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2025 Summer Bookmark Contest for Children and Teens
June 4, 2025
This blog was written by Jesse Isley, children's services manager for Charlotte Mecklenburg Library
This spring, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library hosted our second annual bookmark contest for children and teens in grades K-12 to showcase the creativity of our community. We were excited to expand the contest this year to include middle and high school students, and we loved hosting the contest itself in March as part of our celebration of Community Read!
We received over 1,100 bookmark entries—including hundreds from local schools and classrooms that teachers graciously dropped off for students. Themes included everything from love of books and reading (which made our hearts so happy!) to nature, animals, positive messages, and the celebration of summer. We also got to see unique materials used to complete the challenge with watercolors, stickers, and photography all submitted this year.
While it was a difficult task, we worked hard to narrow down the entries for final selection by our judges. We were so lucky to have 2 local artists judge the contest this year! To Melody Cassen and Chris Georgalas, we are so grateful for your support of our community and for your willingness to take on the hardest job of selecting winners for each range of grade levels. We greatly appreciate the judges sharing their time and expertise. Here is some of the feedback they shared:
“I loved the theme of these bookmarks—positive, universal that can apply to anyone.”
“It was hard for me to judge these as they were all so imaginative and genuine!”
“I congratulate all of the artists. It’s important for all of the creatives involved to know that they are unique in what they dream, and it is a gift they have to share with the world.”
We are thrilled to announce the winners below and first runners up below. Copies of the winning bookmarks will be available to pick up in every library location while supplies last. A huge thank you to our community for your response to this contest, and CONGRATULATIONS to our winners.
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Travel the World with the Frontline Puppeteers!
June 17, 2025
All summer long, join the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library's Frontline Puppeteers for any of our music-filled puppet show: Travel the World! This is a 30-minute puppet show that incorporates songs, folk tales, and stories from children's picture books featuring countries like Germany, Mexico, Australia, and Africa, followed by a puppet-making activity and a chance for attending children to meet our friendly puppets. The show is geared toward children ages PreK-Gr. 2, but all ages are welcome.
The puppet show is traveling to all 20 library branches throughout the summer months, so join us for one or for them all!
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Wednesday, June 18th at 11:00 at Myers Park Library (1361 Queens Road, Charlotte, NC 28207)
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Monday, June 23rd at 11:00 at North County Regional Library (16500 Holly Crest Lane, Huntersville, NC 28078)
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Tuesday, June 24th at 2:00 at Allegra Westbrooks Regional Library (2412 Beatties Ford Road, Charlotte, NC 28216)
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Tuesday, July 1st at 1:00 at South Boulevard Library (4429 South Boulevard, Charlotte, NC 28209)
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Wednesday, July 2nd at 2:00 at Mountain Island Library (4420 Hoyt Galvin Way, Charlotte, NC 28214)
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Thursday, July 3rd at 2:00 at Cornelius Library (21105 Catawba Avenue, Cornelius, NC 28031)
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Tuesday, July 8th at 2:00 at Davidson Library (119 South Main Street, Davidson, NC 28036)
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Wednesday, July 9th at 3:00 at Matthews Library (230 Matthews Station St., Matthews, NC 28105)
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Thursday, July 10th at 2:00 at Hickory Grove Library (5935 Hickory Grove Road, Charlotte, NC 28215)
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Tuesday, July 15th at 2:00 at University City Regional Library (5528 Waters Edge Village Drive, Charlotte, NC 28262)
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Wednesday, July 16th at 3:00 at SouthPark Regional Library (7015 Carnegie Boulevard, Charlotte, NC 28211)
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Thursday, July 17th at 2:00 at Mint Hill Library (6840 Matthews-Mint Hill Road, Mint Hill, NC 28227)
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Monday, July 21st at 2:00 at Pineville Library (505 Main Street, Suite 100, Pineville, NC 28134)
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Tuesday, July 22nd at 2:00 at Steele Creek Library (13620 Steele Creek Road, Charlotte, NC 28273)
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Wednesday, July 30th at 2:00 at South County Regional Library (5801 Rea Road, Charlotte, NC 28277)
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Thursday, July 31st at 10:30 at Sugar Creek Library (4045 North Tryon Street, Suite A, Charlotte, NC 28206)
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Tuesday, August 5th at 2:00 at Independence Regional Library (6000 Conference Drive, Charlotte, NC 28212)
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Wednesday, August 6th at 2:00 at West Boulevard Library (2157 West Boulevard, Charlotte, NC 28208)
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Tuesday, August 12th at 2:00 at ImaginOn: The Joe & Joan Martin Center (300 East Seventh Street, Charlotte, NC 28202)
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Thursday, August 14th at 2:00 at Plaza Midwood Library (1623 Central Avenue, Charlotte, NC 28205)
More information about the shows can be found on our events page HERE.
The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Frontline Puppeteers are a troupe of trained puppeteers who work for various branches of the library. We have been bringing puppet shows and silly voices to Charlotte since 2018.
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Freegal Music Subscription Ending August 2025
May 23, 2025
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s subscription to Freegal Music will end in August 2025. Customers will continue to have access to digital music through hoopla.
After August 1, 2025, customers will no longer be able to access music that is stored in the Freegal app. In most cases, you can retain access to music you’ve downloaded from Freegal by transferring the downloaded music to another digital library. Playlists created within Freegal cannot be retained.
