This summer, as part of Engage 2020 programming, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library will introduce a Summer Series in which historians, professors, activists, and community members will provide thought-provoking virtual presentations online through our website and social media channels.

Engage 2020 seeks to bring diverse audiences together through facilitated conversations around important civic issues.  Historian Brenda Tindal will be our first presenter on Monday, June 15 at 7 p.m.  Please join us for her presentation, Sister Soul-diers: African American Women and the Long Civil/Human Rights Struggles, in which Tindal discusses African American women and their long civil and human rights struggles—with a focus on elevating the experiences and voices of the African American women whose activism and advocacy shaped national social justice discourses from the 19^th through the 21^st centuries.

Brenda Tindal is an awarding-winning educator, scholar, and museum practitioner.  She currently serves as director of education and engagement at the International African American Museum in Charleston, SC.  Her previous positions include director of education at the Detroit Historical Society, and staff historian and senior vice president of research and collections at the Levine Museum of the New South here in Charlotte, where she was the first woman and African American to serve in these roles.

Tindal’s presentation will be streamed live on the Library’s Facebook page and will be available afterward for viewing.  We hope you will join the conversation. See event details here.

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 virtual programming for children, teens and adults. See a complete listing of this upcoming programming for the week of 6/15/2020 below. Click the corresponding links for more information and register for programs where applicable.

Learn more about online programming by clicking here

Monday 6/15

Virtual Reading Buddies – 9 a.m.  (Children's programming)  Register

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

Online Listen and Move Storytime – 10:30 a.m. (Children's programming)  Learn More

Virtual Reading Buddies – 10 a.m.  (Children's programming)   Register

French for Beginners – 11 a.m. (Adult programming)  Register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 11 a.m.  (Children's programming)  Register 

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

Mindful Mondays – 12 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

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

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment - 2:30 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

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

Traditional Storytelling – 3 p.m. (Children’s programming)  learn more

Tuesday 6/16              

Virtual Reading Buddies – 9 a.m.  (Children's programming)  Register 

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

Virtual Reading Buddies – 10 a.m.  (Children's programming)  Register 

Cuentos Virtuales en Español - 10:30 a.m. (Children's programming)  register

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

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

Engage 2020: Learning Circles: Women Have Always Worked (Part 2) – 11 a.m.  (Adult programming)  register

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

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

Creating Virtual Resumes with the Job Help Center – 1 p.m. (Teen and Adult programming)  register

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

Active Reading Training for Caregivers of 2-5 Year Olds  – 2 p.m.  (Adult programming)  register

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

Story Explorers Enrichment – 2 p.m.   (Children's programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment - 2:30 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

Anime Club – 3 p.m.  (Teen programming)  register

Traditional Storytelling – 3 p.m. (Children’s programming)  learn more

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

Spanish Conversation Club – 5 p.m. (Adult programming)   register

Wednesday 6/17

Virtual Reading Buddies – 9 a.m.  (Children's programming)  Register 

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

Bridging the Social Distance: A Community Conversation – 10 a.m. (Adult programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 10 a.m.  (Children's programming)  Register 

Online Listen and Move Storytime – 10:30 a.m. (Children's programming)  Learn More

Virtual Reading Buddies – 11 a.m.  (Children's programming)  Register 

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

Learning Circle: Getting Started with Microsoft Excel - 1 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

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

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 2:30 p.m. (Children's programming)  register  

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

Engage 2020: School Age Stories – 3 p.m. (Children's programming)  learn more

Teens LIVE: Career Conversations – 4 p.m. (Teen programming)  Learn more

Charlemos Charlotte: Spanish-English Language Exchange – 6:30 p.m. (Adult programming)  register

Thursday 6/18

Virtual Reading Buddies – 9 a.m.  (Children's programming)   Register

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

Write Like You Mean It – 10 a.m. (Adult programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 10 a.m.  (Children's programming)   Register   

Cuentos Virtuales en Español - 10:30 a.m. (Children's programming)   register

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

Virtual Reading Buddies – 11 a.m.  (Children's 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

