March 13, 2024
This blog was written by Amanda Goldson, adult services librarian at Pineville Library.
Join six award-winning Charlotte authors on May 4 at 11 am at the Pineville Library for a conversation about their recent books—what they’re about and how they wrote them—and hear their writing tips and lessons learned.
This author event is co-sponsored by Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and Charlotte Readers Podcast. Featured authors include Sarah Archer, Joy Callaway, Mark de Castrique, Kimmery Martin, and Cathy Pickens. The panel is moderated by author Landis Wade, founder of Charlotte Readers Podcast. The books and writing topics include mysteries, thrillers, historical fiction, true crime, romance, comedy, and literary fiction.
Landis Wade is a trial lawyer turned author of thrillers, mysteries, and essays who founded Charlotte Readers Podcast(where he has conducted 500+ author interviews). His novel Deadly Declarations won ten awards, including Winner in the 2022 American Fiction Awards (Cozy Mystery category). With the help of his podcast co-hosts, he published The Write Quotes series, an 8 book collection that features inspirational and practical author quotes about writing and the writing life from authors in more than 33 U.S. states and four countries, and he co-wrote a comedic mystery with podcast co-host Sarah Archer about the dangers of podcasting with author guests titled Death by Podcasting. His short work has appeared in Writersdigest.com, The Charlotte Observer, Flying South, and in several anthologies, and his short story, The Deliberation, won the 2016 North Carolina Bar short story contest. He is a past board member of Charlotte Writers Club. To learn more about Landis, his books, and the podcast, click here.
Sarah Archer's debut novel, The Plus One, was published by Putnam and optioned for television. As a screenwriter, she has developed material for MTV Entertainment, Snapchat, and Comedy Central, and been recognized by the Black List, the Tracking Board, the Motion Picture Academy, and the Austin Film Festival. Her short stories and poetry have appeared in numerous journals and been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. She also co-hosts the award-winning Charlotte Readers Podcast.
Joy Callaway is the international bestselling author of The Fifth Avenue Artists Society, Secret Sisters, The Grand Design, All The Pretty Places, and What The Mountains Remember. She lives in Charlotte, NC with her family.
Mystery writer Mark de Castrique has authored twenty-three books. His novels have received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Booklist. His Washington, DC thriller SECRET LIVES was one of five finalists for the Mystery Writers of America’s Edgars 2023 Sue Grafton Memorial Award. Mark lives in Charlotte, but he and his wife Linda can be often found in the NC mountains or the nation’s capital.
Kimmery Martin is an ER doctor whose novels have been praised by People, Newsweek, and The New York Times. She also teaches Narrative Medicine at the local medical school and authors a column on Substack covering medical disinformation, humor, parenting, and social topics.
Kimmery speaks frequently at medical and literary events around the United States and honors her passion for public libraries by serving on the Board of Trustees of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library. Her most recent novel, Doctors and Friends, received starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, Library Journal, and Booklist.
Cathy Pickens, a lawyer and college professor, now writes about crime, fact and fiction. Her first novel, Southern Fried, was St. Martin’s Best New Traditional Mystery. (Now available from Joffe Books as The Blue Ridge Mountain Mysteries, with audiobook.) Professor emerita at Queens University, she is writing a series of Carolina true crime accounts for History Press, starting with Charlotte True Crime Stories. Author of CREATE, she offers coaching and workshops on developing the creative process.
This blog was written by Chauna Wall, volunteer coordinator for Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.
Today we enter into a week-long celebration called National Volunteer Week which runs from April 21 - 27.
I would like to take this opportunity to shine a light on the people that inspire us to serve. Volunteerism empowers individuals to find their purpose, to take their passion and turn it into meaningful change. When you answer the call to make a difference, we make progress in “Improving Lives and Building a Stronger Community,” our core mission.
This week, we celebrate our volunteers for giving their time to Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and the many volunteers who stand with us in promoting inclusion, education and literacy to the entire community.
We had some very exciting milestones this year which were powered by very dedicated volunteers. These include:
Student Success Centers: a physical learning space that are open in branches at least once a week. Trained volunteers work with Kindergartners – 5th grade with Homework Help, Skill practice and tutor.com. Volunteers responded to our request to help our students succeed in an overwhelming way. Recruiting more volunteers than the number of registered students.
The Living Archives needed volunteers to transcribe the stories of People of Color and their experiences during the pandemic. Again, an abundance of individuals came forth to offer their skills.
