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The Library in the Community: Summer Break Edition

July 21, 2022

At Charlotte Mecklenburg Library we aim to have library services extend beyond our physical locations. This year Library staff have attended multiple events around Charlotte to talk about Library services and Summer Break. At any of these events, staff can help you sign up and log your reading and activities for Summer Break!

National Night Out

Multiple branches will be participating in National Night Out this year, a great event to learn about community resources for adults and children. Dates vary, but most of the events will be taking place on August 2, 2022 and it is advised to check with your local branch for details. At each event visitors to the Library’s table can pick up some great swag and learn more about Summer Break

Soccer Game

You may have seen the Library at a recent Charlotte Football Club game against the New York Red Bulls in early June. This year, Charlotte Football Club has partnered with the Library to sponsor Summer Break. Library staff members met with soccer fans and talked about available services and Summer Break.

Heroes Con

Graphic Novel and comic book enthusiast library staff showcased Library services, Summer Break, and even participated in a panel about banned books at Heroes Con in late June. Visitors to the Library’s table had the opportunity to take a photo using the photo booth, spin the prize wheel for various prizes, pick up a graphic novel or two and learn about Summer Break.

If you see the Library around town, come and say hi and ask us about Summer Break.

Comments? Questions?

Are you having problems with the Summer Break 2022 website or your account? Do you have questions about the program? Feel free to call your local branch or email us at [email protected] for help or feedback.

The 2022 Summer Break program is brought to you by Charlotte Mecklenburg Library with additional support from Wendy’s, Charlotte Football Club and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation.

CMLibrary has all the resources you'll ever need

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library has all the resources you'll ever need

July 22, 2022

This blog was written by Darrell Anderson, marketing and communications specialist for Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.

Whether you need resources for your small business or just want to stream the newest hit music, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library has a vast catalog of digital resources to fit your needs. Check out some of our offerings below and some fun facts about the Queen City's namesake monarch Queen Charlotte.

Did You Know? — Queen Charlotte spoke three language and you can, too. Learn Afrikaans, Tagalog, the language of love, or whatever you like for FREE with Transparent Language and your Library card.

Transparent Language provides a fun, effective, and engaging experience for learners of all levels looking to build their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in a foreign language. With over 110 languages to choose from, including English for speakers of over 30 languages, there is something for every learner.

access Transparent Language now

Did You Know? — Queen Charlotte had serious musical chops! Not only was she versed in the harpsichord and tutored in music by Johann Christian Bach (the son of Johann Sebastian Bach), but she also was a muse to other classical musicians of the time. Enjoy the latest music tracks from all your favorite artists for free from hoopla and Freegal Music through the Library.

Freegal Music is a free downloadable music service from your Library. Freegal offers download or streaming access to more than 10 million songs, including Sony Music's catalog of legendary artists. Also available are approximately 15,000 music videos to download. Charlotte Mecklenburg Library customers get 5 free downloads (songs are 1 download and videos are 2) and 5 hours of streaming each week. Once downloaded, the songs or videos are yours to keep! Mobile and tablet customers, download the Freegal app for iOS and Android.
hoopla allows customers to instantly borrow e-books, comics, audiobooks, music, movies and television — with no holds, and no waiting! And there's no need to worry about late fees; hoopla features an automated service that returns your item once your time is up. Content can be streamed to computers, tablets or smartphones, and can be downloaded to mobile devices to allow for offline viewing any time.

access freegal music now access hoopla now

Did You Know? — In addition to being royalty, Queen Charlotte was also a philanthropist who supported small business across the city of London. But you don’t have to be royalty to start your own business. All you need is a Library card to give you access to our vast catalog of free business resources including LinkedIn Learning and Universal Class.

LinkedIn Learning is an online educational site that includes over 3,000 courses (and over 130,000 videos) in popular fields like web design, web development, IT, education/instruction, media production and business.
Universal Class is an online education experience offering over 540 courses in subjects like Entrepreneurship, Home and Garden Care, Computers and Technology, Health and Medicine, Homeschooling, Job Assistance, Law and many more.

access LinkedIn Learning now Access Universal Class Now

"Break My Soul": The perfect booklist for Beyoncé fans

August 2, 2022

This blog was written by Serena Guest, library collections associate, at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.

In June, Beyoncé released the song "Break My Soul." Over a stirring house beat, she sings about looking for motivation and a new foundation. It's an inspirational song that was much needed for so many of us. If you enjoy this song and you’re looking for your own motivation and new foundation, I've put together a list of suggested titles you might enjoy. You can also listen to "Break My Soul" for free on Freegal - all you need is your Library card!

The perfect booklist for Beyoncé fans:

Fat, Crazy, & Tired by Van Lathan Jr.
The Power of Self-Discipline by Peter Hollins
Good Vibes, Good Life by Vex King
Self-care for Black Women by Oludara Adeeyo
The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk, MD
Atomic Habits by James Clear

Reserve a Room

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How did your summer reading goal turn out? Check out the results of the 2022 Summer Break challenge.

Summer Break 2022 Wrap up

August 8, 2022

Oh, where has the time gone?

It’s a wrap for Summer Break 2022. Thank you to all of those who participated in the 2022 Summer Break Challenge. Queen Charlotte collected her earned prizes. Have you? Please collect any earned prizes by August 20, 2022, at your local branch location. Charlotte Football Club winners will be selected from completers by a drawing via Beanstack on August 15, 2022 and will be contacted via email.

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A total of 9.1 million minutes were logged for reading.