Instructions for backing up Freegal downloads for Apple and Android users can be found on the Freegal FAQ page. Scroll down to the bottom to see questions that address backing up your music or moving it from your device to a computer. Music previously downloaded to a computer (Mac or PC) should already be contained in a file (s) on your computer, so no further action is needed.
New to hoopla?
hoopla allows Charlotte Mecklenburg Library customers to instantly borrow more than 400,000 music albums. Customers can access entire music albums on hoopla. Music albums are checked out for 7 days and then are automatically returned to hoopla. Unlike Freegal, you don’t keep the music permanently but borrow it like you would a physical item from the library.
To get started with hoopla, create a hoopla account by clicking “Sign Up Now” on the hoopla site or the hoopla app compatible with your device. Create an account with your email address, password, and library card number.
Questions? Ask a staff member or contact Online Reference at [email protected].
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2025 Book Sale Dates
January 21, 2025
This blog was written by Kim Arlia, logistics leader for Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.
This blog was updated on June 6, 2025 to include new dates and remove dates that have already passed.
SUMMER IS HERE! Let the humidity begin! I do not know about you but now it is all about chilling and enjoying a vacation/staycation with a good book! What better place to pick up your next favorite read than at the library book sale! At a loss of what to read – just ask the volunteers and staff at the sale – we have lots of recommendations! Trust me – my TBR ( to be read) list is a mile long!
Each sale will have a unique selection. Bring your book club group! Pick up some beach reads! Kids heading to camp – pack a book.
We are filling the carts with fiction, non-fiction, children’s, young adult, cook books, and coffee table books. Prices start at $1.00 Bring a friend and remember to buy for yourself and others! Gifting a book is a literacy treasure that lasts a lifetime!
Support your local library and expand you mind. See you at the sales!
Start marking your calendar today! Book sales are 9 a.m. – 1 pm (unless otherwise noted).
- Saturday, July 12, 2025 – Sugar Creek Library
- Saturday, July 19, 2025 – South Park Regional Library
- Saturday, August 23, 2025 – Pineville Library
- Saturday, September 13, 2025 –Hickory Grove Library
- Saturday, September 20, 2025 – Mountain Island Library
- Saturday, October 25, 2025 – Myers Park Library
- Saturday, November 15, 2025 – Mint Hill Library
- Saturday, December 6, 2025 – North County Regional Library
- Saturday, December 13, 2025 – South County Regional Library
As new dates are scheduled – the listing will be updated. Hope to see you soon!!
HOW CAN I DONATE BOOKS?
Book donations are currently accepted at all open Library locations.
NOTE: Smaller libraries may have limited storage capacity. Please call your local Library before making a book donation to ensure the location can receive your items. Do not leave them outside – rain and bugs are not their friends!
The Library does NOT accept the following items:
- Newspapers
- Magazines
- Encyclopedias
- VHS tapes
- Music CDs
- DVDs
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Textbooks
Have a large donation? Please contact Kim Arlia by phone at (704) 416-0751 or by email at [email protected] to make an appointment.
WHAT HAPPENS TO DONATIONS?
All donations are brought via the library delivery system to the Library Administration Center (LAC). At the LAC, a team of volunteers will go through the donations and determine what will happen to them based on condition, age, and genre. Some may be added to the existing library collection, others may go to various outreach programs, some make their way to the many Free Little Libraries in Mecklenburg County, while others end up at the library book sale or for sale at Thriftbooks.com. Revenue generated by book sales and Thinftbooks.com allows for the procurement of more library materials.
CAN I VOLUNTEER AT A BOOK SALE OR AT THE LAC?
SURE CAN!!! Complete a profile here: https://www.cmlibrary.org/volunteer Make sure you select to work with the Book Donation and Book Sale Team Member. Having problems with the CERVIS site – contact Kim Arlia by phone at (704) 416-0751 or by email at [email protected]
This blog was written by Jennifer Williams-Cannon, a librarian at North County Regional Library
What are social narratives (social stories) and why are they beneficial?
The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and the Autism Society of North Carolina have been trusted resources within our community for years. Both organizations work to improve lives and to build stronger communities. Together, we have developed comprehensive social narratives for all Mecklenburg County residents to ensure a more inclusive society that fosters compassion and equal access to library resources and community opportunities.
Social narratives help individuals of all ages, particularly those with autism or other developmental differences, understand and navigate social situations, reduce anxiety, and improve social skills. Originally called “social stories”, which were developed by Carol Gray in 1989 as a social learning tool designed to help individuals with autism understand and navigate social situations. (Gray, 2015) They are not just stories, but a structured method with specific criteria to ensure they are descriptive, meaningful, and personalized for the individual.
Each narrative, typically one sentence, uses visual cues to aid in understanding. While some individuals read and retain written information easily, many others need pictures to support comprehension. Many individuals with autism are visual learners and rely on visual cues to understand and process information around them. These “social narratives” break complex interactions into smaller, more manageable steps. The stories are meant to be engaging while also sharing information that can be practiced in different situations. This can lead to increased independence, confidence, and improved communication skills. In essence, social narratives act as a guide, helping individuals with autism and other developmental differences to participate more fully in social settings and build meaningful connections with others.
If you would like to learn more about social narratives or about the resources in your community, visit Carol Gray's website and Autism Society of North Carolina.
The following social narratives offer a description of (story time expectations, library rules, and how to care for your library books) while visiting the North County Regional Library in Huntersville, North Carolina.
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