This blog was written by Serena Guest, library collections associate, at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.

Did you know that with your Charlotte Mecklenburg Library card you have access to over 30,000 independent movies and documentaries? Kanopy offers a multitude of titles for your viewing pleasure and Charlotte Mecklenburg Library customers can view up to 6 films per month. Learn more about Kanopy here.

Check out the top five titles Charlotte Mecklenburg Library users have viewed and enjoyed over the past month:

As They Made Us (2022) - Abigail (Dianna Agron), a divorced mother of two, who is struggling to balance the dynamic forces within her dysfunctional family as she attempts to cultivate new love. This movie is rated R.

A Promise (2013) - Alan Rickman stars in this simmering early 20^th- century love story about a triangle between an aging factory owner, his young bride (Rebecca Hall) and his handsome protégé. This movie is rated R.

Spencer (2021) The marriage of Princess Diana (Kristen Stewart) and Prince Charles (Jack Farthing) has long since grown cold. Though rumors of affairs and a divorce abound, peace is ordained for Christmas festivities at the Queen’s Sandringham Estate. But this year, things will be profoundly different. Spencer is the imagining of what might have happened during those few fateful days. This movie is rated R.

God’s Pocket (2014) - Philip Seymour Hoffman and Christina Hendricks star in this deliciously twisted comedy about life and death on the mean streets of Philadelphia. This movie is rated R.

Monster Be Good! (2012) - With Monster Be Good!, little ones are invited to lead some wily monsters into becoming more well-behaved happy creatures. This short kids movie is rated G and also available in Spanish and Hindi.

Happy viewing!

Did you know that you can continue to stay connected to the Library while staying home? How would you like to participate in a virtual storytime with your family or receive resume help all from the comfort of your couch? Join Charlotte Mecklenburg Library every week for a wide range of online programming for children, teens and adults. See a complete listing of this upcoming programming for the week of 12/28/2020 below. Click the corresponding links for more information and register for programs where applicable.

Learn more about online programming by clicking here

Monday 12/28

LIBRARY CLOSED- NO PROGRAMMING

Tuesday 12/29       

Family Storytime – 9:30 a.m. (Children's programming)  Learn more

Book a Librarian - Business Research – 11 a.m. (Adult programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 11 a.m. (Children's programming)   register

Career Development Intensive Coaching – 12 p.m. (Adult programming)  register

Career Development Intensive Coaching – 12:30 p.m. (Adult programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 1 p.m.  (Children's programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 2 p.m.  (Children's programming)  register

Creating Resumes for the Job Help Center – 2 p.m. (Adult programming)  register

Book a Librarian - Technology – 2 p.m.   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 2 p.m. (Children's programming)    register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 3 p.m. (Children's programming)   register

Hear Me Now: Letter Writing for Change – 3 p.m. (Adult programming)  Register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 3 p.m.  (Children's programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 4 p.m. (Children's programming)   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 5 p.m. (Children's programming)   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 6 p.m. (Children's programming)   register

Wednesday 12/30

Family Storytime – 9:30 a.m. (Children's programming)  Learn more

Active Reading Family Workshop- Part 2 – 11 a.m. (Adult programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 11 a.m. (Children’s programming)   register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 1 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 2 p.m. (Children’s programming)   register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 2 p.m.  (Children's programming)  register

Book a Librarian – Technology – 2 p.m. (Adult programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 3 p.m. (Children's programming)   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment - 3 p.m. (Children's programming)   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment - 4 p.m. (Children's programming)   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment - 5 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment - 6 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

Thursday 12/31

Family Storytime – 9:30 a.m. (Children's programming)  Learn more

One-on-One EReader Tutoring – 10 a.m. (Adult programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 11 a.m. (Children’s programming)  register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 1 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment – 2 p.m. (Children’s programming)   register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 2 p.m.  (Children's programming)   register

Book a Librarian – Technology – 2 p.m. (Adult programming)   register

Virtual Reading Buddies – 3 p.m. (Children's programming)   register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment - 3 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

One-on-One Tutoring and Enrichment - 4 p.m. (Children's programming)  register

Friday 1/1

LIBRARY CLOSED- NO PROGRAMMING

Saturday 1/2

Family Storytime – 9:30 a.m. (Children's programming)  Learn more

2020 is coming at an end, so let's take a look at which books were the most popular with Charlotte Mecklenburg Library readers this year. We pulled circulation data for our adult fiction (both print and digital), adult nonfiction, young adult fiction and children’s books.

A few listings stood out this year:

• There are three holdovers from last year’s fiction lists.  Where the Crawdads Sing, Little Fires Everywhere and Nine Perfect Strangers made the list again. Little Fires Everywhere makes its third appearance in a row on this list.
   
