Did you know that babies, toddlers and preschoolers can join in on Summer Break too? Reading time includes time spent being read to and time spent reading to someone else. This means that parents can log reading time for everyone whether they read to or with their child! 

This summer discover the learning moments all around us. The library is here to help you get your child ready to read with simple activities every day.  

When you register your child ages 0-3 years for Summer Break, we'll give you a colorful pamphlet with ideas for learning activities and lots of great literacy tips. Some of our ideas include:  

• Draw a picture and make up a story about it. 

• Read a book together. Create voices for the characters and use your body to tell the story.  

• Take your child to storytime. 

• Talk about the beginning, middle and end of the story while reading a book.  

Learn About the Benefits of Active Reading 

Active Reading is a great way to engage with your child while you read together. The ABCs of Active Reading are:  

• A: Ask Questions. Open ended questions get kids talking. “What do you think will happen next in the story?” 
• B: Build Vocabulary. Demonstrating new words builds vocabulary. Don’t just read the word “whisper” – actually whisper.  
• C: Connect to Child’s World. Relating the story to what kids know helps them learn more about the world.  

The Summer Break program is wonderful for all ages! We have activities, book suggestions and programs for babies, children, teens and adults.  Celebrate Library Week at Carowinds! 

In addition to offering free Carowinds tickets to eligible Summer Break participants, Carowinds also offers Library customers the opportunity to purchase discounted tickets and use them during Carowinds Library Week. This year Carowinds Library Week runs July 22-28, and the discounted ticket price is $39 per person, which includes parking. Purchase discounted tickets to be used during Library Week and help us celebrate Summer Break at Carowinds! 

Click here to access the portal 

User name: CM  

Password: LIBRARY   

These are case sensitive.  

Additional discounts may also be available through this portal throughout the summer. 

REMINDER: all libraries are closed for July 4. 

Comments? Questions? 

Are you having problems with the Summer Break website or your account? Do you have questions about the program? Feel free to stop by your local library for assistance, call 704-416-0101 or email [email protected]. 

The latest exhibit at Main Library is out of this world.  Truly.  

Earth as Art 4: A Fusion of Science and Art features colorized, infrared Landsat satellite images of Earth from creative vantage points. All the images were acquired by Landsat 8, the satellite launched by NASA in 2013, and the exhibition is on loan to the Library from NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The 38-image collection will be displayed on the first and second floors at Main Library through August 31, 2019.

NASA and the USGS have been taking photos from space since the 1970s, and this ongoing record allows scientists to monitor changes over time. But they’re also stunning – by combining different wavelengths of light, some invisible to the human eye, ordinary views of clouds, mountains or rivers are transformed into museum-quality works of art.

And that’s how Earth as Art was born. In the late 1990s staff tasked with image calibration began a collection of their favorites. “Every once in a while, we’d see an image that was so amazing, so remarkable, that we started squirreling them away,” said Earth Resources Observation and Science engineer Jon Christopherson. “We wrote them to CDs back then, and it wasn’t long before we had a drawer full of spectacular images.”

The exhibit began touring worldwide in 2002 and the Library is thrilled to host it at the Main branch in Uptown for the summer. “This exhibit came about through an unexpected combination of the scientific search for geographic changes on earth, some people in an office who happened to recognize something extraordinary, the artistic application of enhancing colors and the desire to freely share knowledge about our world,” said Mimi Curlee, Librarian at Main Library. “It is truly amazing!”

Explore these masterpieces for yourself!

More information about Earth as Art 4 can be found at https://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earth-as-art-4-a-fusion-of-science-and-art/.

The images are online and in the public domain, so people can download and use as they like.

https://www.usgs.gov/centers/eros/science/earth-art-4?qt-science_center_objects=7#qt-science_center_objects

The Library also has print and online resources available for checkout that contain similar images:

Earth as Art by Lawrence Friedl

Earth as Art eBook

Earth by Michael J. Carlowicz

Each summer, the Library is excited to welcome community teens into our branches to participate in our Summer VolunTeen program. The VolunTeen program is designed to expose young people to a wealth of vital experiences and help teens gain service hours during the summer. VolunTeens build workforce development and leadership skills while volunteering at the Library.

We’d like to take a moment to tell our 2019 VolunTeens, “Thank you and great job!”

Our VolunTeen initiative is now year-round, which means that teens ages 13 to 17 can now earn community service hours by becoming a VolunTeen up to three times a year! Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is looking for responsible teens who enjoy working with the public, helping others and giving back to their community.

Applications are only accepted three times a year. In January for the Spring term, in April for the Summer term and in August for the Fall term. During application months, please apply on the Volunteer page. Click on “Become a Volunteer” and search for Teen Volunteer 2019 opportunities. Applications will be accepted throughout the month as designated or until a branch has reached capacity.