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

Creating Virtual Resumes with the Job Help Center – 1 p.m. (Adult and Teen programming)  register  

Spanish Conversation Club – 1 p.m. (Adult programming)  register

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

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

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 2:30 p.m. (Children's programming)  register 

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

Book Talk: Children's - 3 p.m. (Children's programming)  learn more

Teens LIVE: How to Make Candy Sushi – 6 p.m. (Teen programming)  learn more

Spanish Conversation Club – 6 p.m. (Adult programming)  register  

English Conversation Club - 7 p.m. (Adult programming)  register

Friday 6/19

Virtual Reading Buddies – 9 a.m.  (Children's programming)   Register

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

Virtual Reading Buddies – 10 a.m.  (Children's programming)   Register

Baby Storytime – 10:30 a.m. (Children's programming)  learn more

Virtual Reading Buddies – 11 a.m.  (Children's programming)   Register

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

Engage 2020: Juneteenth Lunch and Learn (Virtual) – 12 p.m. (Adult/Teen programming)   register

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

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

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 2:30 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

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

Writers Conversation Hour – 7 p.m.  (Adult programming)  register

Saturday 6/20

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

Learning Circle: The Science of Wellbeing – 9:30 a.m.  (Adult programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 10 a.m.  (Children's programming)   Register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 11 a.m.  (Children's programming)   Register

As a native Virginian I quickly learned that barbecue (BBQ) is the root of disagreement in the Carolinas. There are endless "rights and wrongs” to BBQ preparation, sauce, how the meat is smoked, what side dishes to serve... the list goes on. 

It’s a fascinating discussion that all Carolinians should contribute to. Keep reading to learn more about all things carolina BBQ.

How did BBQ find its way to the Carolinas?

BBQ was “discovered” in North Carolina in the late 16th century by Sir Walter Raleigh. In 1585, Raleigh sent men to the coast of present-day North Carolina. While there, John White sketched Croatan Indians “broyling their fishe over the flame—they took great heed that they bee not burnt”. What White witnessed was the Croatans using a “barbacoa”, a framework of sticks that supported meat over a fire. Barbacoas were used by the Spanish in the Caribbean after they saw locals using the contraption to smoke their meat.

Photo courtesy of Holy Smoke: The Big Book of North Carolina Barbecue

 

Historians believe that German settlers who traveled via Great Wagon Road during the mid-to-late 18th century from Pennsylvania influenced the style of barbecue in the North Carolina Piedmont region. Catawba College history professor, Gary Freeze, developed this theory on the basis that Pennsylvania Germans barbecued the shoulder of the pig and braised it in a fruit-flavored liquid similar to the Lexington style North Carolinians pride themselves on today. Freeze further argues that early prominent barbecue-ers had German names (e.g., Weaver, Ridenhour, Swicegood) and that some of the Piedmont’s earliest barbecuing occurred in German cotton-mill villages.

 

North Carolina: Home to the “Original” BBQ Recipe

 

According to Holy Smoke: The Big Book of North Carolina Barbecue, BBQ in North Carolina must meet these three qualifications:

1. The meat must be barbecued, meaning cooked at a low temperature for a long time with heat and smoke flavoring the meat from a fire of hardwood and/or hardwood coals.

2. The meat must be pork (whole hog, shoulder, or occasionally ham).

3. The meat is always served with a thin vinegar-based sauce.

Photo courtesy of Chairgatin

 

There are two main styles of BBQ in North Carolina—Eastern and Lexington (“Piedmont”). Eastern-style BBQ uses the whole-hog (“every part of the hog but the squeal”) with a lemon juice or vinegar, pepper-based sauce. Eastern style incorporates zero tomatoes in its recipe. Food critics are careful to say it is the “truest” form of BBQ, but many refer to Eastern-style as the “original” recipe [Our State article].  

Piedmont-style became popular in the World War I era and uses meat from the pork shoulder with a vinegar, ketchup and spice-based sauce. Five men of German descent are credited with the adaptation of the Eastern-style recipe. 