• Where the Crawdads Sing was the most popular novel in both the physical and digital formats for the second year in a row.
   
• Michelle Obama’s Becoming was the third most popular print nonfiction book this year after finishing first last year. It will be interesting to see if President Obama’s memoir can make a similar impact over the next two years.
   
• Four of the top ten digital nonfiction titles are social justice, anti-racism and equity titles. This is likely due to the social justice and anti-racism movements across the country and in our community. It’s also due to the commitment made by the Library to offer more titles and access to titles on social justice, anti-racism and equity. We purchased unlimited digital access to seven titles on these topics and also increased print purchases. The unlimited access contributed to the four titles being in the top 10 of digital nonfiction. The titles were also popular in print but they just didn’t make the top 10, but they were close.
   
• It’s another big year for Jeff Kinney and Mo Willems. They dominated the children’s books list again, as they have over the last few years.
   
• The young adult graphic novel Sisters is the first graphic novel to make the top ten list.
   

Adult Print Fiction

Find this list in our catalog

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
The Guardians by John Grisham
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
Blue moon: A Jack Reacher Novel by Lee Child
Walk the Wire by David Baldacci
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
A Minute to Midnight by David Baldacci
Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano
 

Adult Fiction Digital

Find this list in our catalog

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
The Guardians by John Grisham
Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
 

Adult nonfiction Print

Find this list in our catalog

Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover
Too much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man by Mary L. Trump
Becoming by Michelle Obama
The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson
Talking to Strangers: What we Should Know About the People we Don’t Know by Malcolm Gladwell
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist and Our Lives Revealed by Lori Gottlieb
Rage by Bob Woodward
Untamed by Glennon Doyle
The Room Where it Happened: a White House Memoir by John Bolton
 

Adult nonfiction Digital

Find this list in our catalog

White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin J. DiAngelo
Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover
Becoming by Michelle Obama
Untamed by Glennon Doyle
How to Be an Antiracist by IbramX. Kendi
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed by Lori Gottlieb
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson
The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson
Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know by Malcolm Gladwell
I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown
 

Children’s Fiction    

Find this list in our catalog

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Wrecking Ball by Jeff Kinney
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Meltdown by Jeff Kinney
Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid: Rowley Jefferson’s Journal by Jeff Kinney
Pigeon has to go to school! by Mo Willems
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Greg Heffley's Journal by Jeff Kinney
I Broke my Trunk! by Mo Willems
A Big Guy Took my Ball! by Mo Willems
Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin
Pete the Kitty Goes to the Doctor by Kim Dean
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel by Jeff Kinney
           

Young Adult Fiction

Find this list in our catalog

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Sisters by Raina Telgemeier
The Tyrant's Tomb by Rick Riordan
American Royals by Katharine McGee
The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Midnight Sun by Stephanie Meyer
The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
One of us is Lying by Karen McManus
 

Be sure to access our catalog and start helping us compile next year’s list.
 

--

This blog was written by Ed McDonald, librarian, at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library

It’s the most wonderful time of the year at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library! As the temperatures start plummeting, the “great indoors” are calling. ‘Tis the season for binging your favorite indie films and documentaries, and Kanopy is here to help. With a vast array of independent films, documentaries and children’s movies, there is something on Kanopy for the entire family. It’s true and completely free with your library card!

Check out the For the Holidays playlist on Kanopy to discover great holiday films to get you in the seasonal spirit.

Learn more about Kanopy  and checkout limits here. Need a library card? Sign up here. 

Happy Holidays from Charlotte Mecklenburg Library!

View Holiday Movies Playlist

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.

Recently, HBO Max aired The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion, a wonderful reminder of the excellence and portrayal of Black lives on television screens through the years. Indulging this taste of nostalgia was enough for me to reflect on the influence and impact Black representation through TV had on my life growing up in the 80s and 90s. My mother was a library staff member, and my whole life was surrounded by books. Still, I always loved the visual imagery and story of a good TV show, especially a Black one.

I was born in the 80s, so my palate for Black representation on TV shows up in my life to this day. I was privileged to grow up in an era where the onscreen expression of Black life and family surpassed the motif of the Black struggle which was prominently displayed in 1970s programs such as Good Times. Good Times was the first Black, two-parent family sitcom on television, and the show addressed serious topics that highlighted struggles with which Black families of the time could relate. While the portrayal of Black life on Good Times was just one perspective, the producers (who were mostly white) wanted to keep the narrative of the Black struggle going. This resulted in much controversy surrounding the storylines given to characters, and the actors were critical of the show's direction as well. They wanted to show Black people in more prominent roles that would have a lasting impact on generations to come.

