On Thursday, August 20, Hackney Library will hold its tenth annual Open House from 4-6 pm on the first floor of Hackney Library to welcome new students to the Library and to the Office of Student Success, and to welcome back returning students, staff, and faculty. The event, which is sponsored by Hackney Library, the Office of Student Success, and the Friends of Hackney Library, is also open to the public.

This year’s Open House celebrates author Ann Pancake’s novel, Strange As This Weather Has Been, which has been chosen as this year’s FYS Summer Reader (as well as the Wilson County Public Library’s 2015 “Wilson Reads” selection).

As in years past, we will be throwing quite a party! All attendees who complete a brief online survey at the event will score one of our wildly popular Library Open House t-shirts (this year’s t-shirt was once again designed by Barton art professor Susan Fecho and features themes from Pancake’s novel). In addition, other giveaways from the Library and the Office of Student Success will be available to attendees visiting six “stations” around the library (each is designed to introduce new Barton community members to our faculty/staff and services, as well as to refresh the memory of returnees). The Open House will also feature a chance for everyone to meet new staff members in the Office of Student Success.

To satisfy your sweet tooth, everyone will have a chance to create a scrumptious “build-your-own” ice cream sundae (thanks to Tony Tilley and his incomparable Aramark crew) in the library’s foyer.

And last but not least, a door prize drawing for fantastic prizes will take place at 5:30 pm (be sure to hang around until 5:30 so that you’re eligible for one of the following!):

• A Barton College license plate
• A paperback copy of Ann Pancake’s novel Strange As This Weather Has Been
• A pair of Zipbuds PRO mic Never Tangle Zipper Earbuds with Noise Canceling Mic/Remote
• Two portable speakers (one mono and one stereo) for use with movies, games, music on all kinds of devices:
  • DKnight Magicbox Ultraportable Wireless Bluetooth Stereo Speaker with Enhanced Bass
  • Kinivo ZX 100 Mini Portable Mono Speaker with Rechargeable Battery and Enhanced Bass Resonator
• A Google Chromecast HDMI streaming media player (to stream shows from Netflix, Hulu Plus, and YouTube)
• Two portable rechargeable batteries:
  • Jackery Mini Premium 3200mAh rechargeable battery (provides 1 full charge to iPhones, iPads, Android devices)
  • Jackery Bar 6000mAh rechargeable battery for smartphones and tablets (provides 2-3 full charges for iPhones, 1-2 for Samsung Galaxy)
• An iClever® 6-Port 50W 10A Fast USB Desktop Charger (recharges multiple devices simultaneously with 6 ports that provide maximum charging efficiency and speed for each device)
• A $100 Amazon gift card
• A $15 Starbucks gift card

An opportunity to join the Friends of Hackney Library will be available at a table at the event for those who’d like to support the work of the library while reaping the benefits of membership.

So come check us out on Thursday, August 20th from 4-6 pm and see what Hackney Library and the Office of Student Success have to offer at this year’s Hackney Library Open House!