After using one of the private meeting rooms at Morrison Regional Library in early 2016 to make her first documentary, Julie McElmurry wondered what was next for her.

She already had two master’s degrees, so going back to school didn’t sound appealing. A seven-day film-making boot camp would cost her $2,000, and that sounded like a whole lot of money for just a week.

So, in May 2017, McElmurry and her husband sprawled a parade of Post-It notes, scribbled with ideas for the future, on a picnic table. It was there she figured out her next step.

“Instead of sending myself to film school for one week,” McElmurry said, “I decided to do this long-term project and find local people like me who want to learn and local filmmakers who want to teach.”

It was then McElmurry decided to put the $2,000 toward finding teachers, putting on events and basically starting a film school herself.  

That was the birth of the Charlotte Unconventional Film School.

Of course, before she could host a class, she needed a place for people to go and a place for them to sit.

Propelled by a $7,000 grant from The Pilgrim Legacy Fund, McElmurry started scouting teachers and topics for Charlotte Unconventional Film School (CUFS). McElmurry rented space from Snap Photography and Business Services on Old Pineville Road in a strip mall next to a Venezuelan restaurant. She wrangled up a few plastic tables and chairs for a ragtag classroom set. Soon, she found herself sharing the joys of making movies with others.

“I want people to connect, learn and create a space where they can find each other and move on from there and have friendships,” McElmurry said. “That’s the most important thing for me -- that people connect.”

At the end of the day, she thought, isn’t that what cinema is all about?

And so it went for a year, McElmurry scheduling 12 classes during a five-month period.

Then, in the fall of 2018, McElmurry met a Charlotte Mecklenburg Library employee who loved the idea of creating a learning-based partnership for Library customers who could benefit from the already established film school. He also happened to be the person responsible for the new Innovation programs at the Library.

“What I loved so much about Julie's work and her organization was her belief that everyone has the ability to learn something new and create something original. The belief that anyone equipped with the right knowledge and tools is a very democratic take on human potential; it’s also a very Library-like mindset. Film just happens to be the medium.” said Seth Ervin, chief innovation officer at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library. “Julie also emphasized the importance of reaching diverse audiences and showcasing diverse talent, which is something that matters a great deal to the Library.”

For her first step in the project, McElmurry hosted an event, “Screenwriting for People Who Are Already Good Writers,” at a Library location to see if partnering with the Library would be a good fit.

Nearly two dozen people filled the room one day in October 2018, and the event was a smash success.

Because of that interest, McElmurry and the Library launched the 10-part Make a Movie workshop with classes running from January 2019 through May 2019. The workshop offers teachers as well-regarded as Mike Collins, host of Charlotte Talks on WFAE; author Tommy Tomlinson; and a crewmember from the Academy Award-winning movie Dances With Wolves.

“Ultimately, I want to equip everyone in Charlotte who wants to make movies or to tell stories that haven’t been told yet,” McElmurry said. “It dawned on me the way to do that is to find partnerships with organizations like the Library that can open this up to people so money isn’t a hindrance.”

What should people expect from these workshops?

While each of the 10 workshops stand independently from one another, McElmurry noted it does help if you can go to all of them as in totality it gives a complete overview of filmmaking. The workshop topics range from audio production to how to interview subjects to cinematography basics.

McElmurry stressed, though, these workshops aren’t the end goal for any budding filmmaker; they’re the beginning.

“You can’t expect to attend these workshops and know this stuff. It’s an intense three hours to learn. It’s ideal for people who are curious and who have always wanted to study this stuff. It’s a starting point for people who are self-taught,” she said. “This is their first chance to sit in front of an actual professional teacher and learn from them. As we teach ourselves, we learn, but there are a lot of gaps. To sit there with a professional, take notes and ask questions, there’s nothing else like that.”

The best part about the workshops? Like every Library program, they’re free.

Still, as a new filmmaker herself, McElmurry might just be as excited as anyone for the classes.

“I’ll be sitting there in the room like everyone else, taking notes. I’m the director,” she said, “but I’m also a student at my own film school.”

To register for any of the upcoming 10 workshops in the Make a Movie series, go here. Please note, due to  high interest, some workshops may be full or wait-listed.

