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Digital Tips and Tricks: Making notes and highlights in Libby

January 25, 2021

Are you someone who reads a book and wants to save passages or quotes to think about later? With print books you do this by taking your trusty highlighter and marking lines (please, don’t do this with our library books!). But how do you do this with e-books?

Recently, I was reading Lori Gottlieb’s bestseller, Maybe You Should Talk to Someone. As I read, there were so many takeaways that I wanted to save and think about later. I used the highlight feature in Libby to mark the passages. When I finished the book, I started to go back and write (pen and paper) all those quotes and passages in my reading journal. As I started to do this I thought, there has got to be an easier way. There is! Libby allows you to export your notes, highlights and bookmarks for a title (even after it expires)! Notes, highlights and bookmarks can be exported to an excel spreadsheet or web page. How cool is that? I found this easier to do using the browser version of Libby.

Happy Reading!

P.S. One of my favorite quotes from this book is, “Uncertainty, I’m starting to realize, doesn’t mean the loss of hope—it means there’s possibility. I don’t know what will happen next—how potentially exciting! I’m going to have to figure out how to make the most of the life I have, illness or not, partner or not, the march of time notwithstanding.”

Citations:

Gottlieb, Lori. Maybe you should talk to someone: a therapist, HER therapist, and our lives revealed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019. EPUB edition.

This blog was written by Amy Richard, digital collections coordinator at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.

New Year, New You: Books to help you reach your goals

January 27, 2021

New year, new you? You bet.

A new year gives us a chance to define, commit and achieve the personal goals that help us grow into better versions of ourselves. If you're looking for resources to help you set obtainable goals, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library has you covered. Myers Park Library Leader Harold Escalante shared some of the self-improvement titles below with WCNC Charlotte Today host, Beth Troutman. Which one will you add to your reading list?

Watch the segment here

Click here to borrow titles from the “New Year, New You” book list

Adult fiction

The Alchemist by Paul Coelho

A special 25th anniversary edition of Paulo Coelho’s extraordinary international bestselling phenomenon - the inspiring spiritual tale of self-discovery that has touched millions of lives around the world. Combing magic, mysticism, wisdom and wonder, The Alchemist has become a modern classic, selling millions of copies around the world, and transforming the lives of countless readers across generations. Paulo Coelho's masterpiece tells the mystical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure. His quest will lead him to riches far different--and far more satisfying - than he ever imagined. Santiago's journey teaches us about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, of recognizing opportunity and learning to read the omens strewn along life's path, and, most importantly, to follow our dreams.”

My Grandmother Asked me to Tell You She’s Sorry by Fredrik Backman

From the author of the internationally bestselling A Man Called Ove, a charming, warmhearted novel about a young girl whose grandmother dies and leaves behind a series of letters, sending her on a journey that brings to life the world of her grandmother's fairy tales.”

Adult Nonfiction

The Self-Care Solution: A Year of Becoming Happier, Healthier and Fitter—one Month at a Time by Jennifer Ashton

Dr. Jennifer Ashton is at the top of her field as an ob-gyn and news correspondent. But even at the top there's still room to improve, and with The Self-Care Solution, she upends her life one month at a time, using her own experiences to help you improve your health and enhance your life. Dr. Ashton becomes both researcher and subject as she focuses on twelve separate challenges. Beginning with a new area of focus each month, she guides you through the struggles she faces, the benefits she experiences, and the science behind why each month's challenge - giving up alcohol, doing more push-ups, adopting an earlier bedtime, limiting technology - can lead to better health. Month by month, Dr. Ashton tackles a different area of wellness with the hope that the lessons she learns and the improved health she experiences will motivate her (and you) to make each change permanent. Throughout, she offers easy-to-comprehend health information about the particular challenge to help you understand its benefits and to stick with it. Whether it's adding cardio or learning how to meditate, Dr. Ashton makes these daily lifestyle choices and changes feel possible - and shows how beneficial a mindful lifestyle can be.

