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Library cardholders enjoy discount during Carowinds Library Week, July 22-28, 2019

June 13, 2019

A Charlotte Mecklenburg Library card opens a world of possibilities with countless materials, digital resources, programs and services available at no cost. This summer, thanks to a partnership with Carowinds, library cardholders can also get discounted tickets to the Carolinas’ favorite theme park during Library Week, July 22-28, 2019.

Celebrate libraries and literacy in our community, and take advantage of this special benefit!

Purchase your discounted tickets

Want to purchase discounted tickets for the special Library Week? In 2018, hundreds of cardholders took advantage of this special promotion!

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library cardholders can click the button below and login with the :

username CM

password LIBRARY (case sensitive)

Discounted tickets are good Monday, July 22 - Sunday, July 28, 2019.

PURCHASE CAROWINDS LIBRARY WEEK TICKETS

No library card? No problem!

Don’t have a library card? Free library cards are available to residents of Mecklenburg County, to those who live outside of Mecklenburg County but are Mecklenburg County property owners, and to students (of any age) enrolled in any private or public school in Mecklenburg County.

Apply for a library card using the form below, and take advantage of not only the Carowinds discount, but the many, many other benefits of a Charlotte Mecklenburg Library card.

Continue the fun all summer long

The Library and Carowinds formed a partnership in 2018 to encourage the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community to read and learn during Summer Break: Read, Learn, Explore, the Library’s summer learning program.

Summer Break participants who have entered their Charlotte Mecklenburg Library card number or One Access ID in the library card field on their account, complete the program by reading 20 hours OR by reading at least 10 hours and completing 10 learning activities AND log activities for 10 out of 10 weeks are eligible to receive a free ticket to Carowinds (while supplies last).

TRACK READING TIME AND ACTIVITIES ONLINE

Summer Break is made possible by a partnership with Carowinds. Additional support for the programs comes from Wendy's and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation. A special thank you to Carowinds for providing the additional benefit of discounted tickets to library cardholders in celebration of literacy!

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The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library celebrates African American Music Appreciation Month with its Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room

June is African American Music Appreciation Month!  

June 6, 2025

This blog was originally published in June 2019 by Sydney Carroll and updated in June of 2025 by Chauna Carr, digital production librarian in the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room 

 

Originally coined Black Music Month, the commemoration was conceived by black music moguls Kenny Gamble, Dyana Williams and Ed Wright in the 1970s and initiated by President Jimmy Carter on June 7, 1979. The holiday was later renamed African American Music Appreciation Month by President Barack Obama in 2009.  

 

This month, we celebrate African American musicians, their songs and their lasting cultural and historical impacts. Join the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room as we celebrate this month – our music archive is a treasure trove of music produced by notable African American artists from North Carolina. 

 

Music created by African Americans has played a significant role in the Long Civil Rights Movement, serving as the rallying cries of protests and the beat to which activists march. Songs used during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s were often pre-existing songs that were modified to reflect the aims of the movement, such as We Shall Overcome and This Little Light of Mine, but there were also many new songs written specifically as protest songs, such as You’d Better Leave Segregation Alone and Dog, Dog by James Bevel and Bernard Lafayette. Some of the most popular tunes were captured in Sing for Freedom: The Story of the Civil Rights Movement Through its Songs, compiled by Guy Carawan in 1990. In addition to providing the lyrics and sheet music for songs used in the Civil Rights Movement, Carawan provides historical context, including events in North Carolina and the city of Charlotte, and includes interviews from the movement’s participants detailing the significance of music to their activities. 

 

Charlotte has been home to notable rappers, jazz musicians and R&B artists. Some of these Charlotteans include Fantasia, Arsena Schroeder, DaBaby, Deniro Farrar, K-Ci & Jojo, Bettie Grind, Ruga, Anthony Hamilton, Elevator Jay, Lute, Harvey Cummings, Jason Jet, D’Yenna Dukes and Jodeci.  