Vern McLellan wrote, “What the new year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the new year.” Maybe you’re considering new year’s resolutions, and maybe you aren’t, but what does it mean to create a ‘new you’ and, more importantly, do you need to reinvent yourself? We’ve gathered a list of excellent books and inspirational ideas that explore the themes of starting fresh, improving your life and staying true to yourself.

Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg

Rafe is tired of everyone focusing on his sexuality. His parents have supported him after he came out in eighth grade, but he wants people to see him for who he is beyond “that gay guy.” When he starts at a new all-boys school on the other side of the country, Rafe decides it’s his chance to start over and learn who he is without the label.  Yet the longer he takes to tell the whole truth, the more complicated things get. Soon Rafe will have to figure out what’s most important to him—a blank slate or being true to himself.

Darius The Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram

Darius Kellner has never felt connected to his Iranian family or his Persian roots, but he’s about to spend a summer in Iran. He doubts he’s going to enjoy the summer considering he’s already dealing with his disapproving father and clinical depression, he can speak more Klingon than Farsi and he hasn’t had luck making friends with people who don’t speak the same language. Then he meets Sohrab, the son of his grandparents’ neighbors, and their friendship helps Darius find himself. He’ll have to find a way to bring his new-found sense of self home with him at the end of the summer. 

The Resolutions by Mia García

For four friends – Nora Nora, Lee, Jess and Ryan – their  their senior year has made it harder to stay close.  However, Jess has a plan to help them reunite. She decides they’ll reinstate their tradition of making resolutions but, instead of each of them picking their own resolutions, they’re going to pick resolutions for each other. What starts as a way to bring the friends closer together will end up testing their bonds as well as themselves.

What Do You Really Want? By Beverly K. Bachel

It’s easy to pick a resolution that sounds good, but if someone wants to make a change or reach a goal, it’s important to pick something that’s important and personal. What Do You Really Want can help you better, organize your thoughts, understand what your interests are and map out ways to get the things you desire most.

Get started

Regardless of your opinion on new year’s resolutions, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is here to help and inspire you, and we’ve got the events to prove it!

Have you ever thought about starting a bullet journal? Register for a workshop on getting started with your own Bullet Journaling at Davidson on Jan. 7!

Want to give back to your community or need community service hours?  Check out Library community service projects! You can find a list of upcoming events here.

Looking for a little guidance on your future? Try out some of our College & Connection Programs such as the Drop In at Beatties Ford Road Regional Library  or the My Next Step event at South County Regional Library.

From all of us to you, we wish you a happy, healthy and wonderful new year.

It’s that time again: the new year. That means new goals, new resolutions, a new you. As you dust off those sneakers and that yoga mat, envisioning this new healthier, fitter, more powerful (insert your own adjective) version of you, don’t forget to revamp your reading goals, too.

Each new year Goodreads asks members to pledge their annual Reading Challenge, the number of books they intend to read in the upcoming year. Whether you’re a Goodreads member or not, what are your reading goals for this year? Will you strive for a reasonable 12, just one book a month? Or will you take on a larger challenge and go for one a week, 52 book in a year?

To help get you started, here are some unique challenges designed to guide you through your 2019 reading journey:

• Keep it simple with an A-to-Z Challenge: Read a book whose title or author starts with every letter of the alphabet. For example: A – The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho or The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. With 26 letters, this challenge will give you two weeks per book.
• Regularly read mysteries? Think outside of your go-to genre by reading An Assortment of Genres this year.
• Don’t care to branch out? Then try setting a number and reading new books within your favorite genre or your favorite topic. Start with these lists of Mysteries/True Crime titles, of books about Global Issues, of Non-Fiction titles, or Banned Books and add in your own.
• Pack your suitcase and read a book from every country around the world. Or, try reading a book from each state in the U.S.!
• Lastly, for those serious readers, try a list designed to make you hunt for a variety of books, including some very specific qualifiers, like you’ll find in the 52 Books in 52 Weeks challenge or the 2019 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge.

No matter what kind of reading challenge you set for yourself this year, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is here to support you. If or when all those other resolutions fall away, we’ll be here to settle you in on the couch with a good book. Happy new year!