Sauce is another point of contention in North Carolina. The ingredients for the standard North Carolina BBQ sauce vary from family to family, but the “official” recipe is along the lines of this description found in Martha McCulloch-Williams' recollections:

“Two pounds of sweet lard, melted in a brass kettle, with one pound beaten, 

not ground, pepper a pint of small fiery red peppers, nubbed and stewed soft 

in water to barely cover, a spoonful of herbs in powder- he would never tell 

what they were [of course!],  -- and a quart and pint of the strongest apple 

vinegar, with a little salt.” -Holy Smoke: The Big Book of North Carolina Barbecue

 

South Carolina: Home to the Four Sauces 

South Carolina also believes that barbecue was “founded” in the Palmetto State, so  we will never truly know which Carolina barbecue calls home. We do know that South Carolina features all four sauces throughout the state, a trait they pride themselves on. 

Photo courtesy of Discover South Carolina

1) Mustard: Found throughout the midland part of the state toward the lower coastline. Distinct tasting sauce traced back to German settlers.

2) Heavy Tomato: Found in the western and northwestern part of the state. Popularly known and sold in grocery stores (Kraft, Sweet Baby Rays, etc.) 

3) Light Tomato: Found in the Pee Dee and upper part of the state. A light mix of the vinegar/pepper sauce with ketchup or tomato added. 

4) Vinegar + Pepper: Found along the coast. Spicy vinegar and pepper sauce.

Photo courtesy of Charleston City Paper. 

So, what’s up with the tomatoes, and why is there so much controversy around adding them to BBQ sauce? South Carolina farmers began growing “love apples” in the 18th century and food historians believe that German settlers began to add ketchup to the Eastern-style BBQ. The addition of the sugary ketchup made the BBQ recipes closer to the sweet-sour taste that is common in German cooking.  

The only thing both Carolinas agree on? The meat must be smoked. 

“You can put barbecue sauce on it and call it barbecue. You can 

cook it in a Crock-Pot and put sauce on it and call it barbecue. But

 it’s not. Now, I get chastised on that all the time—about being 

old-school and a purist and all that. All I’m saying is, there’s a totally 

different flavor when you’ve got the fat of that meat dripping onto 

live coals. The smoke it creates to season that pig—that makes 

the difference.” -Jim Early, Charlotte Magazine 

We know that Carolinians eat BBQ, but how do we celebrate the dish?  

Photo courtesy of Lexington Barbecue Festival, 2019. 

The Carolinas celebrate BBQ big time. Lexington, North Carolina throws a huge BBQ Festival every October. Lexington felt so strongly about hosting the official BBQ festival that they even submitted a House Bill to the General Assembly in 2005. Two days later, the bill was approved and the Lexington Barbecue Festival was adopted as the state’s official BBQ festival. South Carolina also celebrates BBQ with a variety of festivals.  



If you want to decide if North Carolina or South Carolina BBQ is supreme, take a long drive along the Historic BBQ trails. You can always use the Carolina Room’s cookbooks to find mouthwatering BBQ recipes to try at home, too! 

This blog was written by Sydney Carroll, archivist in the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room at Main Library.

--

References 

Garner, Bob. “Bob Garner’s Book of Barbecue: North Carolina’s Favorite Food.” Winston-Salem, NC: John F. Blair, 2012. 

Garner, Bob. “North Carolina Barbecue: Flavored by time.” Winston-Salem, NC: John F. Blair, 1996. 

Lacour, Greg. “What’s Our Barbecue Story?” Charlotte Magazine. June 2019. Accessed August 2019. http://www.charlottemagazine.com/Charlotte-Magazine/June-2019/Our-Barbecue-Story/  

Quine, Katie. “Why Are There Two Styles of NC Barbecue?” Our State. May 2015. Accessed August 2019. https://www.ourstate.com/nc-barbecue-styles/ 

Reed, John Shelton. “Holy Smoke: The Big Book of North Carolina Barbecue.” The University of North Carolina Press, 2008.  



"South Carolina Barbecue.” Discover South Carolina. https://discoversouthcarolina.com/barbecue

The Census: What is it?