 

The city has celebrated the month in several ways – the Harvey B. Gantt Center has held free events in honor of the month, and Charlotte radio station Power 98 FM has dedicated the month of June to honoring African American musicians. The #BeONE Music Experience was also created to observe African American Music Appreciation Month in the Charlotte, bringing together live music, comedians, food and black culture in several celebrations throughout the city during the month of June.  

 

The Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room’s music archive features a multitude of albums produced by black North Carolinian artists of all genres such as John Coltrane, the Badgett Sisters, Clyde McPhatter, the Jordan River Boys and many others. Also available are albums featuring various artists, such as Big Mamas: Independent Women’s Blues (Ida Cox, Billie Holiday, Martha Copeland) and A Cappella Gospel Singing (Georgia Peach, Dixie Hummingbirds, The Spirit of Memphis Quartet).  

 

Want to listen to hits by prominent black artists? Check out this compilation of playlists from Freegal (available until August 2025): 

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Charlotte’s Southland Jubilee Singers, performing for WSOC Radio in the 1940s. Photo donated by Virginia E. Keogh to the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.
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A live performance in Charlotte’s Excelsior Club, broadcast on WGIV radio in the mid-1940s. Photo donated by Carolyn Wyche to the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.
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Charlotte soul artist Arsena Schroder. Photo by Kevin Currie.
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Yanceyville folk and gospel group, the Badgett Sisters. Photo by Roger Manley. Albums available for listening in the music archive of the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.
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The album cover of Black Pearls by Hamlet jazz musician John Coltrane. Available for listening in the music archive of the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.

 

Cover Image Caption: Album cover of Rhythm and Soul by Durham R&B, soul, and rock artist Clyde McPhatter. Available for listening in the music archive of the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.

 

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Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is in its third week of Summer Break

Summer Break gets adventurous in Week 3!

June 21, 2019

Welcome to Week 3 of Summer Break! Did you know that people of all ages can participate in Summer Break program? We hope that all the members of your family are having a great time participating and logging reading time and activities. Summer Break 2019 will run from June 1, 2019 until August 10, 2019. If you have any questions about Summer Break, check out how the program works and sign up here.

Digital Branch

Summer is a great time to enjoy the outdoors, but if you are ready to beat the heat, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library has you covered. Stay in the cool air conditioning and access our digital branch any time! Available 24/7 here, the Digital Branch has a variety of offerings for all ages. Find fabulous reads, literacy extension activities, and Active Reading tips on the Storytime Train. Tune in and try out one of our podcasts. Get to know our users by viewing videos in “Telling Our Story,” or watch the dialogue develop around local hot topics in Community Conversations.The Digital Branch has something for everyone to enjoy, no matter the time or location!

ImagiCON 2019

Summer is a great time for kids to explore their creativity! Pencil in Saturday, July 20, as a date for people ages 0-18 and their families to do just that at our 4th annual ImagiCON. Visit ImaginOn: The Joe and Joan Martin Center for a fun day exploring comic books, graphic novels, cosplay, gaming, and more. Meet artists, gaming technology leaders, and attend panels between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Find out more at ImaginOn’s website here.

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. 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.

Check Out Exciting Upcoming Programs! 

If you are looking for even more to do, all our branches have great programs throughout the summer. Did you know that attending a library event can count as a learning activity? Our libraries are hosting some wonderful programs this summer. Visit our online calendar to see a complete listing and register.

Remember: all libraries will be 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, give us a call at 704-416-0101 or email us at [email protected].

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Landis Wade brings literature to life with the Charlotte Readers Podcast

Landis Wade brings literature to life with the Charlotte Readers Podcast

June 24, 2019

What does Landis Wade do?

Everything! And the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is thrilled to be along for the ride! If you’re local to Charlotte, the name “Landis” might ring a bell. An avid outdoorsman, public speaker, self-described "recovering  trial lawyer," award-winning author and host of the exciting Charlotte Readers Podcast, Landis is a native Charlottean (he graduated from Myers Park High School in 1975!) who’s making waves in the literary community. Even better? In spring 2019, the Library teamed up with him to host the Charlotte Readers Podcast!