Dana Eure, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library's acting library director, made a guest appearance on WCNC's "Charlotte Today" on Jan. 10, 2019, and shared six cozy books to read this wintry season. 

Adult fiction

Northern Lights

Lunacy is Nate Burke's last chance. As a Baltimore cop, he watched his partner die -- and the guilt still haunts him. Maybe serving as chief of police in this tiny, remote town, where darkness falls by midafternoon and temperatures plunge to zero and below, will bring some kind of solace. It isn't as if he had anywhere else to go.

Blackberry Winter

From the New York Times bestselling author of Always and The Violets of March comes an emotional story of a dreadful storm, a missing child cold case, and a determined reporter who just may have a stronger connection with the past than she realizes. 

Seattle, 1933. Single mother Vera Ray kisses her three-year-old son goodnight and departs to work the night shift at a local hotel. She emerges to discover that a May Day snow has blanketed the city, and that her son has vanished. Outside, she finds his beloved teddy bear lying facedown on an icy street, the snow covering up any trace of his tracks--or the perpetrator's.

Seattle, 2010. Seattle Herald reporter Claire Aldridge, assigned to cover the May 1 "blackberry winter" storm and its twin, learns of the unsolved abduction and vows to unearth the truth. In the process, she finds that she and Vera may be linked in unexpected ways.

Sarah Jio burst onto the fiction scene with two sensational novels-- The Violets of March and The Bungalow . With Blackberry Winter-- taking its title from a late-season, cold-weather phenomenon--Jio continues her rich exploration of the ways personal connections can transcend the boundaries of time.

Adult nonfiction

Making Winter: A Hygge-inspired Guide For Surviving The Winter Months

Want to survive those dark and freezing winter months? The Danish do it with hygge--a concept that's all about coziness, simple pleasures, and the company of loved ones. Embrace this warmhearted philosophy with these 25 creative crafts and recipes, which range from gorgeous trinkets to snuggly woolens and tasty treats. You don't have to be an expert with a crochet hook or a whiz in the kitchen to complete the projects, which include easy-to-follow instructions and photographs. Make vintage ornaments, bake plum and orange blondies, crochet boot cuffs, and more--and you'll feel hygge warming you no matter how cold it is outside

Teen fiction

Snow Like Ashes

Orphaned Meira, a fierce chakram-wielding warrior from the Kingdom of Winter, must struggle to free her people from the tyranny of an opposing kingdom while also protecting her own destiny.

Picture book

Lost and Found

While trying his best to help a penguin that has shown up at his door, a boy journeys all the way to the South Pole, only to realize that the penguin was never lost.

Samson in the Snow

When friendly giant mammoth Samson falls asleep and wakes up in the middle of a blizzard, he finds and shelters a little red bird and a flower-loving mouse, beginning new friendships for all.

Stay warm and cozy this winter! 

They say never judge a book by its movie, and, of course, we never would, but it’s still fun to see our favorite stories and characters translated to the big screen. The new year will bring many movie adaptations of popular books to the screen.

Check out the originals from Charlotte Mecklenburg Library before you head to the theater!

Time to revisit the classics. The film version of Richard Wright’s Native Son hits the screen in January, while in December moviegoers can enjoy Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women and Jack London’s The Call of the Wild. Modern classics like Pet Sematary by Stephen King, Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem and The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt will also shine on screen in 2019. A few classics are also finding their time to shine as TV series, including Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett and The Watchmen by Alan Moore. We have the authors’ original tales available in all formats--traditional print, audio CD, e-book and digital audio.

Prefer some hair-raising suspense? This fall, Amy Adams stars in the movie based on A. J. Finn’s The Woman in the Window, while Helen Mirren will lead the cast of an adaptation of Nicholas Searle’s The Good Liar. Three Seconds by Anders Roslund and Borg Hellstrom is the basis of this spring’s thriller The Informer.

If you enjoy World War II historical fiction, this spring check out The Aftermath by Rhidian Brook before Keira Knightley stars in its big-screen adaptation or C. S. Forester’s The Good Shepherd, whose movie will feature actor/author Tom Hanks.

Dramedy more your type? Graeme Simsion’s The Rosie Project and Maria Semple’s Where’d You Go, Bernadette are also coming to theaters this spring.

