Cumberland County Public Library’s East Regional branch (ERL) celebrates its 25th anniversary today. East Regional opened its doors to the public on Feb. 13, 1999, replacing the East Fayetteville and Stedman branches.
The new library received statewide recognition in December 1999. The North Carolina Public Library Director’s Association presented the Cumberland County Library system the award for “Outstanding New Facility” in recognition of ERL.
Over the years, we’ve made some updates to the appearance and functionality of our branch. Last summer we installed new flooring throughout the building and added a Teen Space that houses a variety of video game systems, traditional board games and tables with dry erase tops. There’s even more to come.
Join us for East Regional Library’s 25th Anniversary Party today, Feb. 13, from 4 to 6 p.m. The library is located at 4809 Clinton Road, across from Cape Fear High School.
The anniversary celebration will include activities for all ages including designing your own button that will be made for you on the spot. There will be a selfie station, and commemorative wooden bookmarks etched by an exciting device that will eventually be part of the library’s forthcoming Makerspace. There will be sweet treats and refreshments. Staff will also be available to give tours of the branch.
Every party needs a perfectly curated music playlist, so we’ve created just that using Freegal, one of the library’s e-media resources. Freegal allows you stream up to three hours of music per day and download up to three songs per week. All you need to use it is your library card number and PIN.
If you don’t remember your PIN give your local branch a call and an associate can reset it for you. Access the playlist directly here: https://cumberlandnc.freegalmusic.com/library-playlist/541459.
There’s one final, special activity happening at the event — we’re creating a time capsule. All attendees will be invited to write a short message to seal inside. This message can be to your future self (e.g., a child could write down what they want to be when they grow up), or something more general about what’s popular right now or your predictions for the future. The time capsule will be opened at the branch’s 40th anniversary event in 2039.
To learn more about the library, stop in at your local branch, call 910-483-7727 or visit our website at cumberlandcountync.gov/library.
Denice Enstine is the adult services librarian II at East Regional Library.