Through the Charlotte Readers Podcast, Landis provides a platform where Charlotte-area authors, and those visiting the city, can “give voice to their written words” by reading or discussing their noteworthy works – published or emerging. Landis encourages guests to share stories and poems that evoke the emotions, followed by the kind of questions and answers that provide in-depth insight to the readings.

Hosting Charlotte Readers Podcast is a natural fit for the Library, which is an essential connector of a thriving community of readers, leaders and learners. It’s an opportunity to introduce the community to a variety of authors and writers through a growing medium in a location they can access without a subscription or special app.

Are you a fan of Landis? When he's not spending time with his beautiful wife, Janet, their two children, Jordan and Hamilin, or spending time at his cabin in the North Carolina mountains (where he likes to  read, write, hike, bike, golf and fly-fish), you can keep up with him and the latest episodes of theCharlotte Readers Podcast.

The seventh season of the Charlotte Readers Podcast begins in September 1, 2020. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE CURRENT SEASON AND ALL AVAILABLE EPISODES.

Also, be sure to follow the Charlotte Readers Podcast on social media:

Twitter: @charlottereader

Facebook: @charlottereaderspodcast

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The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is in Week 4 of its Summer Break programming

Take a peek behind the scenes of Summer Break

June 26, 2019

It’s week four of Summer Break! Hopefully you’ve been logging your reading time and activities, but if you haven’t, it’s not too late to enroll in the program and join in on the fun. You can even backdate your reading time to the start of the program, June 1. Keep reading, learning and exploring through the end of the program, August 10, 2019.

Making sure you get rewarded for a summer well spent

Library staff have been working hard preparing for Summer Break since September 2018 – developing recommended reading lists, engaging programs and fun incentives.

One of the biggest tasks for the team that manages the Summer Break program is choosing, ordering and sorting all the cool incentives you receive upon completion of the program. This year:

  • babies and children earn a new, popular book;
  • teens earn either a new, popular book OR a drawstring library tote;
  • and adults earn either a car magnet OR notebook.

Once incentives are chosen, the team works with the Marketing and Communications Department to create and order lots of flyers, posters and other print materials to help us tell you all about the program. Printed pieces are sorted and distributed to all 20 library locations.

Staff then order what feels like an ocean of books for babies, children and teens. Each box must be opened, organized and sorted so that every library location has just the right selection of books for participants to choose from when they complete Summer Break.

Staff also sort drawstring book totes, notebooks and car magnets so that teen and adult completers have a variety of colors to choose from at their library location. Check out the beautiful bright yellow!

Once boxes are sorted and labeled, they are taken to the dock to be delivered to library locations.

A lot of hard work is put into Summer Break with the goal of participants enjoying the program and having fun reading and learning all summer long.

To learn more about how the Summer Break program works, and how you can sign up to participate, visit summerbreak.cmlibrary.org.

REMINDER: all library locations 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].

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Scaleybark Library relocating to a new home fall 2019

Scaleybark Library relocating to a new home fall 2019

June 27, 2019

We’re excited to inform you Scaleybark Library will soon move to a new, larger home! This fall, we expect to move into our new location at 4429 South Boulevard, approximately 0.4 miles south of our current location. The new location is currently under construction, and as we near completion, we’ll have more information to share with you about Library services and about a Grand Opening date to celebrate.  

Why is the Scaleybark Library moving? The new location is nearly three times the size of the current branch. This larger footprint will offer more room for programs, services, community and meeting rooms, and resources. We’re bringing you these changes based on your feedback, and with funding from Mecklenburg County. 

As construction proceeds, we'll provide more information so customers can understand service options during the move to the new location and keep you engaged with the library. Your patronage is vitally important to us, so please stay tuned for more information. You can find updates on all Library building projects at www.cmlibrary.org/building-projects.  

In the meantime, Scaleybark Library is still open and operating as usual at 101 Scaleybark, Charlotte 28209. This is the perfect time to stop in, sign up for Summer Break, attend a program, or check out materials. We value you as a customer and look forward to sharing the exciting changes to our relocated library with you when we re-open!