You may have heard of MeckTech; an effort to close the Digital Divide in which we gave away 20,000 free laptops to the citizens of Mecklenburg County. We didn’t do it alone; we tapped the skills of over 900 volunteers over the course of a year. Individuals, families, groups, corporate volunteers and teens rose to the occasion for this very sizeable and far-reaching project.
You can clearly see the exceptional ways in which our citizenry responded to the needs of the Library and broader community.
Every day our volunteers inspire us and help us create a more educated and literate community. Never doubt you make a measurable difference. Last year you gave us over 31,000 hours of your time which equates to a value of over $1million.
Hear from some of our volunteers on why they do this work below:
"The Library is a safe space, for teens especially to be able to exist peacefully and authentically without the stress of whatever else is happening in their life."
Máire B., VolunTeen at North County Regional Library
"Not only did my service at the Library strengthen my leadership skills, it also introduced me to other aspects of that I hadn’t initially been aware of."
Rachel J., VolunTeen at West Boulevard Library
"The Library is important because for others It is a place of both knowledge and enrichment. I have learned a lot from the Library."
Ashritha N., VolunTeen at Matthews Library
"Volunteering at the Library has shown me how important it is that we have a place to gather, reflect, read, and connect."
Elliott K., VolunTeen at Matthews Library
"Volunteering at the Library is a chance to give back. The staff at Mint Hill are Wonderful!"
Lance, Volunteer at Mint Hill Library
"I have always loved to read. I feel like I’m giving back some of the good things people have done for me."
Lee, Reading Buddy at Mint Hill Library
"The Library supports literacy and education in addition to cultural learning. Books open the world to children."
Barbara, Reading Buddy at Mint Hill Library
"One of my Reading Buddies said to me at the end of our half hour, 'I'm not ready to go!' - it touched my heart!"
Lori, Reading Buddy at Mountain Island Library
"The library is a safe space for all people. Stories inspire creativity and without creativity society would be lost.
Katy, Volunteer at Mint Hill Library
"Volunteering at the Library is incredibly rewarding—seeing school-aged students grow in reading confidence over time is wonderful. To think that Wicked and I might have played even a small part is simply amazing and makes every moment worth it!"
Kelsey & Wicked, Paws to Read volunteers at Mountain Island Library
"Sometimes kids are nervous around dogs or about reading and it’s so rewarding watching them become comfortable and confident and light up when they sit and read to Phineas."
Lauren A. & Phineas, Paws to Read volunteers at SouthPark Regional Library
"Watching kids learn to read and making verbal connections in real-time is really neat...kids light up and smile when they see Pippa! Knowing that I’m making a small difference in a child’s ability to read is really cool!"
Courtney S. & Pippa, Paws to Read volunteers at SouthPark Regional Library
"Volunteering to me means making a difference. Also, having an impact in children’s lives and families.
Ashlyn, Volunteer at Mint Hill Library
"Volunteering is fun for me since I am retired and I like giving back to the community.
Cindy, Volunteer at Mint Hill Library
"It feels good to think someone might enjoy reading a little better because I volunteered.
Kathy, Volunteer at Mint Hill Library
Rachel S. and Dumpling, Paws to Read volunteers at Hickory Grove Library
Sue, Reading Buddy Volunteer at Mint Hill Library
Krissy, Volunteer at Hickory Grove Library
Anna, Volunteer at Matthews Library
Kelly, Reading Buddy Volunteer at Mountain Island Library
Don, Volunteer at SouthPark Library
Daniel, Volunteer at SouthPark Library
Russ, Reading Buddy Volunteer at SouthPark Library
Kurt S., Volunteer at Mint Hill Library
Lori D., Volunteer at North County Regional Library
Marci., Reading Buddy Volunteer at SouthPark Regional Library
"The library offers a variety of programs and children’s storytimes. Volunteering gets me back into the environment that I love!"
Gail Z., Volunteer at Mint Hill Library
You will see our volunteers helping with…
If I may give a respectful nod to those of you who help our staff shelve in the Children's department (which isn’t for the meek), and a special thank you to the 32 staff who have taken on the role of Volunteer Point Person (VPPs) who guide and engage with our volunteers daily. They have worked diligently to make the Library a great experience for our volunteers.
