Music Makers at RPL
February 2011
Matthew Weaver and Paul Hill
enjoy performing together and will
bring their musical talents to RPL’s
Stanback Auditorium on Thursday,
February 24 at 7:00 p.m.
Matthew plays 19 instruments,
having begun with the piano at age
three. In addition to performing,
USFWS
recording, and
serving as music
director at Sacred
Heart Catholic
Church, he teaches
and studies at
Appalachian State
University.
Matthew will be
playing on the
Grand Ole Opry in
Nashville this
spring. Matthew Weaver
Through a Soldier’s Eyes
Through a Soldier's Eyes is a
collaborative project between Rowan
Public Library and Waterworks Visual
Arts Center. Photos and oral histories
will be collected at Rowan Public
Library, with the culmination being a
photograph exhibit at Waterworks.
We invite your
participation in sharing
photos and oral histories
taken by native Rowan
servicemen and women
illustrating their experi-
ences in Vietnam. An
exhibit featuring this
collection will debut at
Waterworks this fall.
Oral histories will be
archived and kept at the
Edith M. Clark History
Sponsored by the Friends of Rowan Public Library
Paul Hill has been making music for
decades in bands, at music festivals,
and to community groups. He was
recently awarded medals at the
National Veterans Creative Arts
festival in Wisconsin.
This event is free and open to the
public. Refreshments and CD signing
will follow the concert.
Paul Hill
Room of Rowan Public Library.
Photos will be scanned and archived as
well. There are plans to share this
information with the national Veterans
Memorial Project.
On March 4 and 5, the library will
host an event from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00
p.m. collecting photos, oral
histories and other in-
formation from Rowan
County Vietnam veterans
willing to share their stories.
Other participation
opportunities will be April 2,
May 7, May 27, and May 28
at various locations.
For more information
contact Paul Birkhead at
704-216-7841.
Traveling Through History During RPL’s Centennial
The Negro Branch library, the
first branch of the Rowan Public
Library, opened in 1937. The
branch occupied two rooms in a
five-room frame house at 233 East
Fisher Street. Mrs. Annie J.
Johnson, a Rowan County Home
Demonstration agent, and the Negro
Civic League, an organization
dedicated to community welfare
and progress, led the efforts that
resulted in the establishment of this
branch.
The Negro Civic League gave
money for books, furniture, and
equipment, and the library
furnished some books and supplies.
The U.S. Works Projects
Administration (WPA) paid the
salary of the librarian. When the
WPA support ended in 1942,
Rowan County and the City of
Salisbury assumed the respons-
ibility for the salaries of the
Branch's workers. In 1948 the
building and lot were purchased by
Rowan County, helping to insure
its continued use.
The branch library opened with
408 books: 108 from the main
library and 300 given by the North
Carolina Library Commission.
Fifty-three books circulated the first
month the branch was open. All
ordering and cataloging of books
was done by the main library.
In 1953 a new modern building
was built on the same site as the
small frame house, which had been
torn down to make room for the
new building. The library occupied
the first floor of the building, and
contained approximately 5,000
volumes. The second floor
contained offices for the Negro
Page 2
Farm and Home Demonstration
offices. An auditorium of Quonset
hut-type construction could seat
250 and featured a state-of-the-art
kitchen for home demonstration use
and food preparation for social
affairs.
Mrs. Pearl Younge was the
branch librarian when the new
building opened. In addition to its
collection, the library was proud of
the special services it continued to
offer in its new quarters: Mrs. Pearl Younge (center) assists
several library patrons in the late
 A Summer Reading Club and 1940s.
story hours for children
“Pearl Younge Night” was held on
June 30, 1961, sponsored by the
branch library board, Livingstone
College, and numerous civic
groups.
In June 1967, to “eliminate
duplication of effort and expense,”
the branch library was closed
permanently. Books, furniture, and
equipment were moved to the main
library headquarters on West Fisher
A group of children attend Story Street.
Telling Hour in the late 1940s.
 Through the cooperation of the
Home Demonstration Department,
books were made available that
would be of special interest and
benefit to members of Home
Demonstration Clubs.
 In 1947 when the Rowan Public
Library acquired a bookmobile,
schedules were worked out to share
A store serves as a bookmobile stop
this service so that books from the
in the late 1940s/early 1950s.
Negro branch could be carried to all
Tables, chairs, and bookshelves
areas of the county.
were placed in a section of the store
When Mrs. Younge retired after “for readers who wish to spend
fifteen years she was recognized for leisure time with books and
her years of outstanding service. A magazines.”
News, etc
 A Gift That Keeps on Giving @ RPL

