Exciting changes are coming to Charlotte Mecklenburg Library online resources for 2021.
December 1, 2020
Changes are coming to Charlotte Mecklenburg Library online resources!! Many of the resources on the Library’s Resources page are provided by NC LIVE, North Carolina’s statewide cooperative. Every 3 years NC LIVE evaluates its resources by analyzing usage trends, reviewing feedback from libraries, evaluating accessibility and by looking at possible alternatives. Due to budgetary constraints, NC LIVE is not able to keep all resources so decisions must be made on which resources to renew, add or remove for the coming 3-year cycle.
Beginning January 1, 2021 resources being added to the Resources page include:
- Learning Express/PrepStep – replaces Teaching and Education Reference Center (TERC)
LearningExpress Library features online tutorials, practice tests, and e-books to help patrons of all ages. It offers job search and workplace skills improvement, skill building in reading, writing, math, and basic science, career certification and licensure exam prep, college and grad school entrance test prep, GED® test prep, and more.
Films on Demand: Just for Kids is a streaming movie service filled with educational videos children will want to watch – Sesame Street, The Electric Company, The Berenstain Bears, Franklin, and more. Games, songs, and other interactives are included to entertain, educate, and inspire young kids.
- Biography in Context – replaces Biography Reference Center
Biography in Context is a comprehensive database of more than 600,000 biographical entries of people throughout history, from around the world, and across all disciplines and subject areas.
- Transparent Language – replaces Mango Languages
Transparent Language provides a fun, effective, and engaging experience for learners of all levels looking to build their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in a foreign language. Combining extensive courses and supplemental resources for over 100 languages, including English, Transparent Language Online is the most complete language-learning system.
Beginning January 1, 2021 resources being removed from the Resources page include:
- CQ Magazine
- Auto Repair – see Chilton Library for automotive repair information
- Biography Reference Center
- Science in Context
- Teaching and Education Reference Center (TERC)
- Mango Languages
For our customers currently using Mango Languages and Teaching and Education Reference Center (TERC) resources, please be aware that any courses you are pursing for certification must be completed by December 31, 2020. Beginning January 1, 2021 you will no longer be able to access these resources.
Export Learning activity from Mango:
- Log into your Mango account
- Expand the menu by your username
- Click Activity
- This menu will allow you to view and download your recent learning activity. Change the dates to find all your learning activity. Click “Download CSV file” to download the report.
Export Learning Activity from TERC
- Log into your TERC account and navigate to your Class Progress. From here you can see your grades, course access, and login history. Please print anything you would like to save.
As always, you just need your library card or ONE Access number to access all of Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s resources. Don’t have a library card? Sign up here!
If you need more support or have questions, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library staff are available by email, chat, and phone.
How Does It Work?
We know it’s challenging for many of you to facilitate your own book clubs without having access to the Library’s extensive print collection. Luckily, we have options for you through our e-book and e-audiobook platforms. hoopla currently offers 10 checkouts per month, plus a collection of “bonus borrows” that won’t count against your monthly limits – and there are no waits on this special collection. OverDrive’s “always available” collections of classics, Indie authors and other featured titles also don’t count against your OverDrive checkout limits. 
One message Mecklenburg County officials want to make clear is that Mecklenburg County is under a Stay at Home Order, which was extended to May 8, 2020 by North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper on Thursday, April 23, 2020. This order mandates that residents stay home unless they are considered essential workers or need to make essential trips to the doctor or hospital, to the pharmacy for medical needs, or to secure food and beverage items at grocery stores and local restaurants. Residents are also permitted to go outside to walk their pets, get exercise and a few other activities listed on 
Mecklenburg County Deputy Health Director, Raynard Washington, also wants to clear up misconceptions regarding the populations most vulnerable for contracting COVID-19. It is important for residents to understand that everyone is at risk for contracting the virus. While there is no evidence suggesting genetic differences impact the spread of the disease, COVID-19 disproportionately affects the African American community due to greater employment in essential, customer-facing jobs, higher rates and earlier onset of underlying chronic health conditions and longstanding gaps in access to health care and other resources.
Online Chat - Online chat refers to communication that happens over the Internet in real time. It’s like having a conversation but you’re typing what you want to say instead of speaking. When we email each other, we usually wait for a response, sometimes for days. Participants in an online chat forum typically type short questions and responses so that it resembles an in-person conversation. See below (Ask A Librarian section) for information on how to use online chat to connect with Library staff.
a Librarian