Over 70,080 badges earned.

More than 45,000 activities completed.

The Summer Beak Team hopes you enjoyed reading more and participating in different activities.

We put forth a challenge to the community to beat this year’s numbers for 2023. Do you have it in you?

Sign- Up for Email News and Program Information from Your Library!

Read more about Sign- Up for Email News and Program Information from Your Library!

Sunsetting the OverDrive app for Fire tablets

January 10, 2025

OverDrive will sunset the legacy OverDrive app on January 31, 2025. After this date, the OverDrive app sunset will be complete on all platforms.

Users with Fire tablets running Android 9 or higher can install the Libby app instead.

For more details on how to make the transition from OverDrive to Libby, see Switching to Libby from the OverDrive FAQs.

Grand Opening of New University City Regional

January 28, 2025

This University City Regional branch closes for the final time on February 1 at 5:00 PM. The new University City Regional branch is located at 5528 Waters Edge Village Drive Charlotte, NC (behind the Applebee's on J.W. Clay Boulevard).

The Grand Opening will be on February 8 from 9:30am to 4:00pm. All invited to partake in the festivities. Activities for the day include family storytime, an Artist Talk with Anne Lemanski, Mother Minter, a 360 photo booth, gaming, a puppet show, music, a dance acrobatics performance, and face painting.

For details about specific events at the new University City Regional branch grand opening see this events page.

Sugar Creek Library Updates

February 3, 2025

The Library is excited to share that the Sugar Creek branch will be getting a new location and a new building. Work on Sugar Creek will commence in early 2025 and the new building is scheduled to be completed in 2027.

The new library will double in size and is planned to be located near the Ella B Scarborough Community Resource Center. The architect selected for this project is Perkins + Will.

The Library is looking forward to sharing soon how the community can share thoughts and support for the new branch location.

From Letters to Legacy: The Romance That Built Wing Haven

February 11, 2025

This blog post was written by Brandon Lunsford, Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room Volunteer

In December 2024, the Carolina Room received a generous donation from the Wing Haven Foundation, forming the new Wing Haven Collection. This collection documents the history of one of Charlotte’s most exceptional hidden gems—Wing Haven Garden and Bird Sanctuary. Located at 248 Ridgewood Avenue in the Myers Park neighborhood, Wing Haven began as the private residence and garden of Elizabeth and Eddie Clarkson. The couple built their home in 1927 as one of the first in the new neighborhood. Elizabeth’s interest in gardening transformed the once barren red clay landscape into a lush paradise of color. Her interest in birds and their habitats soon led to the creation of a sanctuary, attracting both feathered visitors and human admirers. Friends, neighbors, and professional ornithologists were welcomed to enjoy the gardens, where birds even felt comfortable enough to fly through the house and perch on Elizabeth’s arms as she played the piano. It was likely one of the only places in the world where birds and people coexisted in such harmony. In 1970, the Clarksons established the Wing Haven Foundation, officially opening the gardens to the public.

The collection also preserves the decades-long love story between Elizabeth and Eddie, which began in 1924. Author Mary Norton Kratt describes their courtship in her book, A Bird in the House: The Story of Wing Haven Gardens: “Elizabeth Barnhill told Eddie Clarkson on their first date in Boston, where he was working and where she was attending the New England Conservatory of Music, how she and her mother had raised white-winged doves.” After five years of courtship in seven states and one foreign country, Eddie and Elizabeth became engaged. After Eddie’s father urged him not to ‘let that pretty, little auburn-haired girl get away,’ Eddie drove to Uvalde, TX to propose to her.

(Eddie and Elizabeth on their wedding day in 1927 in Texas)

Eddie returned to his native Charlotte to build a home and a garden for his new bride following her precise instructions, and she remained in Texas until it was finished. While they were apart they wrote to each other daily–often multiple times on certain days. These letters, now part of the collection, offer a glimpse into their unwavering devotion. So far, we have processed their letters dating from July 1925 to April 1927—over 850 in total! Every letter from Elizabeth begins with some variation of “To My Precious Boy,” and every response from Eddie is addressed to “My Most Precious Girl.” Eddie often slipped wildflowers into his letters, which remain beautifully preserved almost 100 years later.

Letters between Elizabeth and Eddie dated March 17/18, 1926.

This correspondence continued throughout their 60-year marriage until Elizabeth’s passing in 1988. Eddie followed in 1993, having spent their entire lives together in the home and gardens they built with love.

Valentine’s Card from Eddie to Elizabeth, 1950’s

The Wing Haven Collection is divided into two main series. The first focuses on Elizabeth Clarkson and includes decades of correspondence between her, Eddie, family and friends, as well as photographs, slides, personal materials, and promotional content about Wing Haven. This material spans from the 1920s to the 1980s, with the bulk dating from the 1920s to 1940s. The second series is based around internationally known garden writer Elizabeth Lawrence, who moved to Charlotte in 1948 and cultivated her own garden nearby at 348 Ridgewood Avenue.

Eddie and Elizabeth at Wing Haven, 1980s

In a city that is rapidly changing, stepping into the house at Wing Haven feels like travelling back to 1927. The home remains untouched since the Clarksons moved in—the original furniture, piano, and even the small window openings designed for birds to enter still exist as they were.

It’s a rare opportunity to experience Charlotte as it was a century ago and to witness a living tribute to a timeless love story.

Stay tuned for more updates on the Wing Haven Collection! To find out more about Wing Haven and its special history, visit Wing Haven.