We’re excited to inform you Scaleybark Library will soon move to a new, larger home! This fall, we expect to move into our new location at 4429 South Boulevard, approximately 0.4 miles south of our current location. The new location is currently under construction, and as we near completion, we’ll have more information to share with you about Library services and about a Grand Opening date to celebrate.  

Why is the Scaleybark Library moving? The new location is nearly three times the size of the current branch. This larger footprint will offer more room for programs, services, community and meeting rooms, and resources. We’re bringing you these changes based on your feedback, and with funding from Mecklenburg County. 

As construction proceeds, we'll provide more information so customers can understand service options during the move to the new location and keep you engaged with the library. Your patronage is vitally important to us, so please stay tuned for more information. You can find updates on all Library building projects at www.cmlibrary.org/building-projects.  

In the meantime, Scaleybark Library is still open and operating as usual at 101 Scaleybark, Charlotte 28209. This is the perfect time to stop in, sign up for Summer Break, attend a program, or check out materials. We value you as a customer and look forward to sharing the exciting changes to our relocated library with you when we re-open! 

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library encourages reading and learning all year long. The summer months, when students take a break from school, are critical to expanded learning. In fact, summer time poses the most academic risk because students without access to summer learning opportunities can fall behind their peers, creating an achievement gap that is hard to close.

To keep kids on track with important matters such as literacy and physical activity, the Library offers Summer Break, its annual summer learning program that encourages children to read, learn and explore.

This year, the program runs June 1 – August 10 and pre-registration begins Monday, May 20 here.

The Library offers early registration to give students a head-start at signing up before school is out. Participants can create a free online account to track reading time, learning and leisure activities from June 1 to August 10. Summer Break encourages participants of all ages – children, teens and adults – to read 20 minutes per day and engage in additional learning activities such as writing, creating, playing, exploring and giving. As participants track their activities online, they collect virtual badges and incentives.

Summer Break participants complete the program after reading 20 hours OR by reading at least 10 hours and completing 10 learning activities. Participants who complete the program, have a valid library card number listed on their account and log activities or reading time online for 10 out of 10 weeks, will also be eligible to receive one Carowinds ticket. These tickets will be valid at Carowinds through the end of the 2019 season. Tickets can be claimed starting on Saturday, August 10 and are available while supplies last.

Looking to make the most of summer? Visit the official Summer Break website, summerbreak.cmlibrary.org, to discover reading lists and plenty of enriching ideas and activities. The Library also offers thousands of free programs during the summer to engage the community in a wide variety of fun and educational experiences; special kickoff events are listed below. Come to any of these kickoff events, sign up for Summer Break and get a $5 voucher toward library fines and a coupon for a free Jr. Frosty from Wendy's.

Parents of young children (and parents too!) won’t want to miss the interactive summer exhibit hosted through September at ImaginOn: TheJoe & Joan Martin Center - The Adventures of MR. POTATO HEAD! The exhibit opens May 25 - September 8, 2019 at ImaginOn. 

The 2019 Summer Break program is brought to you by Charlotte Mecklenburg Library in partnership with Carowinds. Additional support comes from Wendy’s and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation.

Summer Break Kickoff Events Kickoff

Cick here for all Summer Break Kickoff events

Library Branch Channel Leader and Interim Director of Libraries, Dana Eure, made a guest appearance on WCNC's Charlotte Today on Thursday, May 9, 2019 and shared six titles on celebrating parenthood. Click here to search the titles.

The Cactus

by Sarah Haywood 

For Susan Green, messy emotions don't fit into the equation of her perfectly ordered life. She has a flat that is ideal for one, a job that suits her passion for logic and an 'interpersonal arrangement' that provides cultural and other, more intimate, benefits. But suddenly confronted with the loss of her mother and the news that she is about to become a mother herself, Susan's greatest fear is realized. She is losing control. When she learns that her mother's will inexplicably favors her indolent brother, Edward, Susan's already dismantled world is sent flying into a tailspin. As Susan's due date draws near and her family problems become increasingly difficult to ignore, Susan finds help and self-discovery in the most unlikely of places. 

One Day You'll Thank Me

Lessons From An Unexpected Fatherhood

by David McGlynn 

Fatherhood caught David McGlynn by surprise. His sons arrived in quick succession - the first when the author was a dirt-poor student and the second not long after he'd moved his family across the country to start a new job in bucolic Wisconsin. As a result, McGlynn found himself colliding with fatherhood, at once scared to death and utterly thrilled. Just like many new fathers, he hopes he's doing the right thing - but he's never quite sure. One Day You'll Thank Me translates the small, often hilarious moments common among parents of young children, especially dads, into "life lessons" about fatherhood. Comprised of interconnected chapters, many of which have appeared in such prominent publications as The New York Times, Men's Health, Parents, Real Simple and O, The Oprah Magazine, the stories invoke a sense of humor and honesty that expand our understanding of what it means to be an American dad. 