Celebrate Library Week at Carowinds!

In addition to offering free Carowinds tickets to eligible Summer Break participants, Carowinds also offers Library customers the opportunity to purchase discounted tickets and use them during Carowinds Library Week. This year Carowinds Library Week runs July 22-28, and the discounted ticket price is $39 per person, which includes parking. Purchase discounted tickets to be used during Library Week and help us celebrate Summer Break at Carowinds!

Click here to access the portal

User name: CM

Password: LIBRARY 

These are case sensitive.

Additional discounts may also be available through this portal throughout the summer.\

Comments? Questions?

Are you having problems with the Summer Break website or your account? Do you have questions about the program? Feel free to stop by your local library for assistance, call 704-416-0101 or email [email protected].

Library Branch Channel Leader and Interim Director of Libraries, Dana Eure, made a guest appearance on WCNC's Charlotte Today on Thursday, July 11, 2019 and shared six titles for travel and adventure. 

click here to search titles

Adult fiction

The High Mountains of Portugal by Yann Martel

In Lisbon in 1904, a young man named Tomás discovers an old journal. It hints at the existence of an extraordinary artifact that--if he can find it--would redefine history. Traveling in one of Europe's earliest automobiles, he sets out in search of this strange treasure. Thirty-five years later, a Portuguese pathologist devoted to the murder mysteries of Agatha Christie finds himself at the center of a mystery of his own and drawn into the consequences of Tomás's quest. Fifty years on, a Canadian senator takes refuge in his ancestral village in northern Portugal, grieving the loss of his beloved wife. But he arrives with an unusual companion: a chimpanzee. And there, the century-old quest comes to an unexpected conclusion.

Adult nonfiction

The Lost City of Z by David Grann

A grand mystery reaching back centuries. A sensational disappearance that made headlines around the world. A quest for truth that leads to death, madness or disappearance for those who seek to solve it. The Lost City of Z is a blockbuster adventure narrative about what lies beneath the impenetrable jungle canopy of the Amazon.

Youth fiction

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo

Edward Tulane, a cold-hearted and proud toy rabbit, loves only himself until he is separated from the little girl who adores him and travels across the country, acquiring new owners and listening to their hopes, dreams and histories.

Picture Books

Journey by Aaron Becker

Using a red marker, a young girl draws a door on her bedroom wall and through it enters another world where she experiences many adventures, including being captured by an evil emperor.

Olivia Goes to Venice by Ian Falconer

On a family vacation in Venice, Olivia indulges in gelato, rides in a gondola and finds the perfect souvenir.

Teen fiction

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

When 17-year-old Ginny receives a packet of mysterious envelopes from her favorite aunt, she leaves New Jersey to criss-cross Europe on a sort-of scavenger hunt that transforms her life.

Summer Break is well under way! There is still plenty of time to log your reading time and activities, or even sign up if you have not yet done so! While reading is always a focus at the library, we also have a lot of opportunities to learn about science, technology, engineering, art and math. STEAM is a hot topic these days and Charlotte Mecklenburg Library has options for all ages to get involved.

Of course, there are lots of great books with a focus on STEAM. Newer titles you can find at the Library are suggested below.

Want to build your own app? There’s a book for that!

For teens and adults:
Swift Programming in Easy Steps by Darryl Bartlett

Build Your First Web App: Learn to Build Web Applications From Scratch by Deborah Levinson

Beginning Programming With Python by John Mueller

For children:
Programming Awesome Apps by Heather Lyons

Get Coding! Learn HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and Build a Website, App, and Game

Coding for Beginners Using Python by Louie Stowell

The Everything Kids’ Scratch Coding Book by Jason Rukman

Interested in learning more about the wildlife in your neighborhood?

For teens and adults:
Birds of the Central Carolinas: Including Ornithological Records and Firsthand Accounts From the Civil War Era to Today by Donald Seriff

Make a Home for Wildlife: Creating Habitat on Your Land: Backyard to Many Acres by Charles Fergus

For children:

Weird but True! Animals: 300 Outrageous Facts about Wacky Wildlife

A Seed Is the Start by Melissa Stewart

Many of our branches have one-on-one technology tutoring to help you with your tech needs. Whether you need help creating a spreadsheet or figuring out how to download the Library’s free ebooks, contact your local branch to see how we can help. 

Teens and preteens should check out the Messy Makerspace at ImaginOn! During the open hours, teens and preteens can play around with all of the fun stuff, including a 3D printer. ImaginOn also offers specialized programs that focus on a specific projects such as screen printing. 

There are STEAM programs for school-aged kids almost daily at the Library, so be sure to look at our full listing of options, ranging from programs about different building materials to making your own ice cream!