In 2011 Rowan Public Library We gratefully acknowledge these recent gifts:

Foundation celebrates its first 100
years of service to the citizens of Darryl and Barbara Corriher established the Darryl and Barbara Sims
Rowan County! Throughout its Corriher Endowment
first 100 years RPL has grown into Roscoe and Katherine Giles established the Katherine Faye Giles
a great public library dedicated to Endowment
encouraging the joy of reading and Bernice Lerner Trust established the Philip Shrage Levenson and
life long learning. As part of this Rose Frances Levenson Endowment
celebration the RPL Foundation has Robert Trundle established the Amelia Brier Trundle Endowment
set a goal to add 100 new
endowments in 2011 in support of C.E. Kizziah, Jr. to the Dorothy Yancey Kizziah Endowment
continued improvement and Rev. Jack and Donna Trethewey to the Rev. Jack and Donna Trethewey
expansion of library resources and Endowment
services during its next 100 years of Charlie and Suzanne Walters to the Suzanne Kress Walters Endowment
service to the community. In Honor of Mary Rouzer and Wade and Peggy Rouzer given by Allan
Currently, the Foundation’s Rouzer, III to the Allan and Mary Rouzer Endowment
primary focus is to enhance the In Honor of Betty Dan Spencer given by Mrs. Juanita F. Lagg to the Betty
library’s collection of books and Dan Nicholas Spencer Endowment
other resources. There are now 144 In Honor of Tommie and Susan Waller given by Allan Rouzer, III, to the
named endowments, ranging from a Susan Rouzer Waller Endowment
minimum of $1,000 to over
$100,000. In Memory of June Evans and David Evans given by Diana Evans Ricketts to
Please consider celebrating with the June W. Evans and son, David B. Evans, Endowment
us by establishing a named
endowment through the Foundation,
Endowments may be established in
the name of the donor or in
memory or in honor of someone.
An endowment can be established
with a minimum gift of $1,000,
which can be paid in installments.
For information about setting up an
endowment, please call Pam at United States Constitution
704-216-8231. The Foundation is a Bicentennial Endowment Pauline P. Tatum Endowment
tax-exempt public 501(c)(3) Revolutionaries: A New History of FDR (DVD)
foundation and all contributions are the Invention of America
fully tax deductible to the extent by Jack Rakove
allowed by law.
The Foundation gratefully
acknowledges the many individuals
and organizations that have already
established endowments.
Following are some of the items
recently acquired by Rowan Public
Library with funds provided by the Carolyn Scott Pollard
Foundation’s endowments. Lerner Shoes Endowment Endowment
Looking Like Me Reynolda:A History of an American
Phillip K. Barton Country House by Barbara Mayer
by Walter Dean Myers
Foundation Executive Director
Page 3
FEBRUARY 2011

Elinor Henderson Swaim
Endowment
Rare: Portraits of America’s
Endangered Species by Joel Sartore
Jim and Gerry Hurley
Endowment
Silent Speedways of the
Carolinas by Perry Allen Wood
Henry Pitts Hudson
Endowment
Holly’s Red Boots by
Francesca Chessa
Page 4
A Gift That Keeps on Giving @ RPL
William Stephen Brier
Endowment
Silks by Dick Francis (CD)
The Travelers Club
Endowment
Dating Old Photographs, 1840-
1929
Glenn and Addie G. Ketner
Endowment
One Hen by Katie Smith Milway
Laura Hays Frazier
Endowment
The Last Hero: A Life of Henry
Aaron by Howard Bryant
Wilborn S. Swaim
Endowment
How Do I? Auto Care A-Z (DVD)
Buck Hurley Endowment
The American Civil War: A Military
History by John Keegan
News, etc
 February 2011 Computer Classes