Everything Is Mama

by Jimmy Fallon

Everything is...MAMA! Jimmy Fallon, one of the most popular entertainers in the world and NBC's Tonight Show host, was on a mission with his first children's book to have every baby's first word be DADA. And it worked! A lot of babies' first words were DADA. However, everything after that was MAMA. So, take a lighthearted look at the world from your baby's point of view as different animals try to teach their children that there are other words in addition to MAMA for familiar objects and activities. 

I've Loved You Since Forever

by Hoda Kotb 

I've Loved You Since Forever is a celebratory and poetic testament to the timeless love felt between parent and child. This beautiful picture book is inspired by Today show co-anchor Hoda Kotb's heart-warming adoption of her baby girl, Haley Joy. With Kotb's lyrical text and stunning pictures by Suzie Mason, young ones and parents will want to snuggle up and read the pages of this book together, over and over again. In the universe, there was you and there was me, waiting for the day our stars would meet P

Papasaurus

by Stephan Lomp

Babysaurus loves to play hide-and-seek in the jungle with his Papasaurus, but one day Papasaurus hides and Baby cannot find him -- so he asks the other dinosaurs, Stego, Anky, Velo and others, for help finding his father.

Moxie

A Novel

by Jennifer Mathieu

Punk rock zines inspire a feminist revolution at a small-town Texan high school in the new novel from Jennifer Mathieu, author of The Truth About Alice. MOXIE GIRLS FIGHT BACK! Vivian Carter's mom was a Riot Grrrl in the 1990s, but now she and Viv live a pretty quiet life in a small Texas town. When Viv witnesses a series of sexist incidents at her high school, she takes a page from her mom's past and makes a feminist zine that she distributes anonymously to her classmates. Viv is just blowing off steam, but before she knows it, she's started a revolution. This novel offers everything fans love about Mathieu's writing -- a relatable protagonist with a distinct voice, a conflict relevant to current events and, ultimately, a story that is both heartbreaking and hopeful.

(Already read Part I? Jump ahead to Part II.)

Part I: Background History

“Meck Dec Day” is an annual celebration in Charlotte, North Carolina in observance of the alleged first declaration of independence against British rule. North Carolina’s flag even references the document's creation date, May 20, 1775. It has long been debated whether the document is authentic or if it is a misinterpretation of the Mecklenburg Resolves.

For the believers, it was created by approximately 25 leading Mecklenburg citizens who had gathered at the Courthouse on May 19, 1775 to discuss the troublesome relationship between England and the American Colonies. Each local militia company sent two representatives to the courthouse. Relations between the colonies and the mother country had reached crisis in Boston, Massachusetts, following the 1774 passage of the Coercive Acts by the British Parliament.

During the meeting in Mecklenburg County, the delegates received official news that the Battle of Lexington was fought in Massachusetts just one month earlier. Outraged by this turn of events, the delegates unanimously passed the following resolutions at about 2:00 a.m. on May 20:

1. Resolved, That whosoever directly or indirectly abetted, or in any way, form, or manner, countenanced the uncharted and dangerous invasion of our rights, as claimed by Great Britain, is an enemy to this County, to America, and to the inherent and inalienable rights of man.

2. Resolved, That we the citizens of Mecklenburg County, do hereby dissolve the political bands which have connected us to the Mother Country, and hereby absolve ourselves from all allegiance to the British Crown, and abjure all political connection, contract, or association, with that Nation, who have wantonly trampled on our rights and liberties and inhumanly shed the innocent blood of American patriots at Lexington.

3. Resolved, That we do hereby declare ourselves a free and independent people, are, and of right ought to be, a sovereign and self-governing Association, under the control of no power other than that of our God and the General Government of the Congress; to the maintenance of which independence, we solemnly pledge to each other, our mutual cooperation, our lives, our fortunes, and our most sacred honor.

4. Resolved, That as we now acknowledge the existence and control of no law or legal officer, civil or military, within this County, we do hereby ordain and adopt, as a rule of life, all, each and every of our former laws - where, nevertheless, the Crown of Great Britain never can be considered as holding rights, privileges, immunities, or authority therein.

5. Resolved, That it is also further decreed, that all, each and every military officer in this County, is hereby reinstated to his former command and authority, he acting conformably to these regulations, and that every member present of this delegation shall henceforth be a civil officer, viz. a Justice of the Peace, in the character of a 'Committee-man,' to issue process, hear and determine all matters of controversy, according to said adopted laws, and to preserve peace, and union, and harmony, in said County, and to use every exertion to spread the love of country and fire of freedom throughout America, until a more general and organized government be established in this province.