Also, be sure to visit our online resources which are available 24/7 on our website!  
Universal Class and Lynda.com have excellent learning courses and videos on countless topics, including coding and web design. Learn to use whichever program you prefer - Python, Java, MySQL, Git and more. All you have to do is create an account, which is free with your library card!

Additionally, PowerKnowledge Life Science, Physical Science and Earth & Space Science are great resources for kids. Ideal for third to sixth graders, each source is full of articles, videos, games and even ideas for science experiments.

Whatever and however you decide to learn, remember to log it as a learning activity on your Summer Break account and continue to have a great summer!

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, ASC Culture Blocks and Photosynthesis Inc have teamed up to present a series of free photography classes at the West Boulevard Branch Library. Finding Home Again is open to photographers of all skill levels. You can use a cell phone camera or a professional level camera gear. No matter your past experience, you’ll learn techniques to enhance your photography skills.

This series is focused on the experiences of Montagnard first generation immigrants. The Montagnards, hilltribe people from Vietnam, were recruited by the U.S. Special Forces to serve as front-line fighters with the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. After the United States withdrew from Vietnam, they were targeted by the Communist Vietnamese government as traitors and U.S. spies. Many Montagnards continued to fight the Vietnamese after the United States left, believing they were acting on behalf of the U.S. government. When they finally learned that the U.S. government no longer supported them, they were forced to flee as refugees.

In 1986, about 200 Montagnard refugees, mostly men, were resettled in North Carolina. A second group of about 400 came in late 1992. While these first groups of refugees faced considerable difficulties, most have adapted reasonably well. Since that time, additional families have come, especially relatives and persons released from re-education camps (prisoners of war). In 2002, another 900 Montagnards were resettled in North Carolina. This last group brings with them troubled histories of persecution, and few have family or political ties with the established Montagnard communities here. Their resettlement is proving to be much more difficult. There are about 5,000 Montagnards in North Carolina. More than half of these are in the Greensboro area, but there are significant populations in Charlotte and Raleigh, as well.

Join others in your community as we explore ways to use photography to document memories, reflect on the immigration process, and/or to share your experience of being in Charlotte, NC.

Register now for one of the classes by clicking on the date you wish to attend.

ASC Culture Blocks and Photosynthesis Inc. Presents: Finding Home Again - all sessions at West Boulevard Library:

Saturday, July 20, 2019 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday, August 17, 2019  2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday, September 28, 2019  2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday, October 19, 2019  2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Whether you're planning a trip for summer, fall, winter or spring,  be sure to use your Charlotte Mecklenburg Library card for all your travel needs!

Before You Go:

Every smart traveler knows to pack lightly and plan early.  We always have traditional guidebooks at every location, but here are some digital suggestions to leave room for more souvenirs and help you navigate your travels: 

• Download the Hoopla app to access hundreds of recently published guidebooks, maps included, from well-known publishers Frommer's and Fodor's. 
• Avoid looking like a tourist with The NFT (Not for Tourists) guidebooks, available for major cities in United States.
• The Lonely Planet guides began as backpackers’ guides but are perfect for budget travelers. We recommend How to Pack for Any Trip and Film and TV Locations. 
• Plan a road trip with a route from The Most Scenic Drives in America or National Geographic Guide to Scenic Highways and Byways.  If you’re feeling adventurous, Darryl Sleath’s The Road Trip Book includes famous drives throughout the world.  Be sure to pack an atlas!
• Download Atlas Obscura to learn what oddities await at your next destination. 

• Learn the language of the country you’re visiting by downloading Mango Languages app, free with your library card, to your smartphone. 
• Rent a Wi-Fi Hotspot if you’re not sure about the cost or availability of internet access (only available for use in the continental U.S.). 

Free Entertainment:

Your suitcases are packed, and your reservations are confirmed.  Pass the time on your flight or in the car with these audiobook and magazine suggestions: 

• Compare the television show Game of Thrones with the books by listening to the George R.R. Martin series. 

• Get in the traveling spirit by listening to works by respected travel authors Bill Bryson, Paul Theroux or Peter Mayle. 
• Try something funny with audiobooks by David Sedaris, Nora Ephron or Chelsea Handler.  

• Explore the latest travel issues of National Geographic Traveler and Conde Nast Traveler through our digital resource RBDigital. 

Staycation:

You don’t have to travel far to have a great experience with these free ideas!

• Trade your sunglasses for a pair of VR glasses Thursday, July 25 at our Beatties Ford Road Library for an Armchair Travel program.  Head to exotic locations like Thailand without leaving town! 
• Learn about a new culture, such as Japanese, Chinese, French or Spanish, through Universal Class.
• Escape the brutal Carolina heat by watching Antarctica--A Year On Ice, Meru: Mountain Climbing in the Himalayas, or more than 220 travel videos on our video service, Kanopy. 
• Mark your calendars for a fall travel discussion series at our Morrison Library September 18.