Bounce Back. How to Rescue Your Finances During Tough Times by Mitch Horowitz

The five works abridged and introduced by historian and New Thought scholar Mitch Horowitz in Bounce Back give you the greatest possible opportunity to navigate economic crisis and poise yourself for recovery. Revolutionize your budgeting skills and be ready to take advantage of economic upswing with George S. Clason's classic guide to personal finance, The Richest Man in Babylon. How to Attract Money is Joseph Murphy's most effective program of visualization. Offering specific prayers and affirmations, Murphy brings you closer to your goals and helps you attain the life you want. Russell H. Conwell's motivational classic Acres of Diamonds teaches you to think in practical ways and transform seemingly modest ideas into large returns. Transcendentalist philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson offers his principles for self-directed living in Power and Wealth, helping you focus and exert your will in the world. Think and Grow Rich, the world's greatest book on successful living, provides Napoleon Hill's famous thirteen steps to wealth and achievement. Open the door to financial empowerment and bounce back from challenging times with these great primers of self-potential.

The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown

In The Gifts of Imperfection, Brene Brown, a leading expert on shame, authenticity and belonging, shares ten guideposts on the power of Wholehearted living - a way of engaging with the world from a place of worthiness.

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb

Gottlieb (Marry Him) provides a sparkling and sometimes moving account of her work as a psychotherapist, with the twist that she is in therapy herself. Interspersing chapters about her experiences as a patient with others about her work, she explains, "We are mirrors reflecting mirrors reflecting mirrors, showing one another what we can't yet see." By exploring her own struggles alongside those of her patients, Gottlieb simultaneously illuminates what it's like to be in and to give therapy. As she observes, "Everything we therapists do or say or feel as we sit with our patients is mediated by our histories; everything I've experienced will influence how I am in any given session at any given hour." From "John," a successful TV producer who has walled himself away from other people, to "Julie," who has a terminal illness and is struggling to find her way through her life's closing chapters, Gottlieb portrays her patients, as well as herself as a patient, with compassion, humor and grace. For someone considering but hesitant to enter therapy, Gottlieb's thoughtful and compassionate work will calm anxieties about the process; for experienced therapists, it will provide an abundance of insights into their own work.

Young Adults (YA)

Top 10 tips for Developing Money Management Skills by Larry Gerber

Readers are encouraged to think about money as a tool-like a Swiss Army knife that can be used for many different tasks, to create things we want in our lives. Money is like a tool, in more ways than one. It is an all-purpose survival kit because life gets tough without it. If we handle money carelessly, it can do serious damage. And just like any tool, sometimes it works great, sometimes it doesn't. The ten tips found in this book are ideas shared by many people, from billionaires to working-class moms, dads and kids. Readers will learn about spending, saving, investing, setting financial goals, budgeting, borrowing and seeking financial advice. Some tips involve doing specific things: writing, adding and subtracting. Others suggest ways of thinking about money and what we do with it. This volume is intended to help readers get the most out of this tool we call money, whether dealing with a lot of it, or just a little. Readers are encouraged to think further with 10 Great Questions to Ask an Economics/Finance teacher and Myths & Facts.

Chicken Girl by Heather Smith

Poppy used to be an optimist. But after a photo of her dressed as Rosie the Riveter is mocked online, she's having trouble seeing the good in the world. As a result, Poppy trades her beloved vintage clothes for a feathered chicken costume and accepts a job as an anonymous sign waver outside a restaurant. There, Poppy meets six-year-old girl Miracle, who helps Poppy see beyond her own pain, opening her eyes to the people around her: Cam, her twin brother, who is adjusting to life as an openly gay teen; Buck, a charming photographer with a cute British accent and a not-so-cute mean-streak; and Lewis, a teen caring for an ailing parent, while struggling to reach the final stages of his gender transition. As the summer unfolds, Poppy stops glorifying the past and starts focusing on the present. But just as she comes to terms with the fact that there is good and bad in everyone, she is tested by a deep betrayal.

Children

B is for Breathe: The ABC’s of Coping with Fussy and Frustrating Feelings, by Melissa Monroe Boyd

From the letter A to the letter Z, B is for Breathe celebrates the many ways children can express their feelings and develop coping skills at an early age. Fun, cute and exciting illustrations, this colorful book teaches kids simple ways to cope with fussy and frustrating emotions. This book will inspire kids to discuss their feelings, show positive behaviors and practice calm down strategies.

