Read! Learn! Explore! Books! Fun! Challenge! Prizes! Just a few words to describe Summer Break!

Every year it takes a whole team working behind the scenes to bring Summer Break to Charlotte Mecklenburg Library! Staff work on building the online challenge; create, sort and distribute incentives and marketing materials to branches; build engaging displays; and attend community events just to list a few things staff do to create and promote this fun community challenge!

So much work is put into the program for multiple reasons but the best part about Summer Break for staff is hearing from participants about all the amazing, wonderful, little, powerful, or unexpected ways that the community challenge and the library has impacted their lives.

Want to share what you love and enjoy about the library or Summer Break? Send us an email at [email protected], use the Contact Us form on Beanstack, or share your feedback with staff next time you visit the library.

Comments? Questions?

Are you having problems with the Summer Break 2023 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 2023 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.  

On Sunday, February 18, at Beatties Ford Regional Library, more than 125 people turned out for the rededication of the Elizabeth S. Randolph Community Room.  Congresswoman Alma Adams, State Senator Joyce Waddell, City Councilman Justin Harlow and School Board Members Thelma Byers Bailey were present, along with many civic leaders including Thereasea Elder.  Library Trustee Rob Harrington represented the Library Board. 

After a welcome from Branch Manager Alecia Williams and Director of Libraries David Singleton, Reverend Ricky Woods of First Baptist Church West delivered the invocation. Two local teens who use the Library sang “I Rise Up.” 

In her remarks, Congresswoman Adams reflected on the role of African American women and some of the struggles that Randolph faced during her lifetime.  

Sheila Bumgarner of the Library's Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room provided background on An African American Album, the landmark photographic history edited by Randolph, which the Library published in 1992.  Framed photographs from the book were displayed throughout the room.  

Doris Williams, President of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Alpha Lambda Omega Chapter, provided remarks on Ms. Randolph’s role in the sorority and in the greater community, celebrating many of the firsts that Randolph accomplished.

In the afternoon's biggest surprise, a local woman who is over 100 years old stood up and shared her memories of Randolph. They were born just a few months apart in 1917. 

City Councilman Justin Harlow read a proclamation from the City of Charlotte celebrating Randolph.

Finally, Congresswoman Adams and Rob Harrington unveiled a new Community Room sign honoring Randolph, to great applause.

Summer Break starts June 1^st and ends July 31^st. Register for the challenge online by visiting cmlibrary.beanstack.org or downloading the app, Beanstack Tracker. Your account allows you to track reading time and learning activities to collect virtual badges. Even tracking Queen Charlotte can be logged into Beanstack as an activity. There is fun and incentives for everyone this summer!

For our youngest community members there is an updated Bingo challenge for Wee Readers (age 0-4). Track reading and activities using the app or a bingo card picked up at any branch! Wee Readers who complete the challenge by completing the entire bingo board get to choose a book.

This year there are some fantastic prizes for participating and completing Summer Break thanks to our sponsors: Wendy’s, Charlotte Football Club, and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation. Just for registering participants receive a Wendy’s Frosty Jr. Coupon and a Charlotte Football Club sticker!

New this year are mid-level prizes! When a participant earns 600 points, they’re eligible for a Charlotte Football Club Sports Flyer (ages 5-17) or a magnetic bookmark (ages 18+).

Completing the challenge (earning 1200 points), children and teen participants can choose between a book or water bottle. Adults can choose between a water bottle, drawstring bag, or a notebook with a pen.  All prizes are available while supplies last.

Saving the best for last! There are two bonus prizes for participants and readers ages 5 to 17! A drawing for a 4-pack of tickets to a Charlotte Football Club game, with one 4-pack per branch! The second bonus prize is for the top 20 readers of Summer Break, they will be given the opportunity to tour the Charlotte Football Club stadium.

Sign up today and start logging your reading and activities to join in on the fun and help us reach our community reading goal of 10 million minutes!

Exciting Programs

Though our Summer Break 2023 program can be completed entirely online, our libraries are hosting some wonderful programs this summer. Check out these upcoming programs.

Comments? Questions?

Are you having problems with the Summer Break 2023 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 2023 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.    

