CQ Researcher provides in-depth, unbiased coverage of political, social, environment, education, technology, and health issues in the form of research reports. Each reader-friendly report is researched and written by seasoned journalist.
Credo is an easy-to-use tool for gathering information and starting research. Information on topics come from from hundreds of full-text encyclopedias, dictionaries, quotations, and subject-specific titles. This resource also includes 500,000+ images and audio files and over 1,000 videos.
CultureGrams, gives you the world at your fingertips. CultureGrams goes beyond basic facts and figures with local perspectives on more than 200 countries, detailing daily life and culture, including history, customs, and lifestyles.
CultureGrams World Edition contains reports on approximately 200 countries and territories focusing on language, personal appearance, greetings, visiting, family, life cycle, and more. Browse by Region, Country or Continent. Maps, flags, country data, audio files, and recipes are included for each country.
Daily Life Through History is a collection of e-books about life during different periods of history. These historical period includes Ancient Rome, Greece and Egypt, the middle ages, the Renaissance, colonial times, the Civil War and World War I and II. In additions topics such as the role of women and children, food and clothing, and work conditions are covered, as well as a time line of major events.
One of the world's largest databases of industry and company information, with contact information, sales and employee figures. Searchable by yellow page heading, SIC code, geography, and more. Formerly Reference USA.
The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) provides access to millions of photographs, manuscripts, books, sounds, moving images and more. These resources come from libraries, archives, and museums across the United States. You will find primary sources to use in school projects, academic research, family history research, and more.
Free practice tests for the North Carolina DMV Permit, Road Sign test, NC DMV Motorcycle test, and access to the NC Driver's Handbook in English and Spanish.
October 28, 2021
Early voting started October 21, 2021 through October 30, 2021. There are seven (7) early voting locations, which include these four Libraries:
Voting hours will vary. For all seven early voting locations and voting hours, please click here.
For more information, please visit the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections website here.
November 3, 2021
This promotion has ended.
Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the past year and focus on what you are thankful for. The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is thankful for YOU, our customers! And as a gift to our customers, we are selecting a small collection of e-books that will be available instantly with no waiting in our OverDrive/Libby resource.
This week only the below titles will be available to check out with no holds. If you currently have one of these titles on hold, your hold will be immediately filled! You can check out up to three of these titles. Enjoy!
Dune by Frank Herbert (e-book)
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (e-book)
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne (e-book)
The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi (audiobook)
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari (audiobook)
New Kid by Jerry Craft (youth audiobook)
How to Catch a Turkey by Adam Wallace (youth e-book)
Pete the Cat's 12 Groovy Days of Christmas (youth e-book)
The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco (teen fiction)
One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus (teen audiobook)
Promotion ends November 28, 2021 at 11:59 p.m.
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This blog was written by Amy Richard, library collections manager at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.
November 15, 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.
Business executive Sheryl Sandberg takes a simple view of workplace diversity. The billionaire and philanthropist said, “We are building products that people with very diverse backgrounds use, and I think we all want our company makeup to reflect the makeup of the people who use our products.” And that’s enough said.
In keeping with Sandberg’s work philosophy, diversity and inclusion (“D&I”) in the workplace would be a company priority. That follows in line as a response to the racial unrest in 2020 following the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and others. Street protests sprang up around the world as the events fueled the Black Lives Matter movement with growth and acceptance. So, last September, when Glassdoor, a company review website, published its survey about D&I with adult employees and jobseekers, their findings were not surprising. It revealed many survey participants check how companies address D&I, and value those companies that do.
Creating a diverse workplace is an understandable component to the process of a nation with growing multiracial populations. To react otherwise is to deny talent, expertise, and profit-making opportunities. And yet, the current efforts are lacking.
Diversity and Inclusion Strategist La’Wana Harris details several missteps when company management is not supportive of change. In her book, Diversity Beyond Lip Service: a coaching guide for changing bias, Harris writes that these include company management giving a deaf ear to new voices, minority hiring for company “window dressing,” and employees attending an unbiased training workshop without follow-up to pursue the training. Harris explains further in individual stories of failure and success for the cause of D&I, which she concludes needs strong and consistent support from committed company elites—typically, white men—to make the process work. Until then, the path is rocky with an unsteady ride.
An additional problem is the use of microaggressions in the workplace. Microaggressions are identified as “indirect expressions of racism, sexism, ageism, or ableism,” according to a June 2020 article in the Business Insider newspaper. Specifically, the article points out 14 troublesome comments and questions to minorities and others in marginalized groups. For example, the question to an African American woman asking if her hair is “real” may imply her appearance is unprofessional. As a response, the article recommends that question should not be asked and “natural hair, regardless of their ethnicity, should be accepted as professional and workplace-friendly.”
Repeated microaggressions can take a toll and cause stress such as racial trauma. In February 2019, the American Psychological Association published “Uncovering the Trauma of Racism” and identified workplace discrimination as a traumatizing act of racism, and thus, being a form of racial trauma. One book, with a featured booklist of this topic of workplace diversity, focuses on the possible hurt one can face in Right Within: how to heal from Racial Trauma in the Workplace by Minda Harts. She shares from her experiences, and from others, to unpack and expose painful work situations while moving on to heal herself and encourage the reader.
The previously mentioned booklist is “Creating Workplace Diversity.” It features eight library books detailing the goal achieving diversity in the workplace with personal stories, research, challenges, and inspiration.
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This blog was written by Lawrence Turner, adult services librarian at South County Regional Library.