Durham County Main, Regional, and Stanford L. Warren Branch Libraries will be available as cooling centers during our regular open hours June 11 - 14.
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For kids and families

The library is a place for all kinds of families to discover, explore, and have fun together.

It’s not just books (although we’ve got a great collection for kids!). At the library you can:

…and much more!

For every age

Through every stage of your lifelong learning journey, the library is there for you. From the very beginning with lapsit storytimes and board books, through homework help and fun activities for kids in school, and into the teen years and beyond – at every age, we can help you grow, learn, and have fun!

Upcoming events

Donut Stop Me Now: Donut Crawl

Friday, June 12, 2026 • All day

Offsite

Get out in your local community and eat some great donuts (and other treats) this summer!...

Ages: Adult, Elementary School, Emerging Adult: 18-24 Year Olds, High School, Intergenerational, Kindergarten, Middle School, Pre-School, Senior Citizen, Teen, Toddler, Tweens: 9-12 Year Olds

Famous Fossils Adult Scavenger Hunt

Friday, June 12, 2026 • All day

Main Library (300 N. Roxboro St)

Find all 9 famous fossils on the 3rd floor of Main Library!

Ages: Adult, Intergenerational

Family Storytime @ Southwest Regional

Saturday, June 13, 2026 • 10:30am - 11:00am

Southwest Regional Library (3605 Shannon Rd) (Southwest Meeting Room)

Join us for a Saturday morning Family Storytime that will include stories, fingerplays and interactive songs!...

Ages: Baby, Elementary School, Intergenerational, Kindergarten, Pre-School, Toddler

Dine-O Tour

Saturday, June 13, 2026 • 10:00am - 12:00pm

Main Library (300 N. Roxboro St) (Main Library - Café area - 2nd floor)

During our Summer Reading kickoff, we will have some of our favorite local food businesses with us to share their food with our patrons! ...

Ages: Adult, Baby, Elementary School, Emerging Adult: 18-24 Year Olds, High School, Intergenerational, Kindergarten, Middle School, Pre-School, Senior Citizen, Teen, Toddler, Tweens: 9-12 Year Olds, DPS

Summer Reading Kick-off at North Regional Library

Saturday, June 13, 2026 • 10:00am - 12:00pm

North Regional Library (221 Milton Rd) (North Meeting Room - Full Room)

Ready, set, Read! Stop by North Regional Library on Saturday, June 13, 2026, between 10 a.m. - Noon for a fun celebration to kick off Durham County Library's Summer Reading Program. This year's Summer Reading runs from June 15,...

Ages: Adult, Baby, Elementary School, High School, Intergenerational, Kindergarten, Middle School, Pre-School, Senior Citizen, Teen, Toddler, Tweens: 9-12 Year Olds, DPS

Water Features from Bird Baths to Ponds

Saturday, June 13, 2026 • 10:00am - 12:00pm

Stanford L. Warren Branch Library (1201 Fayetteville St) (SLW Meeting Room - Full Room)

Join us to learn why and how to add a water feature to your garden...

Ages: Adult, Intergenerational, Senior Citizen

Check for more events like this > or See all events

Staff picks

Gardening Books for Kids!

This list is a catalog companion to Southwest's paper booklist about gardening! This list includes non-fiction, picture books, and board books.

Disney Easy Readers

Looking for an Easy Reader featuring your child's favorite Disney characters? We've compiled them here to make the search easier!

Unearth a Story: Picture Books about Diggers

This booklist celebrates all the incredible machines and amazing animals that move earth, build worlds, and burrow beneath our feet. These picture books highlight the creatures and...

Featured online resources

Brainfuse HelpNow

Free online tutoring, help with writing assignments, and more.

Help and more info for Brainfuse HelpNow

Just for Kids Access Video

Kids’ shows, with favorites like Sesame Street, The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss, and more.

NCpedia

Info about North Carolina history, people, government, and educational institutions.

More online resources for kids >

Accounts and access

Library cards

No one is too young or old to get a library card! Kids from 0 to 17 can check out items, use computers, and more with a juvenile card. A parent or guardian must be present to sign up for the card.

For Durham Public Schools students – Bull City, NC SLAM

Durham Public Schools students can also check out items through the Bull City, NC SLAM program. No sign-up is required: students already have a SLAM ID unless you’ve opted out of the program – it’s the same as your student ID or PowerSchool number. You can use your SLAM IDs for checking out books, using library resources online, and more. Learn more about how Bull City, NC SLAM works.

Meet the children’s librarians

Children's librarian Ms. Chelsea

Ms. Chelsea

Location: North Regional Library

Ms. Chelsea moved to Chapel Hill, NC after living in Georgia her whole life! She grew up with her 6 younger siblings! With so many people in one house, Ms. Chelsea always loved the quiet trips to the libraries where she could be anyone she wanted to be. She could be a knight who fights dragons or a scientist who does tons of experiments to help make the world a better place. Though Ms. Chelsea got a bachelor's degree in psychology, she realized that her true passion was advocating for literacy and getting as many books into the hands of young minds as she could! Ms. Chelsea worked as a reference librarian while working on her bachelor's, which is where she truly learned how serving your local community could change the lives of so many and just how rewarding it was. She moved to Chapel Hill in July of 2021 to begin working on her master's in library science with a focus in children and teens. This is still a work in progress! She has been with North Regional Library since May 2022, and she absolutely loves hanging out with all the children while they do crafts together or play with bubbles at her storytime! You can catch Ms. Chelsea reading books, watching crime shows, listening to K-pop, cuddling with her cats, or playing Fortnite! Ms. Chelsea is always looking for anime recommendations or a cool new place to see in Durham!

Pronouns: she/her

Meet all the children’s librarians >