Each summer, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library encourages people of all ages to participate in our summer learning program, Summer Break. There are lots of reasons why! We think one of the best parts of Summer Break is hearing from participants about all the wonderful, little, powerful, or unexpected ways that the program has impacted their lives. Because of this, we thought it would be nice to have a giveaway for participants who share what they love about Summer Break with us.  

Big or Small – Share Your Summer Break Experience with Us 

One of the things customers share most frequently is how Summer Break fosters a love of reading. Have you found a great book this summer?  

Summer Break includes six activities in addition to reading such as create, explore, give, play, write, and new this year, Queen Charlotte. Has Summer Break inspired you to try a new hobby, play a game, or attend a concert or play? What virtual badge or activity has been your favorite this summer? Let us know about it! 

During Summer Break, the Library hosts a variety of programs both online and in person for all age groups. Have you attended any exciting, engaging, or helpful programs this summer? Let us know about it! 

Share your story of how Summer Break has impacted you this summer and get entered into a drawing to win a bag of books and Library swag. 

How to Share Your Story with Us 

Stories can be submitted in three ways: email us at [email protected], the Contact Us form on Beanstack, or fill out a Story of Impact form next time you visit the library. For an entry to be eligible for the drawing it must include an email address so the prize winner can be notified. Drawings will happen randomly throughout the summer until August 13, 2022. 

Queen Charlotte submitted a fabulous Story of Impact recently, “I’ve had a fabulous time participating in Summer Break this year! I love reading to my children and logging the reading we do together! They’ve all greatly enjoyed our nightly reading sessions! I also love the Queen Charlotte activities. What fun it’s been to visit my statue near ImaginOn and see my likeness in many of the libraries around Charlotte.”  

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 chat with us online 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's Greater Goals and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation. 

Did you know that you can continue to stay connected to the Library while staying home? How would you like to participate in a virtual storytime with your family or receive resume help all from the comfort of your couch? Join Charlotte Mecklenburg Library every week for a wide range of online programming for children, teens and adults. See a complete listing of this upcoming programming for the week of 12/28/2020 below. Click the corresponding links for more information and register for programs where applicable.

Learn more about online programming by clicking here

Monday 12/28

LIBRARY CLOSED- NO PROGRAMMING

Tuesday 12/29       

Family Storytime – 9:30 a.m. (Children's programming)  Learn more

Book a Librarian - Business Research – 11 a.m. (Adult programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 11 a.m. (Children's programming)   register

Career Development Intensive Coaching – 12 p.m. (Adult programming)  register

Career Development Intensive Coaching – 12:30 p.m. (Adult programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 1 p.m.  (Children's programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 2 p.m.  (Children's programming)  register

Creating Resumes for the Job Help Center – 2 p.m. (Adult programming)  register

Book a Librarian - Technology – 2 p.m.   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 2 p.m. (Children's programming)    register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 3 p.m. (Children's programming)   register

Hear Me Now: Letter Writing for Change – 3 p.m. (Adult programming)  Register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 3 p.m.  (Children's programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 4 p.m. (Children's programming)   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 5 p.m. (Children's programming)   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 6 p.m. (Children's programming)   register

Wednesday 12/30

Family Storytime – 9:30 a.m. (Children's programming)  Learn more

Active Reading Family Workshop- Part 2 – 11 a.m. (Adult programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 11 a.m. (Children’s programming)   register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 1 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 2 p.m. (Children’s programming)   register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 2 p.m.  (Children's programming)  register

Book a Librarian – Technology – 2 p.m. (Adult programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 3 p.m. (Children's programming)   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment - 3 p.m. (Children's programming)   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment - 4 p.m. (Children's programming)   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment - 5 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment - 6 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

Thursday 12/31

Family Storytime – 9:30 a.m. (Children's programming)  Learn more

One-on-One EReader Tutoring – 10 a.m. (Adult programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 11 a.m. (Children’s programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 1 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 2 p.m. (Children’s programming)   register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 2 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Book a Librarian – Technology – 2 p.m. (Adult programming)   register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 3 p.m. (Children's programming)   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment - 3 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment - 4 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

Friday 1/1

LIBRARY CLOSED- NO PROGRAMMING

Saturday 1/2

Family Storytime – 9:30 a.m. (Children's programming)  Learn more

2020 is coming at an end, so let's take a look at which books were the most popular with Charlotte Mecklenburg Library readers this year. We pulled circulation data for our adult fiction (both print and digital), adult nonfiction, young adult fiction and children’s books.

