By Amy Notarius

Rowan Public Library

Would you like to learn a new language, find out more about a favorite author or search for articles on a current event? NC LIVE offers free electronic access to resources for all ages on topics ranging from careers, business and investing, to auto repair, health, history and genealogy. These are available free to anyone with a current Rowan Public Library card and PIN.

Beginning in January 2015, NC LIVE will be adding several new offerings to their collection. Highlights of the new resources include:

• Literature Resource Center: Articles, essays, work and topic overviews, full-text works, and biographies covering authors, their works and literary movements.

• Films on Demand Video Master Collection: Thousands of high quality videos from travel and fitness programming, to how-to videos, indie films, popular music performances, documentaries and curriculum-based educational videos.

• Pronunciator Language Learning: Language learning for 80 languages and ESL for 50 non-English languages, including audio lessons, interactive textbooks, quizzes, phrasebooks and pronunciation analysis.

• ProQuest Central: General reference database for more than 175 subjects from magazines, journals and newspapers, including peer-reviewed and scholarly works.

These are just a few of the many valuable resources available through NC LIVE. To get started visit www.rowanpubliclibrary.org and click on NC LIVE under online tools. For questions or assistance with any of these resources please contact your nearest RPL location.

Holiday Pajama Express — South Branch, Dec. 2, 6 p.m. Hop on board for an evening of holiday fun, refreshments and a visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Don’t forget to wear your favorite holiday pajamas. Please call 704-216-7728 for more information.

Holiday Stories with the Elves — East Branch, Dec. 6, 10:30 a.m. Join Santa’s helpers for Christmas stories and meet Santa and Mrs. Claus. Complete your holiday cheer with refreshments, crafts and music. Please call 704-216-7842 for more information.

Robojo Theater — Headquarters, Dec. 6, 2 p.m., Stanback Auditorium, RoBoJo Theatre Troupe returns for the 15^th annual presentation of their Holiday Theater. A fun crew of talented local actors will join RPL’s Children’s Staff to perform an hour-long variety show of skits, songs, readers’ theater and audience participation. Call 704-216-8234 for more information.

Nutcracker Ballet selections — Headquarters, Dec. 9, 6:30 p.m., Stanback Auditorium. A classic holiday program for all ages. Enjoy dance selections from Piedmont Dance Theatre’s “The Nutcracker Ballet” performed to live music by members of the Salisbury Symphony Orchestra. For more information call 704-216-8234.

Book Bites Club: South Regional (only), Dec. 16, 6:30 p.m., “Redbird Christmas,” by Fannie Flagg. Book discussion groups for adults and children usually meet the last Tuesday of each month. The group is open to the public and anyone is free to join at any time. There is a discussion of the book, as well as light refreshments at each meeting. For more information, please call 704-216-8229.

Christmas Tea Party — Headquarters, Dec. 17, 10:30 a.m. Come join the annual Christmas Tea Party with stories and a visit from Old Saint Nick. For more information please call 704-216-8234.

Holiday Library hours: Dec. 5, all locations closed for staff development program. Dec. 22 and 23, close at 7 p.m. Dec. 24-26, closed for Christmas. Regular hours resume Friday, Dec. 27. Dec. 29 and 30, close at 7 p.m. Dec. 31, close at 5 p.m. Jan. 1 , closed for New Years Day.

Displays for December: headquarters, Eleanor Qadirah; South, NC Music Hall of Fame honoring local artist Curley Sechler; East, Holiday by Mary Earnhardt.

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.