Whether you’re traveling by air, sea or car, take the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library with you this summer.

i Prepárate para la Feria del Libro!

As part of its celebration of “El Día de los Niños/El Día de los Libros (Children’s Day/Book Day)," Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, in conjunction with the Artist Studio Project present the 2nd Annual "Cervantino Bilingual Book Fair" on Saturday, April 20, 2019. As part of the Artist Studio Project's Annual El Quixote Festival, the Library invites authors of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, satire and anthology (Spanish, English – bilingual) to read, promote, sell and sign their books at the Book Fair.

The purpose of the "Cervantino Bilingual Book Fair" is to provide authors an outlet to build a fan base, create social networks and establish contacts with other authors. The event is free, but participants who wish to exhibit, sell or share their work must register here by March 1, 2019. For more information about this program, visit iamquixote.com. 

“We're excited to bring our Cervantino Bilingual Book Fair to the Queen City,” says Rafael A. Osuba, artistic director of the Artist Studio Project. “We can't think of a better partner than Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, as this is exactly what libraries should be doing: opening and creating opportunities for members of the community while providing access to community resources. Our goal and hope is to bring the community together by a shared passion for books, storytelling and reading as we work together to make North Carolina a great place to live.”

“El Día de los Niños/El Día de los Libros (Children’s Day/Book Day)", also known as Día, emphasizes the importance of literacy for children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds with events at select Library locations and community agencies throughout April.

The Library has promoted Día since 1998, and the celebration has experienced great growth and expansion throughout the years. What began as a storytelling celebration has now evolved into an impactful community cultural celebration.

For more information about the Día program from Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, visit here. 

It’s finally here, the holiday we’ve been waiting for all year: Soup-er Bowl Sunday!

Patriots and Rams aside, this soupy celebration is the real party during the cold, wintry months.

A great soup recipe makes the most out of basic ingredients like beans, lentils and fresh or frozen vegetables. Throw in a few spices in your pantry, and you have a wallet-friendly main dish that’s healthier than the ones from the can. Keep reading for creative recipes to ‘bowl’ you over! 

"Souper” selections

• A Southerner will tell you “Pot Likker Soup” isn't a misspelling but a delicious ham and greens soup. Try this recipe and more favorites in Nancie McDermott’s Southern Soups & Stews. 
• Chili just tastes better when it’s cooked in a cast iron pot. Try the recipe from The Best of Lodge cookbook by the makers of the beloved cast iron cookware. 
• Use your high-speed blender for more than just smoothies with soup recipes from Vanessa Simkins’ Power Blender Revolution. 
• The Hungarian “Night Owl” Soup featured in An Exaltation of Soups is great for hangovers (we hear) or any other ailments!
• Soup swaps are the new cookie swap!  Kathy Gunst’s Soup Swap is full of recipes like Sopa de Lima and Chorizo and Clam Stew to exchange with your neighbors and friends. 
• Keep with your new year’s resolutions by incorporating recipes from the American Heart Association’s Healthy Slow Cooker Cookbook or EatingWell Soups. 
• Try the coconut pumpkin curry soup from the latest issue of Rachel Ray Every Day. Read this and all your favorite magazines for free with your Library card on RBDigital!
• Mystery lovers, stir up trouble with Connie Archer’s cozy mysteries A Broth of Betrayal, A Clue In The Stew and Ladle To The Grave.

A ladle full of learning

There’s more to a good soup recipe than dumping ingredients in a pot and hoping for the best. Improve your cooking skills with these resources: 

• Get a free private chef lesson with step-by-step cooking instructions on Films on Demand.
• Through Universal Class, learn to make gazpacho in Spanish Cooking 101 or hearty Italian one-pot soup meals in Italian Cooking 101—all free with your Library card!

For younger readers

• Follow along with the video of the children’s classic Stone Soup in American Sign Language. If you want to learn more about signing, take our free sign language class at the Matthews Library, beginning Feb. 6, 2019. 
• Rescue Max the Duck in the children’s favorite Duck Soup. Adults can check out the Marx Brothers’ classic DVD, as well.
• Teach the entire family new languages with a bilingual picture book like Dādī Mām̐ Kā Śanivāra Kā Sūpa or La Soupe Du Samedi De Grand-mére, Hindi and French versions of Grandma’s Saturday Soup.   
• Our children’s librarians put together this list of their favorite books about soup. 
• Homeschool families can attend the rally at ImaginOn: The Joe and Joan Martin Center on March 6, 2019.  Listen to the classic Stone Soup and explore STEAM activities. 

Whether you’re making a touchdown-worthy steaming bowl of soup or reading the classic Stone Soup with your children, happy Soup-er Bowl Sunday from your friends at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library!

P.S. Remember to stay tuned for Community Read in March and check your local library calendars for events in your neighborhood.