Friends of Ruch Library

06/14/2026

"Guerilla Gardening", June 16th, 1-2 pm

Ruch Branch Library, 7919 Hwy 238, Ruch, OR

Learn the basics of guerilla gardening with Jordan Land from the Grange Co-Op! You'll learn what guerilla gardening is, how you can make your community greener and more biodiverse, and make your own native seed bombs. For ages 10-19, with all supplies provided.

06/11/2026

Ruch Library's A-Frame Bookstore
Open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays 1- 3 pm
7919 Hwy 238, Ruch, OR

Looking for a place to watch the Rat Race, a place to stay cool, or just need your next great book to enjoy? Then come visit the A-Frame Bookstore next to the Ruch Branch Library from 1-3 this Thursday or Saturday. The bookstore sells everything for $2 (Children's are $0.50 each).

The bookstore is sponsored by the Friends of Ruch Library (FORL) and run by volunteers. The money from every book, and puzzle we sell supports the Ruch Branch Library. Thank you for your support and generous donations.

06/09/2026

Who Are "We the People"? with Eliot Feenstra, Sat. June 13 1-2:30 pm

Ruch Branch Library, 7919 Hwy 238m, Ruch, OR 97530

Our stories about who we are—as a nation or as a community—often don’t match the reality of who is actually part of our community. When the Declaration of Independence was written, people living in what would become the United States didn’t all have the same rights. What does that mean for us 250 years later? This conversation is a chance to reflect on what the Declaration of Independence means today, what it means to be American, and what it takes to work together for the benefit of all.

Eliot Feenstra is a community organizer, artist, gardener and facilitator. He currently works with Oregon's Kitchen Table, a statewide community engagement program that creates ways for Oregonians to participate in public decision-making. Prior to joining OKT, he worked on rural q***r community organizing in southern Oregon, collaborative performance projects, and connecting people with place. He has worked with Oregon Humanities since 2015, leading trainings, facilitating conversations about power and place, and even once appearing on The Detour. After living in Josephine County for many years, he now lives in Portland and continues to work in solidarity with and advocate for rural communities.

06/04/2026

Talking About Values Across Political Divides with Lowell Greathouse, 15+ YRS

“How can I be me without making it difficult for you to be you?” This question gets at the fundamental challenge of being in society together. We live in a contentious political world, and it’s difficult to talk about our deepest values and beliefs in safe, civil, and respectful ways. In 2021, the Pew Research Center found that nearly six in ten Americans felt that political conversations with those you disagree with are generally stressful and frustrating, as opposed to being interesting and informative. If we avoid such conversations, we lose opportunities to form a community with others that reflects our best selves. How can we learn to share our values in ways that bring us together rather than push us further apart?

Lowell Greathouse is a retired United Methodist minister who served congregations in rural, suburban, and urban settings in Oregon, Idaho, and England from 1986 to 2019. In addition, he worked with community-based programs at Catholic Social Services in San Francisco, Community Action in Washington County, and United Way of the Columbia-Willamette. Lowell was born in Oregon and has family roots in the state that date back to the 1890s. He has been engaged in a variety of cross-cultural settings, including at the Cuernavaca Center for Intercultural Dialogue on Development (CCIDD) in Cuernavaca, Mexico, and is the author of the book Rediscovering the Spirit: From Political Brokenness to Spiritual Wholeness (Wipf and Stock, 2020).

06/02/2026

"1st Saturday Book Barn Sale: June 6th, 12-4 pm"

Ruch Branch Library, 7919 Hwy 238, Ruch, OR

The Book Barn Sale takes place on the first Saturday of the months October - June from 12-4 pm. We pause sales in July, August and September because of summer's hot weather. This will be your last chance to shop until Saturday October 3rd. Don't forget, we have cd's, DVD's, puzzles and children's/teen books too. The book barn sale remains by donation.

The A-Frame Bookstore is open every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 1-3 pm year round with air conditioning during Southern Oregon's hot summer days. Whether you are looking for that special book or puzzle, you will find a great selection in our A-Frame Bookstore. We recently receive a donation of beautiful puzzles. The bookstore sells everything for $2 (Children's are $0.50 each).

The book sale is sponsored by the Friends of Ruch Library (FORL) and run by volunteers. The money from every book, DVD, cd, and puzzle we sell supports the Ruch Branch Library and everything is from the generous donations of our patrons. Thank you for your support."

04/28/2026

"1st Saturday Book Barn Sale: May 2nd 12-4 pm"

Ruch Branch Library, 7919 Hwy 238, Ruch, OR

The Book Barn Sale takes place on the first Saturday of the months October - June from 12-4 pm. We pause sales in July, August and September because of summer's hot weather. You have two months to shop for your summer, travel, and or relaxed reading in the book barn, which containing thousands of books. Don't forget, we have cd's, DVD's, puzzles and children's/teen books too. The book barn sale remains by donation.

The A-Frame Bookstore is open every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 1-3 pm. year round with air conditioning during Southern Oregon's hot summer days. Whether you are looking for that special book or puzzle, you will find a great selection in our A-Frame Bookstore. The bookstore sells everything for $2 (Children's are $0.50 each).

The book sale is sponsored by the Friends of Ruch Library (FORL) and run by volunteers. The money from every book, DVD, cd, and puzzle we sell supports the Ruch Branch Library and everything is from the generous donations of our patrons. Thank you for your support."

04/21/2026

"In Celebration of Community and Volunteers"

04/20/2026

National Library Week "Find Your Joy"
April 19 - 25, 2026

Ruch Branch Library is open Tuesdays and Wednesdays 10 - 4, Thursdays 12 - 7 and Saturdays 12 - 4. Stop by, say hi, find something special.

04/15/2026

Visit "The Community Meets the Volunteers"
Saturday April 25, 1:00 - 4:30 pm

Fire Dept. Hall, 1609 Upper Applegate Rd., Ruch, OR

Many of the non profits and clubs in the Applegate Valley will be promoting their venture. We hope you can come by and feel the vibrancy and accomplishments of the volunteers in our community.

There will be activities for kids, refreshments and the Ruch Outdoor Community School singing group will be performing.

The Friends of Ruch Library (FORL) will have a table, of course, and we will have extra chairs so you can sit a spell with us.

04/09/2026

📚 More Than Just Books 📚

We are drying our eyes after reading how a local patron used the library’s Tape-to-MP3 converter to hear her father’s voice singing again for the first time in 34 years. The "Library of Things" is full of surprises, but this might be our favorite use yet. Stop by the Ruch Library to see what resources (and treasured memories) are waiting for you!

In my household, we've checked out a digital photo scanner, a KitchenAid mixer pasta-making attachment, and this very cassette-to-MP3 converter. I used the photo scanner to digitize all the photos I had growing up of our favorite childhood friends and nextdoor neighbors who lost all of their precious photos on the Paradise fire.

I hope to borrow a food dehydrator to make hiking snacks, dry herbs and flowers, and make healthy, inexpensive dog treats!

Have you used JCLS's "Library of Things" yet? Drop a comment before to let us know what you've checked out!

The items in JCLS's Library of Things can mean the world to those who borrow them.