Appalachian Regional Library - Wilkes County Blog

Gertrude Stein, the youngest of five children, was born in Philadelphia on February 3, 1874 and grew up in Oakland, California.  Her parents were wealthy German Jews who came to America from Europe, and during her childhood years they often visited Vienna.  Gertrude’s parents died while she was in her teen years, and she went to live with extended family in Baltimore, Maryland.  She graduated from Radcliffe College and later studied medicine at John Hopkins University.  Though noted to be a most brilliant student, she became bored with medical school and dropped out right before completing the program. 

The Children’s Department of Wilkes County Public Library received support for an early literacy program that focuses on the sounds and recognition of alphabet letters.  Every Monday at 11:00 a.m., Elizabeth Lee, Children’s Librarian, interacts on Facebook with an average of 160+ parents and young viewers to share a ‘Monday Mayhem’ arts-and-crafts letter activity.  There have been 43 programs since the series began in November 2020 with an average of 2500+ on-demand views.  

With support from the Flettie Alifair Church Literacy Fund, WCPL will be able to purchase ABC books as give-aways to families of young children.  The books will be used as an incentive for program participation and encourage library usage.  Some of the money will also be used to buy books with an ABC connection for the library’s permanent circulating collection as well.

The impact of these programs and related books will help parents bond with their children as they learn, play, and read together.  Children will have increased success with reading skills once they start school, if they are encouraged to learn their letters early through play and activity.  With support from this grant, many children will be able to have books to keep and read at home as they practice identifying letters and the sounds they make

Move over St Valentine’s because 14 February is also Library Lovers’ Day!  In fact, the whole month of February is nationally recognized as Library Lover’s Month and is a chance for everyone to reconnect with Wilkes County Public Library and show a little library love.

Wilkes County Public Library is excited to announce a new project Wash and Learn at the Wilkes Laundromat in North Wilkesboro.  The library recently received $3500 in state funding through an LSTA (Library Science and Technology Act) grant to provide an early literacy station at the laundromat.  This is an effort to help put an end to ‘book deserts’ in our county and offer fun learning experiences for families who use this laundromat.  Laundry is a necessary chore but not especially exciting or fun for children.  Often children come along and are stuck at the laundromat for two or three hours with their parents while waiting on the wash.