Enter The Cosby Show in 1984. Although I was a terrible two when this show began, there is no denying the impact this show had on kids my age. When I was old enough to tell time, I made sure that I was sitting in front of the TV to view this show in syndication every week. The Cosby Show highlighted a different perspective of Black life than what was shown by Good Times. Both shows possess something magical and relatable - Black culture along a spectrum - Black culture is rich. Still tackling Black people's issues with a comedic tone and setting us up to learn lessons, this Black, two-parent family expanded the sphere of a Black family's lived experiences. While not precisely emulating my childhood family life, it greatly impacted how I see family dynamics and relationships — I grew up wanting to be a lawyer because of Claire Huxtable. Her role as a Black woman, mother and professional set the standard for me. Her "I'm every woman," graceful, powerful and strong demeanor captivated me in a way that helps me show up in spaces as a whole human. Representation did that.

The children on The Cosby Show were different, and I could see the personalities of Sandra, Denise, Theo, Vanessa and Rudy reflected in the kids that I grew up around. Perhaps the Cosby kid's life that I followed most was that of Denise. Like many of my peers, I took the journey with her to Hillman College in the spin-off series, A Different World and I fell in love (it is my favorite TV show)! It exhibits the path that drove me to the halls of a higher learning institution; it forced me to independence and an experience that no one else in my family had yet taken. Because of A Different World, I dreamed bigger. I saw myself in each of the characters or what I thought I'd be one day. Those characters brought my dreams to life. Because of the representation that Dwayne, Whitley, Freddie, Kim, Ron, Jalisa and the rest of the gang displayed, I felt that going away to college was more attainable. I wanted it all! I wanted the experiences, I wanted to attend a historically Black college or university (HBCU) and to join a sorority all because of the impact and influence; most importantly, the representation of Black lives in these spaces. I learned that Black people are not monolithic - we all have different backgrounds and experiences that bind our Black existence and that is worthy of representation.

Now, I'm going to stop here at the most impactful Black television show in my life, but it’s certainly not the end of the representation that has been important for so many. I could go on, but I'm not trying to write a book - just a reflection of what Black representation did for my life.

However, I do want to briefly recognize some other shows as I close this article. Here’s a list of honorable mentions: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Living Single, Martin, Moesha, The Parent'Hood and Roc. All of these Black shows and more are where I saw myself and many others in my life. These shows are at the intersection of hope and, sometimes, reality. The lives of Black people on TV remind me that Black books, Black films, Black music, Black art, Black TV, Black plays, and Black lives matter—representation matters.

So, where did you find your inspiration and representation on the small screen? And how has it shown up in your life as an adult?

As for me, I couldn't imagine where I'd be if I didn't have the fictional visuals of Black people's experiences present through Black media - especially TV.

--

This blog post was written by De’Trice Fox of Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.

John Price Carr (1854-1927) was born to Thomas Milton and Rebecca Price Carr in the Hopewell community of Mecklenburg County. His father was a Methodist minister and died at a young age, which forced Carr to quit school and financially support his family. Despite obstacles in his young life, he rose as a leader and successful businessman in Charlotte’s First Ward community.  

John Price Carr, photo courtesy of the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room 

John Carr married Anna Elizabeth Little on February 14, 1878. Anna was the daughter of William Price and Hannah Sifford Little. Her father served as a Confederate soldier, was a farmer and former Mecklenburg County Sheriff.  

After their marriage, John Carr pursued several business opportunities. For a time, he raised and sold cattle alongside his brother, held an interest in a cotton gin, H.M. Bassamon & Co., and after selling this interest in 1891, he began buying land near North McDowell and E. 5th Street. By 1895, Carr owned and operated a moving company, in which he continued business throughout his life. When Presbyterian Hospital was about to close following a devastating fire in 1917, he and four other local businessmen stepped up to undersign a $40,000 loan to help the hospital buy the vacant Elizabeth College grounds. 

John Price Carr home, 200 N. McDowell, c. 1900 

John Price Carr’s moving business thrived, and he, Anna and their five children (Daisy Rebecca, Jonnie Little, Fannie Alice, Annie Price Wurzburg, and Laurie Milton), moved into a newly built house at 200 N. McDowell Street in 1904. After his death due to pneumonia in 1927, his family continued to live in their home until its sale in 1951. John Price Carr is buried in Elmwood Cemetery. 

The Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room houses the John Price Carr Family Papers, 1881-2008, which are only available for virtual research due to the COVID-19 crisis. Contact the Carolina Room’s Archivist for more information on how to access this collection: (704) 416-0150 or [email protected]. 

--

This blog was written by Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room staff.