Thank you for being a Library volunteer and helping deliver the magic of books, stories, technology and lifelong learning. You are a treasured and valuable part of our story.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
Margaret Mead
Shelf.TV es una colección de videos en streaming de películas en español, series de televisión, eventos de artes escénicas grabados y contenido infantil de América Latina y España. La sección de niños incluye videojuegos y aclamados programas animados
Shelf.TV es una colección de videos en streaming de películas en español, series de televisión, eventos de artes escénicas grabados y contenido infantil de América Latina y España. La sección de niños incluye videojuegos y aclamados programas animados
¡Hay algo para todas las edades! Shelf.TV está disponible como aplicación para iOS y Android, así como en computador de escritorio
Iniciar:
Cree una cuenta siguiendo las indicaciones:
Nota: Los clientes menores de 13 años solo tendrán acceso al contenido de Zona Kids.
Seleccione EE. UU. en el menú desplegable del país y Biblioteca Charlotte Mecklenburg de la lista de bibliotecas en la sección "Buscar y seleccionar su biblioteca".Ingrese su número de tarjeta de la Biblioteca o el número de One Access y la contraseña en la sección "Acceda a su cuenta". Haga clic en "Entrar en el Shelf”.
NOTA: Cuando se abra la página, es posible que vea una ventana emergente que dice que el sitio utiliza cookies. Está bien hacer clic en "Aceptar" en esta ventana emergente. Estas cookies son esenciales para la plataforma. Shelf.TV no utiliza cookies de terceros ni realiza un seguimiento de los datos personales.
Préstamos:
Los clientes de la Biblioteca Charlotte Mecklenburg pueden pedir prestados hasta 12 títulos con boleto por mes. Las entradas se utilizan para películas y artes escénicas (busque el icono de la entrada). El resto del contenido es ilimitado (incluidos los juegos para niños). El monto del crédito del boleto se restablece el primer día de cada mes.
Todo el contenido está disponible para su visualización hasta 48 horas después del pago.
Getting Started:
Create an account by following the prompts:
Note: Customers under 13 will only have access to the Kids Zone content.
Select USA from the country drop down and Charlotte Mecklenburg Library from the list of libraries in the “Find and Select your library” section. Enter your Library card number or One Access number and password in the “Access your Account section”. Click “Enter The Shelf.”
NOTE: When the page opens you may see a popup saying that the site uses cookies. It’s okay to click “Accept” on this popup. These cookies are essential to the platform. The Shelf.TV does not use third party cookies or track personal data.
Borrowing:
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library customers can borrow up to 12 ticketed titles per month. Tickets are used for movies and performing arts (look for the ticket icon). All other content is unlimited (including kids games. The ticket credit amount resets on the first of each month.
All content is available for viewing up to 48 hours after checkout.
May 1, 2024
ImaginOn and Founders Hall Library will be closed May 3-5 for the Lovin’ Life Music Fest that will be held in Uptown over the weekend. This closure includes the book drop at ImaginOn.
Both locations will operate on a normal schedule on May 2 and are expected to resume regular operating hours on May 6. The Founders Hall location is normally closed on the weekends.
The parking garage at ImaginOn will also be closed at the end of the day on May 2 and will reopen the morning of May 6.
For information regarding the Charlotte Children’s Theater, which is inside of ImaginOn, please visit ctcharlotte.org or call 704-973-2800.
May 2, 2024
PSA: The Library continues to partner with Hope Street Food Pantry! Join us at Sugar Creek Library on May 21 at 11am. Learn more at hopestreetfoodpantry.com.
October 16, 2023
It is important to have the right information and support to keep yourself, or someone you love, well. Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and Novant Health are pleased to partner on the Novant Health Wellness Hubs at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library locations. This initiative helps create a sustainable impact by addressing community member’s health and social needs, so every person can achieve their highest level of health.
Speak with a Novant Health team member at no cost at the locations and dates listed below:
May 9 - West Boulevard Library (9:30am - 2:30pm)
May 16 - Hickory Grove Library (9:30am - 2:30pm)
May 23 - West Boulevard Library (9:30am - 2:30pm)
May 30 - Hickory Grove Library (9:30am - 2:30pm)
June 6 - West Boulevard Library (9:30am - 2:30pm)
The Novant Health Wellness Hub at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is not open on holidays or during library closures.
The Novant Health team member can help you better understand your needs and connect you to the right health, wellness, and social services.
This will include appointment scheduling for doctors and medical services, as well as referrals for:
· Access to affordable care
· Medication assistance
· Counseling access
· Housing information
· Food resources and more
Call 1-844-644-3578 or visit a Novant Health Wellness Hub at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library to learn more.