A few listings stood out this year:

• There are three holdovers from last year’s fiction lists.  Where the Crawdads Sing, Little Fires Everywhere and Nine Perfect Strangers made the list again. Little Fires Everywhere makes its third appearance in a row on this list.
   
• Where the Crawdads Sing was the most popular novel in both the physical and digital formats for the second year in a row.
   
• Michelle Obama’s Becoming was the third most popular print nonfiction book this year after finishing first last year. It will be interesting to see if President Obama’s memoir can make a similar impact over the next two years.
   
• Four of the top ten digital nonfiction titles are social justice, anti-racism and equity titles. This is likely due to the social justice and anti-racism movements across the country and in our community. It’s also due to the commitment made by the Library to offer more titles and access to titles on social justice, anti-racism and equity. We purchased unlimited digital access to seven titles on these topics and also increased print purchases. The unlimited access contributed to the four titles being in the top 10 of digital nonfiction. The titles were also popular in print but they just didn’t make the top 10, but they were close.
   
• It’s another big year for Jeff Kinney and Mo Willems. They dominated the children’s books list again, as they have over the last few years.
   
• The young adult graphic novel Sisters is the first graphic novel to make the top ten list.
   

Adult Print Fiction

Find this list in our catalog

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
The Guardians by John Grisham
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
Blue moon: A Jack Reacher Novel by Lee Child
Walk the Wire by David Baldacci
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
A Minute to Midnight by David Baldacci
Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano
 

Adult Fiction Digital

Find this list in our catalog

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
The Guardians by John Grisham
Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
 

Adult nonfiction Print

Find this list in our catalog

Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover
Too much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man by Mary L. Trump
Becoming by Michelle Obama
The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson
Talking to Strangers: What we Should Know About the People we Don’t Know by Malcolm Gladwell
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist and Our Lives Revealed by Lori Gottlieb
Rage by Bob Woodward
Untamed by Glennon Doyle
The Room Where it Happened: a White House Memoir by John Bolton
 

Adult nonfiction Digital

Find this list in our catalog

White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin J. DiAngelo
Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover
Becoming by Michelle Obama
Untamed by Glennon Doyle
How to Be an Antiracist by IbramX. Kendi
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed by Lori Gottlieb
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson
The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson
Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know by Malcolm Gladwell
I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown
 

Children’s Fiction    

Find this list in our catalog

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Wrecking Ball by Jeff Kinney
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Meltdown by Jeff Kinney
Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid: Rowley Jefferson’s Journal by Jeff Kinney
Pigeon has to go to school! by Mo Willems
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Greg Heffley's Journal by Jeff Kinney
I Broke my Trunk! by Mo Willems
A Big Guy Took my Ball! by Mo Willems
Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin
Pete the Kitty Goes to the Doctor by Kim Dean
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel by Jeff Kinney
           

Young Adult Fiction

Find this list in our catalog

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Sisters by Raina Telgemeier
The Tyrant's Tomb by Rick Riordan
American Royals by Katharine McGee
The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Midnight Sun by Stephanie Meyer
The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
One of us is Lying by Karen McManus
 

Be sure to access our catalog and start helping us compile next year’s list.
 

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This blog was written by Ed McDonald, librarian, at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library

It’s the most wonderful time of the year at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library! As the temperatures start plummeting, the “great indoors” are calling. ‘Tis the season for binging your favorite indie films and documentaries, and Kanopy is here to help. With a vast array of independent films, documentaries and children’s movies, there is something on Kanopy for the entire family. It’s true and completely free with your library card!

Check out the For the Holidays playlist on Kanopy to discover great holiday films to get you in the seasonal spirit.

Learn more about Kanopy  and checkout limits here. Need a library card? Sign up here. 