6. That a copy of these resolutions be transmitted by express to the President of the Continental Congress assembled in Philadelphia, to be laid before that body. The signers were reported to include:

The document in question was written by John McKnitt Alexander, clerk of the meeting. If the story is true, the Mecklenburg Declaration preceded the United States Declaration of Independence by more than a year. The unfortunate part is that there was no contemporary publication of the document.

In 1938, the Signers Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) marked the graves of the signers to honor them.

A few days after the adoption of the Mecklenburg Declaration, Captain James Jack of Charlotte was sent to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. Jack carried a copy of the resolves and a letter asking North Carolina's congressmen to have the Mecklenburg proceedings approved by Congress. The North Carolina congressional delegation --  Richard Caswell, William Hooper and Joseph Hewes -- told Jack that, although they supported what was done, it was premature to discuss a declaration of independence in Congress.

Interestingly enough, Jack’s ride was documented in Moravian texts, which recounted the dates he traveled through Salem. The document has not yet been found among the papers of Caswell, Hooper or Hewes.

The original document was burned in 1800 when the home of Alexander, named Alexandriana, burned down. There is no verifiable evidence to confirm the original document's existence and no reference to it has been found in extant newspapers from 1775.

The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence was first published on April 30, 1819 in an article written by Dr. Joseph McKnitt Alexander in the Raleigh Register and North Carolina Gazette, of Raleigh, North Carolina. “It is not probably known to many of our readers,” wrote the editor of the Raleigh Register in an introduction to the article, "that the citizens of Mecklenburg County, in this State made a Declaration of Independence more than a year before Congress made theirs."

The early government of North Carolina, convinced that the Mecklenburg Declaration was genuine, maintained that North Carolinians were the first Americans to declare independence from Great Britain. As a result, both the seal and the flag of North Carolina bear the date of the declaration.

Enjoying reading about the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence? Stay posted for the next installment of this four-part series on Monday, May 15, 2019.

June is Great Outdoors Month!

Whether you’re biking or beachcombing, the Library has everything you need to prepare for your summer outside!

Great Outdoors Month began as a weeklong celebration in 1998 and grew into a monthlong celebration to highlight outdoor recreation benefits.  According to a recent study, spending two hours a week in nature really is good for your health.  It’s also free!  We’re sharing our favorite ways to explore the outdoors this summer:

• Johnny Molloy’s The Best in Tent Camping guide will help you find the perfect campsite.  Download the book before you go for detailed maps and ratings. 
• Do you love the sound of nature but not the bugs or harsh elements?  Stream or download your favorite sounds, like a peaceful mountain stream or the ocean with Freegal, a music service free with your library card.
• Prepare for any outdoor adventures by with the latest digital issues of Backpacker magazine.  Other nature magazines available on your mobile device or computer include Mother Earth News and Field and Stream. 
• Take a hike—literally—with recommendations from Backpacker Hidden Gems or North Carolina hiking guides in our catalog, also available to download.
• Bring your school-aged children to a Parks and Rec program this summer at many of our locations (registration required).   We’ve partnered with them to bring a little outside indoors with turtles, insects, and wildlife programs. 
• If you’re tired of roasting the same old s’mores, try something different around your campfire with recipes from The Campout Cookbook.
• Summer is a terrific time to plant beans, tomatoes, and Brussels sprouts; get tips for your garden from North Carolina Extension Gardener Handbook. 
• Pack a healthy snack for your next hike or bike trip with an energy bar recipe from Power Hungry. 
• Are you curious about whitewater rafting or mountain biking, but don't know where to begin?  Joe Miller’s  Adventure Carolinas is full of advice for adventure activity beginners.
• Create an environmentally friendly and sustainable home with Building a Sustainable Home.
• Dust off your bicycle and find new paths in Road Biking North Carolina. If your tires are flat, choose from our collection of bicycle repair manuals.
• Teach children the skills you learned from Boy Scouts with The Young Adventurer's Guide to (almost) Everything.
• Read Camp, a collection of camping and living outdoors stories, around a campfire in your backyard.
• Take a copy of Fishing Essentials for Dummies with you and rent a fishing pole from Mecklenburg County. 
• Let the forest heal you!  Learn about Shinrin-yoku, the Japanese practice of healing forest bathing, with these books.

Don’t forget to log your outside fun as part of your Summer Break activities.  The entire family can explore or play outside today with these suggested activities as we celebrate the Great Outdoors all summer long!