skies and temperatures in the 70s. The line formed early for patrons eager to resume this pandemic-limited event. In addition to folks...
Holocaust Remembrance Day: So that We Never Forget
If we forget the past, we’ll be doomed to repeat it. So said the philosopher George Santayana and thus is the purpose of Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom HaShoah), this year starting the evening of Wednesday, April 7. In Hebrew, Shoah means destruction and that is,...
10 Things You May Not Have Known about ‘Sonny’ Dosher
This week’s Southport Historical Society presentation featured Travis Gilbert, executive director of the Historic Wilmington Foundation, portraying longtime Bald Head Island lighthouse keeper “Sonny” Dosher, whose life offers a view into much of our local history....
FOLSOI and Kiwanis: Serving the Children of Southport and Oak Island
FOLSOI President Carol Brolley (in picture above) addressed the Southport–Oak Island Kiwanis Club this week to explain how the Friends serve our community libraries and their patrons, and to explore how the two volunteer groups might collaborate. After all, we have...
Meanwhile, in Southport: The History of African American Education
Securing a decent and equal education has been a far-too-long, far-too-hard struggle for Blacks in America, even in Brunswick County. In the latest Max and Sarah Williams Life Long Learners program hosted by Barbee Library, Liz Fuller of the Southport Historical...
A Change Is Gonna Come: The Fight for Civil Rights, 1940 – 1968
America’s involvement in World War II accelerated the demands for civil rights. Manufacturing operations were quickly retooled to produce bombers, spurring full employment. Americans – Black and white – joined the military where many soon realized that the color of...
It’s ‘Read Across America Day’: Pep Rally for Reading!
In a perfect world, every child in America would love to read. In reality, kids today have so many activities competing for their time, from sports to clubs to scouts, that sometimes a little encouragement to sit down with a book is needed. Imagine what a pep rally...
Celebrate National Women’s History Month in March!
Thanks to former President Jimmy Carter, March is the month to celebrate women’s achievements and contributions to America. Well, that isn’t quite right. Actually, President Carter only proclaimed the week of March 8, 1980, as National Women’s History Week. Then in...
The African American Experience: Wilmington’s Darkest Hour
History, it has been said, is written by the winners. What happens, though, when there are no real winners? That was the case for the 1898 Wilmington North Carolina uprising or coup or race riot or massacre… depending on who was relaying the history. This week, Liz...
Little Known Facts About Black History in America
Rosa Parks was not the first black woman who refused to move to the back of the bus. Fifteen-year-old Claudette Colvin (in photo, above) did the same thing nine months earlier, but her family feared she was too young to become the public face of such a racially...
Play On! by Judy Dearlove Is a Must-Read
All those “Zooming in” this week to author Judy Dearlove’s reading from her novel Play On! were inspired, educated, and totally entertained. In this online Meet the Author event sponsored by FOLSOI and presented by Barbee Library, Judy started her talk by reading...
North Carolina’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities: Pathway to Possibilities
For more than 150 years, Historically Black Colleges or Universities (HCBUs) in North Carolina have enabled African Americans in the Southport Area to unlock previously unimagined career possibilities. In fact, thousands of HBCU graduates in North Carolina and beyond...
Amazing Books for Black History Month
(Third in a series of articles celebrating Black History Month in our area.) Do you like stories of adventure and courage? Of adversity and achievement? Of painful truths and unshakeable hope? Here’s a starter list of amazing books to satisfy those desires and help...
Many Rivers to Cross, Many Truths to Reconcile
On the second Thursday of Black History Month, 50 participants joined Barbee Library’s Life Long Learners online discussion about The African American Experience. Using the award-winning documentary, “Many Rivers to Cross,” chronicling African American history over...
Orton Foundation Helps Harper Expand Large Print Catalog
The next time you look for a large print book from Harper Library in Southport, you’ll find a much bigger selection from which to choose. That’s because the Orton Foundation, local affiliate of the Moore Charitable Foundation, recently gave the Friends of the Library...
Why and How to Celebrate Black History Month
(Second in a series of articles highlighting Black History Month) There are many ways to honor the spirit of Black History Month, from participating in some great local events online (more about that in a bit); watching movies that realistically depict the early...
Max Williams: Professor of Life Long Learning
FOLSOI members and Harper and Barbee Library patrons were saddened to learn of the recent passing of Max Williams who, along with his wife Sarah, established and maintained the enormously popular “Life Long Learners” program. After an illustrious career as a beloved...
Black History Month: Dream to Reality
First of a series of articles highlighting Black History Month in February February means it’s time to celebrate Black History Month, a great opportunity to discover African Americans who have contributed to the fabric of our society in significant ways over the last...
June Bug: Turning the Page on a Life of Books
If you have ever set foot in Southport Realty’s 727 N. Howe Street office in Southport, chances are that you met their “office cat,” June Bug. He was a fixture, well known to our FOLSOI book sale volunteers sorting and pricing books for our pre-COVID book sales. Cats...