Happy Holidays from Charlotte Mecklenburg Library!

View Holiday Movies Playlist

This blog was written as part of Charlotte Mecklenburg Library's Black Lives Matter program initiative. Learn  more about the program and corresponding events here.

Recently, HBO Max aired The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion, a wonderful reminder of the excellence and portrayal of Black lives on television screens through the years. Indulging this taste of nostalgia was enough for me to reflect on the influence and impact Black representation through TV had on my life growing up in the 80s and 90s. My mother was a library staff member, and my whole life was surrounded by books. Still, I always loved the visual imagery and story of a good TV show, especially a Black one.

I was born in the 80s, so my palate for Black representation on TV shows up in my life to this day. I was privileged to grow up in an era where the onscreen expression of Black life and family surpassed the motif of the Black struggle which was prominently displayed in 1970s programs such as Good Times. Good Times was the first Black, two-parent family sitcom on television, and the show addressed serious topics that highlighted struggles with which Black families of the time could relate. While the portrayal of Black life on Good Times was just one perspective, the producers (who were mostly white) wanted to keep the narrative of the Black struggle going. This resulted in much controversy surrounding the storylines given to characters, and the actors were critical of the show's direction as well. They wanted to show Black people in more prominent roles that would have a lasting impact on generations to come.

Enter The Cosby Show in 1984. Although I was a terrible two when this show began, there is no denying the impact this show had on kids my age. When I was old enough to tell time, I made sure that I was sitting in front of the TV to view this show in syndication every week. The Cosby Show highlighted a different perspective of Black life than what was shown by Good Times. Both shows possess something magical and relatable - Black culture along a spectrum - Black culture is rich. Still tackling Black people's issues with a comedic tone and setting us up to learn lessons, this Black, two-parent family expanded the sphere of a Black family's lived experiences. While not precisely emulating my childhood family life, it greatly impacted how I see family dynamics and relationships — I grew up wanting to be a lawyer because of Claire Huxtable. Her role as a Black woman, mother and professional set the standard for me. Her "I'm every woman," graceful, powerful and strong demeanor captivated me in a way that helps me show up in spaces as a whole human. Representation did that.

The children on The Cosby Show were different, and I could see the personalities of Sandra, Denise, Theo, Vanessa and Rudy reflected in the kids that I grew up around. Perhaps the Cosby kid's life that I followed most was that of Denise. Like many of my peers, I took the journey with her to Hillman College in the spin-off series, A Different World and I fell in love (it is my favorite TV show)! It exhibits the path that drove me to the halls of a higher learning institution; it forced me to independence and an experience that no one else in my family had yet taken. Because of A Different World, I dreamed bigger. I saw myself in each of the characters or what I thought I'd be one day. Those characters brought my dreams to life. Because of the representation that Dwayne, Whitley, Freddie, Kim, Ron, Jalisa and the rest of the gang displayed, I felt that going away to college was more attainable. I wanted it all! I wanted the experiences, I wanted to attend a historically Black college or university (HBCU) and to join a sorority all because of the impact and influence; most importantly, the representation of Black lives in these spaces. I learned that Black people are not monolithic - we all have different backgrounds and experiences that bind our Black existence and that is worthy of representation.

Now, I'm going to stop here at the most impactful Black television show in my life, but it’s certainly not the end of the representation that has been important for so many. I could go on, but I'm not trying to write a book - just a reflection of what Black representation did for my life.

However, I do want to briefly recognize some other shows as I close this article. Here’s a list of honorable mentions: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Living Single, Martin, Moesha, The Parent'Hood and Roc. All of these Black shows and more are where I saw myself and many others in my life. These shows are at the intersection of hope and, sometimes, reality. The lives of Black people on TV remind me that Black books, Black films, Black music, Black art, Black TV, Black plays, and Black lives matter—representation matters.

So, where did you find your inspiration and representation on the small screen? And how has it shown up in your life as an adult?

As for me, I couldn't imagine where I'd be if I didn't have the fictional visuals of Black people's experiences present through Black media - especially TV.

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This blog post was written by De’Trice Fox of Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.