The U.S. Constitution empowers the Congress to carry out the census (Article I, Section 2). The Founders of our fledgling nation had a bold and ambitious plan to empower the people over their new government. The plan was to count every person living in the newly created United States of America, and to use that count to determine representation in the Congress.

https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/2020-census/about/what-is.html

Why does the United States Government depend on an accurate Census? Why is that important to You and Your Community?

Federal funds, grants and support to states, counties and communities are based on population totals and breakdowns by sex, age, race and other factors. Your community benefits the most when the census counts everyone. When you respond to the census, you help your community gets its fair share of the more than $675 billion per year in federal funds spent on schools, hospitals, roads, public works and other vital programs.

Businesses use census data to decide where to build factories, offices and stores, and this creates jobs. Developers use the census to build new homes and revitalize old neighborhoods. Local governments use the census for public safety and emergency preparedness. Residents use the census to support community initiatives involving legislation, quality-of-life and consumer advocacy.

https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/2020-census/about/why.html

What is the state of North Carolina doing to plan for Census 2020?

Several organizations within North Carolina are providing educational resources and other assistance to encourage every person in North Carolina to be counted.

https://census.nc.gov/

https://www.nccensus.org/

What efforts are being made in Mecklenburg County to make sure every one of us is counted?

Mecklenburg County has several Complete Count Committees which work with local stakeholders and media to educate the public about Census 2020, encourage participation, and facilitate survey access, particularly among traditionally hard-to-count populations.

MeckCounts2020.com

Jobs are available through the United States Census Bureau. Apply Now!

https://www.mecknc.gov/CountyManagersOffice/MeckCounts2020/Pages/Census-Jobs.aspx

Title: Your next (or first) novel starts here

Getting into the independent publishing or self-publishing world can be intimidating. Some writers struggle with the internal conflict of loving their work but questioning its validity. With a growing indie author community and increased demand for books from indie publishers, libraries continue to look for ways to work with authors to provide resources and services for aspiring authors.

No matter where you are in your writing journey, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library has programs, resources and services available to help you along the way.

Celebrate Indie Author Day at the Brooklyn Collective

Join Charlotte Mecklenburg Library as we celebrate Indie Author Day, when libraries and organizations around the world welcome local indie authors, writers and their communities in for a day of education, networking, writing, open mics, panels and much more.

Indie Author Day combines the best of libraries: books and people. This FREE Library program will take place Saturday, October 12 from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. The location, and a brief itinerary, are as follows:

Location

Brooklyn Collective

229 S Brevard St, Charlotte, NC 28202

Schedule

10 a.m. | Coffee + Networking

11 a.m. | Keynote Address by Mark Peres

11:15 a.m. | Writing/Publishing Panel

12 p.m. | Snacks + Networking

Writing/Publishing  PANEL

Marisa Wesley | Cover Art, Cover Me Darling

Marisa has worked with everyone from New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Authors, to first time Indie Authors. She has won multiple awards for her Book Cover Design work.

Debra Funderburk | Publisher and Agent

Debra Funderburk is an author, publisher and an author’s business coach. She also spearheads a local writer’s group. With an extensive background in sales, accounting and business development, those skills allow her to think outside the box and create a platform for an author’s success.

Dawn Michelle Hardy |Agent and Publicist, Dream Relations PR & Literary Consulting

Dawn Michelle Hardy, President of Dream Relations, PR & Literary Consulting Agency has been described as a ““literary lobbyist” by Ebony magazine for her ability to help authors reach their readership using strategic and creative promotions, award recognition, along with national and local media attention.

Local Writing Organizations available for networking:

Charlotte Lit: Charlotte Lit is a nonprofit arts center dedicated to elevating and celebrating the literary arts in our community.  https://www.charlottelit.org/

Sistories: We seek to amplify the narratives of Charlotte’s Black women and femmes by publishing their work both digitally and in print.  https://www.sistories.org/

Charlotte Writer’s Club: Charlotte Writers’ Club supports the work of writers and promotes their development through education, recognition, and community in celebration of the written word. https://charlottewritersclub.org/home

Planning to join us at the Brooklyn Collective for Indie Author Day festivities? Register here.