Virtual Music Discovery on a Rainy Afternoon
“I once had a whim and I had to obey it, to buy a French Horn in a second-hand shop. I polished it up and I started to play it in spite of the neighbors who begged me to stop.” ...
Stay Optimistic!
Wow! It’s been a crazy year. For everyone, Friends of the Library of Southport and Oak Island included! Stay-at-home orders, wearing masks and social distancing were the headlines everywhere. For FOLSOI, closure of our used bookstore located in the spacious backroom...
Who Counts Our Money?
Who keeps track of FOLSOI’s money? I do! I am the new treasurer for FOLSOI. I have been passionate about libraries since I learned to read. Books and reading have been a lifelong love. When I moved to Southport four-and-one-half years ago, one of the first things I...
Mark Twain: The Gathering Darkness
[Barbee Library’s Life Long Learners Series “The Life and Work of Mark Twain” began on Oct. 22 and concludes Jan. 28; this review covers the Jan. 21 session] French author André Maurois noted that, “There are deserts in every life, and the desert must be depicted if...
WOOPS! Opera Sunday to Return in 2022
(Photo by Carolyn Bowers of last year's performance of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas) One of the sweetest sounds of Spring for nearly two decades in Southport has been the popular Opera Sunday program presented by Dr. Nancy King, UNCW Professor and Chair, Department of...
Mark Twain: America’s Uneasy Conscience
[Barbee Library’s Life Long Learners Series “The Life and Work of Mark Twain” began on October 22 and ends on January 28 – this review covers the January 14 session] While Mark Twain is remembered by many for his humor in works of fiction, humor played a vital role in...
FOLSOI’s Barbara Lemos Honored by Lions Club
PHOTO: 2020 Lion of the Year Award recipient Barbara Lemos is joined by Lions Club President Ken Updike (left) and 2020 Outstanding Service Award recipient Roger Albizu (right). “I love to write and I like to take things that are complicated or scary and convert them...
Reflecting with Thanks
As I reflect on 2020, I am met with many emotions. My year began with the death of my beloved mother on January 9th, after a five-year battle with cancer. Four days later, our dog, Max, passed away while at the boarders. I had a feeling that 2020 was going to be a...
Mark Twain: Healing with Humor in Dark Times
“Classic: A book which people praise and don’t read.” – Mark Twain As storm clouds gathered on a November day, 41 participants joined a Barbee Library Zoom meeting to learn about the life and work of Mark Twain. Familiar to many for “Tom Sawyer” and “Huckleberry...
Windows into the Classroom: Southport Elementary School
When Stephanie Webster, Parent Facilitator at Southport Elementary School (above, left) , reached out to FOLSOI for books for their first and fourth grade classrooms, we delivered. This year has already been filled with challenges for students due to COVID pandemic...
FOLSOI Annual Meeting: Making the Most of An Unexpected Year
Today’s FOLSOI Annual Meeting was our first on Zoom. Adversity, it seems, brings out the best in our volunteers. Who would have imagined that record book sales would be achieved in a year when the pandemic curtailed book sales, or that we could grow membership by 32%...
Zooming in on Creepy Crawlies
Creepiness, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. What makes an insect, arachnid, reptile, amphibian, bird, or other creature “creepy?” If could be their appearance, the way they move, the sound they emit, other creatures they devour, or even their role in...
Author Kim Wright Talks about Her New ‘Longest’ Beach Book
On the second-longest day of the year--and building on past successful “Meet the Author” Zoom meetings--author Kim Wright (above, left) was interviewed today by her friend and fellow writer, Joy Callaway, about Kim’s newest novel, “The Longest Day of the Year.” Here’s...
The ‘Joy’ of ‘Not Really So Scary’ Animals
Stuck indoors on a rainy day in a rainy week in a rainy month? No worries, kids! Harper Library and the Friends of the Library Southport & Oak Island have you covered! No sunshine was needed, just the beaming smile of “Miss Joy” from the Massachusetts Audubon...
Isn’t It Wild?!?
NEW SERIES! Children's Wildlife Programs Tuesdays on Zoom | 11-1:30 AM | June 16-July 21 To register and receive the Zoom link (free!): Call Harper Library (910) 457-6237 | Call Barbee Library (910) 278-4283 Attendance will earn you an additional entry into a...
They Got ‘Em All in the [Old Brunswick County] Jailhouse
“You know the story ‘bout the jailhouse rock Go on and do it, but just don’t get caught They got ‘em all in the jailhouse, ain’t they baby I ain’t livin’ long like this” -- Rodney Crowell, sung by Emmylou Harris Jailhouse experiences have been lamented,...
House of Treasures: Southport’s Garrison
In continuous use protecting Southport from 1749 to 2006, the Garrison now houses the Fort Johnston Museum, a home of remarkable local treasures. This week’s “Armchair History” took a look at these Garrison gems, with Southport...
Life In–and Beyond–the Garrison
Previous Southport Historical Society “Armchair History” presentations examined the impacts of national and world events on Southport and Brunswick County. This time, they flipped the script to view several generations’ worth of history through the experiences of the...