If you Come to Earth by Sophie Blackall

Meeting children from around the world gave Caldecott Medalist Blackall (Hello Lighthouse) a vision of a book "that would bring us together," she explains in an author's note. This exquisite catalogue of human experience is the result. A child with an elfin red cap, white skin, and black hair frames the story, addressing a "Visitor from Outer Space." Magnificent spreads journey through the solar system and descend toward the Earth's surface, zeroing in on a quilted landscape. Fragmentary, often droll descriptions of Earth-side existence follow, about bodies and aging, home and travel, eating and drinking ("Some of us have more food than others") and relationships ("Sometimes we hurt each other. It's better when we help each other"). Wide-eyed human characters of varying shapes, ethnicities, and abilities show kind regard for each other: a librarian offers a tissue to a man overcome; dinner table companions share animated conversation. Even for the accomplished Blackall, the artwork is dazzling. Encyclopedic paintings of the natural world - birds, sea life, an acorn and more - are rendered in painstaking detail and brilliant colors. It is a book that can be shared with strangers, visitors, friends old and new - a work in which differences build to reveal an inclusive human family on a single, precious planet.

A Year in Our New Garden, by Gerda Muller

Anna and Benjamin move with their parents to a new house in the middle of a busy city. The wonder of this house is that it includes a large garden among the tall apartment buildings. Muller explores the design and planting of this city garden through the eyes of the children. This title can be read to younger kids as the story of a family creating a garden. Older readers will appreciate in-depth explanations about the actual components needed to design a real garden. The narrative follows the family as they move from planning to planting to harvest. Multiple illustrations cover each page. Larger drawings that show the garden as a whole are combined with small framed and unframed insets that highlight specific details. The beautifully detailed paintings invite close inspection as the seasons change and the children play, picnic, plant, harvest and enjoy the garden's wildlife.

Words and lyrics from Black female artists help one woman find her voice.

Word to Solange and Amanda Seales

January 28, 2021

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.

I often find myself relating my feelings with music as it seems to express my sentiments exactly when my own words fail me. Other times, I'll read a sentence confirming, once again, I'm not alone in the ongoing negative sequences specifically related to Black folks. Solange’s album A Seat at the Table, and Amanda Seales’ book Small Doses made me feel seen and heard as a Black woman. While it's been four years since the release of Solange's most notable album and one year since Amanda Seales' debut book release, the need for acknowledgment by other Black women is still ever-present. Solange’s album and Amanda Seales’ book gave me a presence as a Black woman. My words no longer fail me, and hopefully, others will feel seen and heard as well. Below, you will find lyrics and thoughts from Solange Knowles and Amanda Seales accompanied by my interpretation of their work.

“Word,” a shortened phrase from "Word is bond," is used in a sentence as a question, comment or statement. It means "truth" or "I speak truth."

Ex:

"Word is bond, I checked out 99 books yesterday."

"Word? 99 books. Say, word."

"Word."

Word to Solange and Amanda Seales

"Don't touch my soul/ When it's the rhythm I know."-- Solange

Having to move through life always on the defense, while our white colleagues whimsically live life on the offense, inserting themselves in conversations instead of listening, and claiming allyship with bare minimum effort while audaciously high expectations of reward and recognition. Knowing your smile isn't owed to anyone but expected to soften the blow of truth because fragile feelings take precedence. This is the price you pay when you're Black and work in corporate America.

"When they go low, we keep the same energy."-- Amanda Seales

This is the thought process of every person of color when dealing with colleagues — or any person who checks the "white" box on survey sheets — who meets them with microaggressions, racial complicity or bias. Unfortunately (and fortunately for others), our way of action is often, if not always, a watered-down version of the reflection. We must always remain professional and calm in the face of clear wrongdoings because our tone, body language and facial expressions are heavily considered before our words. Even still, when armed with facts and professionalism, your chances of being called into Human Resources are often too great. To anyone who's lived life at the center of everyone else's world, accountability will always feel like an attack.

"Don't test my mouth/ they say the truth is my sound." -- Solange

2020 called out and urged organizations to state their position in the movement of racial injustice and inequity. Across industries, companies have filled their leadership boards of vital decision-makers. Where diversity lacked, there was an acknowledgment and pledge to diversify. While leadership roles are important, it's the critical roles of decision making that are important to have filled by people of color — especially if your organization magnifies its efforts with equity and diversity training across departments. Yet still, it doesn't reflect its diversity speech in administration roles.

The promises of tomorrow with what can be done today gives little hope to those who believe in the companies they work for. It gives, "We want your opinions, but we'll box them up and store them in the basement for never later" vibes.

