Friends of the Gaston County Public Library

10/07/2026

An evening for literacy at Gaston Country Club. Cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, and an onstage conversation with two-time National Magazine Award winner Tom Junod,…

10/07/2026

The Gaston County Public Library and all its branch locations will be closed on Monday, October 12 for Staff Development Day. All GCPL locations will resume business on Tuesday, October 13.

10/03/2026

The Friends are always thrilled to be a sponsor of this vital event here in Gaston County! We hope to see you all at Threads of Hope this year to support the incredible work of the Hope United Survivor Network!

We are just a few weeks away from the 6th Annual Threads of Hope on Friday, October 30, at 6pm at The Barn at Blue Sky Farm, featuring keynote speaker Elizabeth Smart.

All funds raised will go to Hope United Survivor Network, The Lighthouse - Gaston County CAC (Children's Advocacy Center), and the The Cathy Mabry Cloninger Center: A Domestic Violence Shelter in order to support survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, sexual assault, elder abuse and child sexual abuse.

Can’t attend the event? Raffle tickets can be purchased online through the Threads of Hope Eventbrite page by selecting “Add-Ons.” You can purchase raffle tickets without purchasing an event ticket. Winners do not have to be present to win.

10/03/2026

Check out this cool opportunity for children and teens!

Uncover a Mystery and mark your page! We're excited to announce our Fall 2026 Bookmark Contest for kids and teens in kindergarten - 12th grade. One winner will be chosen from each of four age group categories to have their bookmark printed and made available to patrons at all library locations. In order to enter, you should pick up an entry form at your favorite library branch or you can print your own here: https://gastonlibrary.org/DocumentCenter/View/1402/2026-Fall-Youth-Bookmark-Contest-Entry-Form. Full rules and details are available on the entry form.
Entries can be returned to any library branch location and are due no later than 2:00PM on Saturday, October 31.
Contact Kelly Lawniczak with any questions at [email protected] or 704-868-2164, option 3.

10/03/2026

Congrats to the Gaston Arts Council on their new Arts Gaston chapter! We are so excited to see all of the wonderful things you do for our community!

09/15/2026

Congratulations to our fantastic Board Member Ali Pizza on this well deserved honor, and to the incredible staff at the Gaston County Museum of Art & History for all of their work and worthy recognition!

🏆 We have some BIG news to share!

The Gaston County Museum is celebrating not one, but THREE 2026 Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC) Awards! And we couldn’t be more proud of the people behind them.

Congratulations to our Executive Director, Alexandrea “Ali” Pizza, recipient of the 2026 Museum Leadership Award! ✨

This award recognizes mid-career museum professionals who demonstrate exceptional leadership within their institutions, the museum profession, and the Southeast, and Ali is certainly making her mark.

Since joining the Museum, Ali has championed courageous, collaborative leadership and a community-centered approach to museum work. She has worked tirelessly to build a stronger team, deepen our connections throughout Gaston County, and make the Museum a place where people feel a sense of belonging and see their stories reflected in the work we do. What truly sets Ali apart from so many is her heart. ❤️

Ali’s leadership has helped us navigate challenges, embrace new opportunities, and keep moving forward with optimism, creativity, and a whole lot of heart. We are incredibly lucky to have her leading this team!

🎬 And there’s more!

The Museum also took home GOLD in SEMC’s Media Production – Under $1,000 category for "Making the Exhibit: The Old-Fashioned Way", our behind-the-scenes video showcasing the making of the Tony’s Ice Cream exhibit.

A huge congratulations to everyone on our team that was involved in bringing that video to life! It’s a wonderful example of how we can use creativity and technology to pull back the curtain and invite our community into the work of the Museum.

And we're not stopping there!

The Museum also received a Bronze Award in Virtual Media for the Highland Neighborhood Public Art Website Project, a collaborative project with Gastonia’s Highland neighborhood, Kintegra Health, The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, and the Highland School of Technology.

We’re especially excited to see this project recognized because it represents what can happen when museums work beyond their own walls and partner with the community to preserve, document, and share local stories and creativity.

Three awards. One incredible team. And a whole lot to celebrate! 🎉

08/25/2026

We echo the sentiments of our library staff. Dolly was not just a global icon, but an advocate whose dedication to literacy was unmatched. We mourn the loss of this champion of books. We will remember her light in the world and we will always love her. ♥

The staff at the library are saddened to hear about the passing of the legendary Dolly Parton. Dolly was the Queen of Country Music, an artist whose talent was unmatched. During her career she sold over 100 million records and had over 25 number one hits. She won 11 Grammys, 3 Emmys, 13 ACM awards, 10 CMA Awards, and recently added Academy Award winner to her resume, when she received the coveted Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy.

For us, Dolly was the greatest champion of literacy in the world. Her Dolly Parton Imagination Library gifts over 3 million books each month to children in five countries across the globe. To date, the library has gifted over 300 million books and counting. When asked about her incredible project she said: "“When I was growing up in the hills of East Tennessee, I knew my dreams would come true. I know there are children in your community with their own dreams. They dream of becoming a doctor or an inventor or a minister. Who knows, maybe there is a little girl whose dream is to be a writer and singer. The seeds of these dreams are often found in books and the seeds you help plant in your community can grow across the world.”

Dolly was one of a kind. She was hilariously witty, always herself, and she believed it was her mission to love everyone no matter what. To quote her friend Reba McEntire: "“Dolly always has a way of making everyone feel like they are the only one in the room".

Through her wit, her talent, and her tireless advocacy for libraries and literacy, Dolly has left an enduring legacy, and we will miss her eternal light.

08/18/2026

More than 1,500 students served 📚
1,400 free meals served by RAMS Kitchen, Milltown Meats, TJs Hammsburgers, and Chick-Fil-A 🍽️
More than 100 clinical appointments and sports physicals completed ⚕️
53 community organizations and vendors giving away free school supplies ✏️

And so much more! Ready, Set, Grow: A Community Back to School Event was a smashing success. We’ll see you again in 2027 for year three!

07/21/2026

Help out our friends at the Gaston Arts Council with their Art Supply Drive until August 20th!

Every masterpiece starts with a blank page - and every young artist starts with the right tools.

Starting today, you can help stock Gaston County art classrooms through The Great Gaston Art Supply Drive! From paint and paper to colored pencils and sketchbooks, your donation helps ensure local art teachers have the supplies they need to inspire the next generation of creators.

🖌️ Donate new art supplies at one of our collection sites across Gaston County. (Gaston County Museum of Art & History, Throw the Day Away, and Confluence)
💛 Make a financial gift and we'll purchase needed supplies for local classrooms. https://givebutter.com/the-great-gaston-art-supply-drive
🛒 Shop our wishlist and send us donations directly. https://a.co/0dptpZS0
📣 Share this campaign to help us reach even more supporters!

Every crayon, paintbrush, sketchbook, and marker makes a difference. Because every child in Gaston County deserves the chance to make something beautiful. 🌟

📅 July 20 through August 20, 2026

Together, let's give Gaston County's young artists the tools to imagine, create, and thrive!

Share this post and help us spread the word! 👇

07/04/2026

The Friends had a great time celebrating the 250th Anniversary at the Dallas parade with our friends from Gaston County Museum of Art & History and Gaston County Government!