Wet, Dry and Why: Prohibition and Smuggling in Southport
How did religion, morality, taxation, immigration, manufacturing, and politics all play a part in the regulation of alcohol in early 20th century Southport? That’s what Liz Fuller of the Southport Historical Society explained in the latest “Armchair History”...
Death and Taxes: Moonshining in Brunswick County
Moonshining--the night-time distillation of “bootleg” whiskey known as “moonshine”--didn’t begin during Prohibition, nor did it end when Prohibition ended. This secretive tradition predates the Civil War, continued into the 1970s, and was active in North...
How Southport Beat the Curve in 1918
Nearly 100 folks participated – from Coronavirus self-isolation – in this week’s Zoom presentation by Liz Fuller of the Southport Historical Society on “Southport and the 1918 Flu Pandemic.” Last week, Liz said World War I claimed 16 million lives around the...
World War I: Southport Steps Up
Southport played a vital role in World War I, the “War to End All Wars.” Today, we are once more called upon to fight a global threat, the Coronavirus pandemic, leaving us suddenly isolated from friends, family, jobs, and avocations—circumstances our Cape Fear...
Libraries Closed? Why Not Livestream!
In a global pandemic, when we’re justifiably frightened and overwhelmed, the last thing on our mind may be the possibility of a “Blissy Life.” Yet, out of turmoil--whether personal tragedy, natural disaster, economic crises, family stresses--can come clarity and...
A Southport Sunday at the Opera
UNCW Professor Nancy King and her talented Opera Outreach Project students (UNC-WOOP) gave another thrilling performance to a standing-room-only crowd at the Southport Community Building on Sunday, March 1. FOLSOI has sponsored this highly anticipated annual event for...
The Cat in the Hat? What is Better than THAT?
Note: Our Roving Reporter went to Harper Library in Southport on Monday, March 2 to enjoy a visit and Story Time with the Cat in the Hat. Here's her review of the event: “A person’s a person, no matter how small” This Dr. Seuss quote is one folks may recall ...
Meet the Authors … and Read Their Fascinating Books!
North Carolina has spawned many great writers, and more than 30 folks yesterday filled the room at Barbee Library to hear from two local authors who not only have experienced plenty of living but have creatively transcribed their insights into print for family,...
Senior Tech Workshops Offer Answers, Hope
Did you ever imagine you’d be spending your “golden years” trying to troubleshoot--let alone understand--your mobile phone, tablet, or laptop? Probably not. Your well-meaning kids or grandkids might have handed you that shiny new device and given you five...
‘Getting a Read’ on Aging, at Harper Library
If there’s one thing to be said about aging, it’s that we all have to do it. Fortunately, we also can learn about aging from those who have written about the journey—which is the goal of a new, four-part “Let’s Talk About It” series at Harper Library in Southport...
Writers Getting Creative at Barbee
Is your brain teeming with fascinating experiences, conflicting emotions, and unique perspectives yearning to escape into a compelling family memoir, a short story, a novel, a poem, or a play? Discover how to channel your creativity in a new Creative Writing...
Crafts-4-Kids: An Amazing Alliance
In a stroke of brilliance, irony, or both, a recent “Crafts-4-Kids” program, hosted by the St. James Artisans, explored a story about hibernation as a howling northerly wind outside created an even deeper chill on a 39-degree day. The transition between reading a...
Demystifying Essential Oils
Delving into the world of essential oils with an Internet search can be overwhelming. The “information landfill” contains what you seek, but finding unbiased facts requires delving through some unsettling debris. How much better, then, to have a personal guide...
The SMART Kids Are the Cool Kids!
SMART Kids Club | Thursdays 4-5 PM | Barbee Library, Oak Island NC | No registration required! It’s a beautiful, 73-degree day on Oak Island in mid-January and kids are out enjoying themselves at … the library!? Sure they are, when it’s time for the SMART Kids...
Story Time: More to the Story
What happens on a Tuesday morning “Story Time” at Barbee Library on Oak Island, especially when the Friends of the Library Southport & Oak Island (FOLSOI) calendar promises “fun stories, songs, dancing, crafts and more”? That may seem like a tall order for a...
Joyfully Christmas!
The spirit of Christmas filled Harper Library on Friday, December 20, as “Magical Storyteller” Mark Daniel brought his unique brand of illusion and humor to entertain children and grown-ups alike. Cynical adults and already world-weary children may have their doubts...
Lifelong Learners: Ancient Greek Civilization
Don’t know much about history? Help is on the way! I recently attended a session of Lifelong Learners at Harper Library in Southport on Ancient Greek civilization. The program consisted of a DVD presentation about the Peloponnesian War--about which I knew very little....
Glorious!
Cape Fear A Capella Christmas & Seasonal Songs & Carols, Harper Library, Friday, Dec. 13, 2019 Today, I bring news of a wonderful chorus Fine folks who had shown up at Harper before us Appearing in seasonal festive apparel Six men and ten women to sing...
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