Join a writing group

Many library locations have regular writing groups that are open to new members. Some involve writing as a group around a topic or prompt, and some are critique-style groups where writing is submitted ahead of time.

One group, Write Like You Mean It, meets at Main Library every Thursday from 10-11:30 a.m. This group explores different styles of writing in a fun and comfortable environment, and is open to anyone who is ready to write. Both beginners and experienced writers are welcome.  Join Write Like You Mean It, or find a writing group at the following library locations:

• Beatties Ford Road Regional Library 
• Independence Regional Library 
• Main Library 
• Matthews Library 
• Mint Hill Library 
• Morrison Regional Library 
• Mountain Island Library 
• South County Regional Library
• Steele Creek Library

Click here to find the Library’s full CALENDAR OF EVENTS 

Check out a book or two

Take home some writing inspiration with these books and magazines available in the Library’s catalog:

BOOKS

Writing Alone and With Others by Pat Schneider

Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg 

The Right to Write by Julia Cameron 

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott 

Spinning Words into Gold by Maureen Ryan Griffin 

Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury 

On Writing by Stephen King

MAGAZINES

Poets & Writers

Writer’s Digest 

LIBRARY CATALOG 

Take courses online (for free) with your library card

The Library offers many online courses you can take that focus on creative writing. Find these and many other resources on cmlibrary.org/resources.

Lynda.com

Writing- The Craft of Story

The Foundations of Fiction

Ninja Writing-The Four Levels of Mastery

Universal Class

Creative Writing

Novel Writing

Memoir & Poetry

Got a library card?

If not, get started with the application now. Your next novel starts here!

It’s no secret children love the Library. From their first Storytime experience to attending puppet shows, participating in science demonstrations or meeting their favorite book illustrator, these are highlights they’re eager to share with friends and family. Perhaps what most excites children these days is taking an armful of books to the self-checkout stand, placing the stack on the mat and watching as the books automatically register with their RFID tags into their library card account.

Then what happens is children’s use of the library changes. It evolves to checking out chapter books, then young adult books, to using tutoring or study programs and then, eventually, to finding a quiet space to cram for finals or write a term paper.

As children grow into adults, it’s a common trend that Library use diminishes. College, career and maybe even that need to explore something outside the familiar takes over. However, everything comes full circle when adults start a family and return to the Library with their children to attend storytimes, checkout picture books and maybe even find respite in a quiet corner while their children are pre-occupied.

This is almost the same pattern Ailen Arreaza found herself following. A Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Board of Trustee member, Ailen emigrated from Cuba with her family when she was a child. When they settled in Charlotte, the Library was the first welcoming place she found. Ailen immediately loved the Library and spent most of her time at the University City Regional Library. Not only was it a safe space, it also provided her a place where she could feel independent, explore new worlds through her love of reading and also spend time with her younger brother.

Now married with children, Ailen wants her children, ten-year-old Lucas and seven-year-old Paulo, to have the same experiences she did. She wants them to discover all there is to explore, learn and do at the Library.

“We’ve spent a lot of time at ImaginOn when my boys were younger,” Ailen says. “The exhibits, programs and toys kept us entertained. Now that they’re older, our use has changed and their love for the Library has moved from storytimes and expanded into reading.” The family calls the Sugar Creek Library their home branch.

This past summer, Ailen’s family took an extended vacation overseas. Before departing, her sons loaded up their electronic devices with e-books. “Lucas puts in his own requests for items on hold and downloaded his books by himself. He has a ONE Access card through Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and knows his ID number by heart. This allowed him to access more materials and the digital resources remotely while we were outside the States,” says Ailen. (ONE Access™ is a program that provides students the ability to check out books to take home for schoolwork and to read for pleasure using their student ID as their Library card number. All CMS students are automatically enrolled in this program and additional charter schools and colleges also participate. See cmlibrary.org/oneaccess for more information).