"Don't touch my crown/ they say the vision I've found."-- Solange

There was an unmasking and undoing taking place when we clocked out of work for the evening. Now, more than ever, in the face of racism and racial inequity, we remain undone and unmasked, showing our true selves without apology. Taking up space and creating tables to fit our needs. Our dreams, desires and needs are no longer deferred but made into reality on our own accord.

P.S. "I'm not hostile, I'm passionate." -- Amanda Seale

This blog post was written by Tiffany Grantham, a senior library assistant at West Boulevard Library.

A photograph of Allegra Westbrooks at then Beatties Ford Road Regional Library

The pioneering woman: A history of Allegra Westbrooks

February 1, 2021

Allegra Westbrooks was the first African American public library supervisor in North Carolina. Ms. Westbrooks grew up in Fayetteville, NC where she spent her childhood peeking through the windows of white-only public libraries. Her mother, a schoolteacher, passed a love of books down to her. She attended Fayetteville State Teachers College and Atlanta University where she received a Bachelor of Science in library services.

Brevard Street Library, 1944

When she moved to Charlotte in 1947, only two libraries existed for the Black community: Brevard Street Library and its “sub-branch” in Fairview Homes Public Housing on Oaklawn Avenue.

Citizens Advisory Council meets with Allegra Westbrooks, Head of Negro Library Services

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library (then Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County) hired Ms. Westbrooks in 1947 as the head of Negro Library Services at the Brevard Street Library. To attract the Black community to these two branches, Ms. Westbrooks launched a campaign to host prominent speakers at Black churches “to sell the gospel of books and reading.” She also visited the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) and Girl Scouts to form coalitions to increase usage of the Black libraries.

Female librarians assisting children on the bookmobile, 1966

Ms. Westbrooks influenced many people to go to libraries through her public efforts. Many community members remember her visting them with a bookmobile to inspire them to read. Ms. Westbrooks said, “It is gratifying, when you’ll be on the street and see somebody, and they say, 'I used the book mobile. I want you to meet my four children. I insist that they read'.” She would also pick up books that the Black community requested at Main Library once a week.

Man entering Brevard Street Library, 1948

The library system was desegregated in 1956, but the Brevard Street Branch continued to operate until December of 1961 when it was closed and demolished as part of the Brooklyn area urban redevelopment project.

Ms. Westbrooks was promoted Head of Acquisitions in 1950 at Main Library. Charlotte Mecklenburg Library officially integrated on November 19, 1956. Hoyt R. Galvin, director of libraries 1940-1971, spoke to her undeniable skills and knowledge:

“Her recommendations were good, and I was pleased to have her join our staff, but I didn’t realize the library and the community were getting a jewel. She carries a major responsibility for the countywide public library system in coordination of adult book selection and is head of all book acquisitions. In a day when 1,000 new book titles are published every day, this is a major task. There are subject specialists who know the literature of their field in a superior fashion, but Miss Westbrooks is the most knowledgeable all-around book specialist in North Carolina.”

Ms. Westbrooks’ career with the Library spanned 35 years, but her legacy continues today. She is not only honored for her incredible achievements as a pioneer in the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library system, but also for the many extracurricular activities and organizations she served on. In 1969, she was named “Outstanding Career Woman of 1969” at The Gold Rose Awards hosted by the White House Inn.

This blog was written by Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room staff at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.

Sources

Borden, Pat. “Retiring Worker symbol of change in local library.” The Charlotte Observer, February 10, 1984.

Osborne, Dorothy. “Top Career Woman Is ‘Giant For Good’.” The Charlotte Observer, October 17, 1969.

Perlmutti, David. “A love of books, nurtured by mother.” Black History Month, Crossing the Barrier, February 4, 2009.

Picture of the Correll family who are avid users of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.

Sometimes you have to pretend to be a librarian

October 9, 2020

When Charlotte Mecklenburg Library reduced its services in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Correll family felt the impact. It is customary for the family, who have been Library customers since 2016, to make weekly visits to their neighborhood branch; North County Regional Library. When in-person programming and browsing temporarily suspended, the family, like others in the Charlotte Mecklenburg community, started to miss the familiar, friendly faces of Library staff as well as participating in their favorite library activities.

But the Correll children seemed to miss interactions with Library staff the most.