Fans of young adult literature will surely spend plenty of time at the movies this spring with the release of film adaptations of Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott, The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon and All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven. The movie Chaos Walking is based on Patrick Ness’ The Knife of Never Letting Go.

For younger readers, check out the story of The Sword in the Stone before the January release of The Kid Who Would Be King. In February, favorite children’s series How to Train Your Dragon will debut another title – The Hidden World. Fans of Artemis Fowl can catch up on the book series before the movie version hits theaters in summer 2019.

Just don’t be one of those people who says, “I saw the movie but didn’t read the book.”

PRESENTED BY   

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FROM      

                                                               

Be part of a big, exciting, community-wide book club, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s annual Community Read. We’ve selected books for every age group, and there are plenty of ways to participate.



1. Join the biggest book club in town.

We’re more than a great community. We’re a book club. And with a book selection for every age group, everyone is invited to join in the fun. This year, the signature title for the program, which takes place in March 2019, is The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. The companion titles for younger readers are Wishtree by Katherine Applegate and Love by Matt de la Peña. Join your library and your community! Take the pledge and start reading.

Adults and Teens: The Hate U Give  by Angie Thomas

Preteens: Wishtree by Katherine Applegate

Children: Love by Matt de la Peña

2. Join a conversation or two.

There are also a lot of conversations taking place around The Hate U Give and its relevant themes. Join a conversation, use your voice and help change the narrative of our community.

3. Be a partner

Host your own Community Read program. Start a book club, family story time program, be a guest speaker or volunteer at your local school. More importantly, what type of impact can you make in our community? How can your voice be heard? Share your work by using our Community Read Partner Event form.

4. Read the books, then meet the authors!

Save the date for these two amazing author events happening during Community Read in March 2019. Angie Thomas, author of The Hate U Give, will appear in Charlotte on March 19. Matt de la Peña, author of Love, will visit ImaginOn on March 28. Tickets are free but limited. Stay tuned for more details and ticket information.

5. Spend time with your neighbors at a local program.

Community Read is so much more than reading the books – we hope you will visit your local branch to participate in a program too. With Community Read themed story times, book discussions and programs, there is sure to be something your whole family can experience! More so, the Library welcomes all of our community members to use the Community Read program as an opportunity to come together to discuss issues, seek understanding and create innovative solutions to community challenges beyond the program! Check out the calendar for all Community Read programs and events.

Read together. Share together. Be part of your community.

Invite your friends and family to participate. Make new friends. Join book club discussions hosted around our community. Visit cmlibrary.org to learn more.

To better serve its customers, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library introduced new changes to its DVD circulation policy. As of Jan. 14, 2019, the following changes have taken effect:

• Customers can borrow most items for three weeks

• Customers can borrow new release and fiction DVDs for seven days 

• Customers can renew most items up to three times (instead of two)

Click here to search our extensive DVD collection.

There are three categories of DVDs: 

1)  Rentals - are new films containing the green labels and are available on the shelf at various locations. 

• Can be borrowed for up to seven days
• $2 fee to check out
• Late fee assessed is 25 cents per day
• 10 DVDs maximum checkout allowed
   

2)  Fiction - (Adult and Children’s items)

• Can be borrowed for up to seven days
• Late fee assessed is 25 cents per day
• 10 DVDs maximum check out allowed
• Can be renewed up to three times
   

​3)  Non Fiction DVDs 

• Can be borrowed for three weeks (same as before)
• Late fee assessed will be 25 cents per day
• 10 DVDs maximum check out allowed
• Can be renewed up to three times 

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library now offers cardholders professional attire and accessories to check out for job interviews or important meetings through its STARS for Success program through the Job Help Center at Main Library. The rental items include dress shirts, padfolios, neckties and scarves, and are available for a one-week checkout period with an opportunity to renew the checkout for another week. Returns can be made to any Library location.

“The Library is proud of its long history in helping our community find successful, meaningful careers,” said Seth Ervin, chief innovation officer for Charlotte Mecklenburg Library. “We’re constantly looking at ways to improve lives and build a stronger community, and we see this as filling a need for our cardholders. We’re happy to make these items available.”