Ailen’s children aren’t the only ones thankful for their Library card. Aileen’s husband, Tony, learned that by having a Library card he could rent a hotspot for a nominal fee to use for his business, Carlotan Talents. In 2018, he signed up for his first Library card. Using the hotspot allowed him to support his business activities with online financial transactions at remote locations. “I didn’t even know the Library offered this resource, so this was a great discovery. And it seems like every day we find out more and more of what the Library offers. I’m so amazed by it all,” says Ailen.

Ailen is not nearly finished exploring the Library, though. She has a list of what she wants to do next:

1. Visit the IdeaBox, the Makerspace at Main Library with its 3-D printer
2. Explore teen opportunities, especially since Lucas is only a few years away from this age group
3. Research Charlotte’s history in the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room at Main Library
4. Attend a program hosted by Dr. Tom Hanchett, the Library’s first Historian-in-Residence

Even though she already commits up to 12 hours a month serving on the Library’s governing board, Ailen is a staunch advocate whenever she can be. Recently she took a family, that emigrated from Venezuela, to the Library where she knew there would be a large collection of books in Spanish they could use. Additionally, she’s going to tell them about the Mango Languages resource – a free language-learning software with over 70 world language courses and over 17 ESL/ELL courses. Mango is user-friendly and features an engaging user interface, voice comparison, fresh design, foreign language films and cultural anecdotes.

“The Library is truly a great equalizer,” says Ailen. “This is the connecting place where the community can come together. Everyone should have a Library card and discover all the possibilities.”

Ailen Arreaza is the North Carolina Program Director for ParentsTogether, a national nonprofit that provides resources and community to help all kids and families thrive. Before joining the ParentsTogether team, she spent nearly a decade working on issues of equity and access for the City of Charlotte. In that role, she investigated allegations of housing discrimination and led city-wide campaigns to educate Charlotteans, particularly Latino immigrants, about their fair housing rights. Ailen regularly writes about issues related to social justice. She is originally from Cuba and a graduate of The George Washington University. She lives in NoDa with her husband and two rambunctious sons.

Don't have a Library card? It's as easy as 1-2-3! Click here to get carded!

September is Library Card Sign-Up Month! 

The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library values learning, openness and inclusion and the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room team feels a Library card is the key to each of those things!  

Library Card Sign-Up Month began in 1987 when the Secretary of Education, William Bennett, expressed the importance of every child having (and using) a library card.  

The Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room celebrates Library Card Sign-Up Month, too. Although our collection is non-circulating (meaning patrons cannot check books out and take them home), we have digital resources that enable you to conduct genealogical and historical research from the comfort of your own home.   

The evolution of Charlotte Mecklenburg Library cards



Below, you can find a list of our personal favorite digital resources: 

• Ancestry Library Edition* 
• Charlotte Observer Newspaper Database 
• ​Daily Life Through History 
• Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) 
• Heritage Quest 
• Historic North Carolina Digital Newspaper Database 
• HistoryMakers Digital Archive 
• Library Science Database (Proquest) 
• NCPediaPolitical Science Database (Proquest)  
• Research Companion (Proquest) 
• Social Science Database (Proquest) 
• ​WorldCat 

*Remember that Ancestry Library Edition is only available at the branches. 

Visit your local Library branch today and #CMLibraryGetCarded!

Con A de Arte is a rich, cultural festival that spotlights the work of Latinx artists, writers, musicians and dancers, as well as the agencies that support Latinx art and culture in the city.  The festival was celebrated for the first time at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library in 2003. Initially, the event began as "The Market Place," and grew so rapidly that it was passed on to other cultural institutions for sustainability reasons. The festival is now hosted by The Mint Museum and Queens College. 

Why is cultural represntation of Hispanic culture and influence so important to the Charlotte community? Keep reading as we take a closer look at Census Bureau data to further understand our diverse neighbors.

The Census Bureau began to record Hispanic or Latino origin among the “foreign-born” in the United States in 1980. At that time, 3,962 persons (less than one percent of Mecklenburg County’s total population) were of Hispanic or Latino origin. Little more than one percent of Mecklenburg residents had been born outside the United States.