Having grown accustomed to working on puzzles before and after storytime, attending storytime and browsing books throughout the years, Sharon Correll noticed her children bringing the Library experience to themselves one August afternoon. After stopping by the branch to pick up book bundles for her three-year-old daughter and five-year-old son, Sharon discovered they placed the freshly borrowed books on display throughout the family’s home just as they would find them at the Library. Next, they busied themselves with reading and, finally, in the sweetest form of imitation, they started to pretend that they were the very librarians they missed.

Now that all Library locations are open for in-person browsing, Sharon sees many more trips to the Library in their future. “We look forward to continuing to browse the awesome selection of children’s books,” says Sharon. “It's easy to social distance and it's one of our favorite things to do each week." she adds.

In addition to in-person materials browsing, the Correll family also enjoys digital resources such as downloadable e-books, e-audiobooks and renting DVDs. "We appreciate [the Library] and thank you for all you do," says Sharon.

Find yourself missing your local Library too? We look forward to seeing you soon! Click here to find more information about our hours of operation, available Library services and to review our multi-phased re-opening plan.

Engage HER on Campus- UNC Charlotte Edition, “49ers Make Good Trouble: From Campus Activism to the Ballot Box”

October 14, 2020

Throughout this crucial election season, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is teaming up with several local universities to get students and the community involved in the political process. Our next event is in conjunction with UNC Charlotte.

UNC Charlotte is a campus with a rich history of social and political activism aimed at pushing for change on both a local and national level. From civil rights protesters of the 1960s, anti-war proponents of the 1970s, LGBTQ activists of the 1980s, and Black Lives Matter organizers of 2020, 49er students and faculty have a rich tradition of taking on injustice and making what Congressman and civil rights activist John Lewis would call “good trouble”.

Join us on October 20 at 7 p.m. for a virtual event that will bring together campus activists and local leaders who all made “good trouble” to push for positive change in their communities. City Council Member Braxton Winston will serve as the keynote speaker and will be followed by a panel of student, faculty, and community activists dedicated to achieving justice and equity in Charlotte today. Learn about the legacy of activism from 49ers past, what is driving activism now, and ways we all can advocate and push for the causes nearest to our hearts and communities.

One crucial place to start this election season is at the ballot box. In our own city of Charlotte, John Lewis said, “the right to vote is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have to create a more perfect union.” This event will also provide information on how to register and vote so you can make your own voice heard during Election 2020.

This program is open to all of the UNC Charlotte campus and the Charlotte community and will be live-streamed on the Library’s Facebook page and YouTube Channel. We hope you will tune in for this opportunity to learn, engage, and even enter for a chance to win a few giveaways!

In this election year, the Library is partnering with the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) offering programs like this one to encourage everyone to look back at what has been accomplished in the past and to move forward with empowerment to make a difference in one's own community. To learn more about Engage 2020, click here.

Stay connected while staying home with virtual programming from the Library.

Virtual Programming from the Library - Week of 10/19/20

October 14, 2020

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 10/19/2020 below. Click the corresponding links for more information and register for programs where applicable.

Learn more about online programming by clicking here

Monday 10/19

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

Book a Librarian - Nonprofit Services – 11 a.m. (Adult programming) register

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

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

Virtual Reading Buddies – 12 p.m. (Children's programming) register

Parent Lunch & Learn: Mindfulness for Parents – 12 p.m. (Adult programming) register

Mindful Mondays - Guided Relaxation and Meditation – 12 p.m. (Adult 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

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

Virtual Reading Buddies – 4 p.m. (Children's programming) register

Stronger Together: Support for your Job Search – 4 p.m. (Adult programming) register

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

Virtual Reading Buddies – 5 p.m. (Children's programming) register

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

Virtual Reading Buddies – 6 p.m. (Children's programming) register

Tuesday 10/20

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

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

Virtual Reading Buddies – 12 p.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

History's Mysteries: What Time Is It? – 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 p.m. (Children's programming) register

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

Virtual Reading Buddies – 4 p.m. (Children's programming) register

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

Virtual Reading Buddies – 5 p.m. (Children's programming) register

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

Virtual Reading Buddies – 6 p.m. (Children's programming) register

Wednesday 10/21

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

Active Reading Family Workshop - Part 1 – 10 a.m. (Adult programming) register