“A lot of people come in to the Job Help Center with questions about their resume and cover letter,” said De’Trice Fox, a librarian at Main Library. “We continue to help customers improve those items, but now we’re excited to also help nail the first-impression with free professional clothes and accessories to go along with their dynamite resumes.”

Uptown’s AJ’s Dry Cleaners has partnered with the Library to dry clean every piece after use at a subsidized rate. This allows each item to benefit more members of the community in finding jobs. A similar program exists at ImaginOn: The Joe and Joan Martin Center for teen job-seekers.

For more information about job help programs and resources, visit cmlibrary.org/services/job-help.

As February nears and as store shelves overflow with hearts and pink-hued stuffed animals, we can't help but feel the love for Charlotte Mecklenburg Library. 

With 20 locations across Mecklenburg County, there's a lot to love about the Library. We asked our staff to share their favorites, and we've included a sample here.

But that can't be enough, of course. Throughout February, we'd love to see your favorite place at the Library! Share a picture on your favorite social media platform of your favorite spot at the Library, tag @cmlibrary and use #CMLFavoritePlace. Also, send us pictures of your favorite spot to [email protected].

We'll share a selection of photos on our own social media platforms to spread the love. 

So, where's your favorite place at the Library?

My favorite place in Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is the Welcome Desk at ImaginOn: The Joe and Joan Martin Center. Every day, I’m able to greet and inform customers of the magic of ImaginOn. More importantly, I get to meet families, visitors, parents and children of all ages. By far the most rewarding part of my job is when a customer comes back to say “thank you” for the warm welcome and/or tour of the building.  Several years back, I had a parent say the reason her children enjoy coming to ImaginOn is because of me. How can this not be my        favorite place in the whole world?!

-Frank Mendoza, ImaginOn                                                                                                  

My favorite place at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is near the fireplace at the Matthews Library, snuggled up reading a good mystery!

- Kim Arlia, Main Library

 My favorite place in Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is the Robinson-Spangler North Carolina Room’s archival vault because it holds all sorts of cool historical treasure. I love learning about Charlotte’s history through unique artifacts, diaries, love letters and photographs.

-Sydney Vaile, Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room

My favorite place in Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is hanging out at the Scaleybark Library during special holidays. The family programs offered are a blast and make library visits extra special. #CMLFavoritePlace

Beatriz Guevara, Scaleybark Library

My favorite place in Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is ImaginOn: The Joe and Joan Martin Center. I've loved watching my daughter fall in love with books and with theatre in a city that cares enough about children to build a palace for both, just for them.

-Melanie Baron, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation

 My favorite place in Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is performing outreach storytimes on air at Seacrest Studios inside the Levine Children’s Hospital. Young children and their families listen and watch from their hospital rooms as I read stories and sing songs. I love bringing the Library out into our community!

-Lonna Vines, Hickory Grove Library

  Our favorite place in Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is the Mecklenburg Room inside the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room at Main Library. The wood paneling is remarkable, and the access to historical information is unbeatable!

-Teleia White and Jenni Gaisbauer, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation

My favorite place in Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is definitely sitting in the storytellers chair in the Spangler Library at ImaginOn: The Joe and Joan Martin Center during family storytime! This is the place where I have a front-row seat watching stories come to life in the eyes of our youngest customers!

-Cynthia McDonald, ImaginOn

My favorite place at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is the front entrance of Main Library. I always read the quotes on the columns, even though I pass by them nearly every day, and any front entrance of a library always tempts me to enter.

-Karen Beach, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation

My favorite place in Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is my monthly armchair travel presentation with the Outreach team at Huntersville Oaks. I love “travelling” the world wth my favorite seniors for outreach!

- Darcey Mesaris, North County Regional Library

My favorite place at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is at the checkout!  I can't wait to start reading or watching my materials. 

- Ann Stawski, Main Library

My favorite place in Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is the puppet closet in the offices of Spangler Library at ImaginOn: The Joe and Joan Martin Center. It’s where we house a collection of not only our fabulous puppets but our favorite storytime books, flannel board kits, silly costumes and weird props, and it’s where we hunker down to plan every single one of our programs. Walking into this room always reminds me of how creative and magical my job is.

-Becca Worthington, ImaginOn