Migrants from Mexico and Central America had only just begun to explore opportunities outside the Southwestern United States. The demand for labor in the Southeast attracted workers at a time when a lack of economic opportunity and, in some countries, political instability drove them from their homes.

The following decade saw civil war in Central America, as well as federal legislation on immigration. The 1990 Census figures reflected these factors. The increased number of persons fleeing El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras accounted for the greater portion of the pie chart devoted to “Other” countries of origin. The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 provided a temporary status for agricultural workers and a path to citizenship for those already in the country. It was followed by a 78% jump of Hispanic immigration to Mecklenburg County. 

The 1990s transformed the Hispanic and Latino presence in the United States. The languages, food, music and people of Latin America had long been part of border culture in the Southwest and port cities in the East. By the year 2000, the immigrant stream to the Southeastern United States had given a new look and new cultural connections to the Carolinas. The 2000 Census showed an increase of almost 600% led by a twelve-fold surge in immigrants from Mexico.

The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library recognized this new element of its customer base and changed collections, signage and programming to meet the needs of a diversifying community. The photograph below was taken in June 2009, at a Main Library "Con A de Arte” (A is for Art) event.

As of 2017, persons of Latino or Hispanic origin made up 12% of Mecklenburg County’s population. For them, and for all, the Library offers the chance to improve lives and build a stronger community.

 

This blog was written by Tom Cole of the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room at Main Library, with additional information provided by Irania Patterson.

Sources:

US Census Bureau, American FactFinder

• 2000, 2010, and 2017 (Type in "Charlotte" or "Mecklenburg County" and select a year)

Publications of the United States Census Bureau

• 1990 Census of Population: General Population Characteristics: North Carolina,  1990, Table 5, p.22
• 1980 Census of Population, Vol. 1, Chapter B: General Population Characteristics, Part 35: North Carolina, U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of the Census, 1980, Table 16, p.25

At the age of 60, Leslie Hooton's wish to be a published author came true. She is publishing her first novel, Before Anyone Else, with Turner Publishing. It was an accomplishment she dreamt of all her life. A childhood visit to the library with her mother was the start of her dream. In fact, the first memory Leslie recalls in her life is the smell of library books which developed into a life-long passion for reading those books. For Leslie, her library card was the equivalent to her passport to exciting books and adventures. 

Leslie grew up in a small Alabama town comparable to the setting of How to Kill A Mockingbird. A stroke at birth kept Leslie in a wheelchair for much of her childhood but a visit to the library and a library card changed everything. "The library was my happy and safe place," Leslie said. “When I would go it was like a passport to the world."  



The library was a place where Leslie could explore the world and experience things she didn’t think would happen in her real life. Being able to access the world was important to her. It allowed her to be independent and to connect with her thoughts. And it was something her local library gave her the chance to do. 

To Leslie, a fourth-generation attorney, the library was a comforting place; she’d grown up there. Both her mother and her aunt were librarians. In fact, Leslie would spend hours writing in her high school’s library which is also where her mother worked. "I was happiest when I was quiet and writing in the library. I would go to the library before anyone else would get there and smell the books. I wasn't alone." She’d found a sanctuary among books. 



And Leslie continues to read and write. An avid blogger, Leslie has found a way to marry both of her passions: through blogging. Her blog, What Dreams May Come, is about her love of libraries and why she enjoys writing.  

Leslie has been a resident of Charlotte for 30 years. Her favorite Charlotte Mecklenburg Library branch, and the one she calls home, is the Myers Park Library. She says she would spend entire days there if she could. "It was like a full-time job,” she said. “I would go with my legal pad and sit at a certain desk. I would write until 1 p.m., eat lunch, and go back to writing." 



Leslie is a great friend of the Library and she is an inspiration to others. The theme of her personal life story and testimony is apparent: never give up on your dreams.  



Today, Leslie can say that she is a participating member at the Sewanee Writers Conference, a member of the Myers Park Library Board, a lifelong friend of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and, finally, she now calls herself an author. Her book, Before Anyone Else, is available through the Library. It is also available for purchase here through local Charlotte bookstore, Park Road Books.

This blog was written by Julia Zwetolitz, an intern with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.