RPL Headquarters South Rowan Regional Library

Salisbury, 704-216-8229 China Grove, 704-216-7737
Listen to a Good Book— Introduction to Access
All About NC Digital Media Monday February 7, 7:00 p.m. — 8:30 p.m.
Tuesday, February 1, 2:00 p.m. — 3:30 p.m.
Introduction to Word
Microsoft Word 2003 Part 1 Thursday, February 24, 11:00 a.m. — 12:30 p.m.
Monday, February 7, 7:00 p.m. — 8:30 p.m.
Absolute Beginners
Tuesday, February 22, 2:00 p.m. — 3:30 p.m. East Rowan Library
Microsoft Word 2003 Part 2 Rockwell, 704-216-7841
Monday, February 28, 7:00 p.m. — 8:30 p.m. Online Shopping
Thursday, February 17, 1:00 p.m. — 2:30 p.m.
All classes are free and open to the public. Registration required for East branch classes only.
Dates and times correct at time of printing.

Rowan Public Library appreciates your gifts and will purchase

materials for the library that can be enjoyed by our community
for years to come.

Gifts Gifts
Charles Peacock Bob and Kaye Amos
John and Jacqueline Burke
Memorials and Honorariums Danny and Susan Corriher
Diana Drye
In Honor of Dale Basinger and Family given by Steve
Jane Gamewell
and Cindy Martin
Joyce Grant
In Honor of Mark Setzer given by Charlie Peacock
Shirley Jones
Jean McCoy and Rick Travis
In Memory of Elora Danon given by Melody Moxley
Melody Moxley
In Memory of Herbert Hawley given by Karen Young
In Memory of Charles Edward Peeler given by Debby Memorials and Honorariums
and Ed Pietryk
In Memory of B.V. “Vic” Shive given by Dr. and Mrs. In Honor of John Napier given by Mrs. Shirley
Thomas Thurston III and Jim and Lucinda Epperson Napier

Page 5
FEBRUARY 2011
 Non-profit
Non-profitorganization
organization
US
USPOSTAGE
Postage Paid
PAID # ####
Permit
Permit
Mailed from # 96Zip Code
28145

HEADQUARTERS
201 W. Fisher St.
Salisbury, NC 28144
704-216-8228
EAST BRANCH
110 Broad St.
Rockwell, NC 28138
704-216-7839
FRANK T. TADLOCK
SOUTH ROWAN
We’re REGIONAL
on the web!
920 Kimball Rd.
www.rowanpubliclibrary.org
China Grove, NC 28023
704-216-7727

Your very best

place to start!

Did You Know?

Did You
In 1936 RPL employed
its first professionally
Know?
trained librarian, Miss
Edith Clark.
That same year the
library name was
c h aNow
n g e dis thef r otime
m tof
he
year to renew
Salisbury Public Library your
membership
Rowan Publicas a
to
Friend of
Library,
Rowan Rowan Public Library Board Members
which better reflected the
Public Library
growing number or toof
Thanks go to these volunteers who serve on the library board:
communities served forby
become a Friend
the first
the time. Filllibrary
expanding out
the application on this Susan Waller, Chair
system. Marilyn Warlick, Vice-Chair
page, then take or mail
it to any RPL branch. Reginald Brown
Midgie Dial
Melissa Oleen
Charles Peacock
Betty Dan Nicholas Spencer
Joy Steele
Visit RPL on the Web! Marianna Swaim
www.rowanpubliclibrary.org Dale Basinger, Ex-officio
Email us: info@rowancountync.gov Bruce Miller, Ex-officio