You might have noticed your holds aren’t arriving as quickly as you’re used to. Or those Halloween titles you requested for your children weren’t on the shelves until well into December! Due to unprecedented supply chain delays and worker shortages, some titles have been delayed or canceled altogether. Books are sitting in warehouses or container ships for months, waiting for workers to process them and ship them to us.

We apologize for the longer than usual wait times, which are unfortunately a common problem right now, but please know we’re working our hardest to make sure the books, DVDs, audiobooks, and other library materials you love are in your hands as soon as we’re able to get them to you. We appreciate your patience and look forward to returning to the timely service you’ve come to expect!

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This blog was written by Bethany Pierce, librarian for Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.

What better place to fall in love than the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library? We don’t mean romantic love alone. All love is welcome here. Familial, platonic, volunteer, literary—you name it.

As an essential community connector, libraries are places where people fall in love with, and among, books – and we want to hear your story. Have you made a new a friend at a Library program or while serving as  a Library volunteer? Maybe a Library employee suggested to you a self-help book that changed the trajectory of your life and your love self. Or, maybe your dog helps shy readers conquer their fears of reading aloud each week through a Paws to Read program at your local library branch and inspiring literacy in children brings you joy.

That’s a whole lot of love to share.

This is your chance to let the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library know how we've helped you fall in love with financial literacy, locate your dream career or introduced you to a life-changing hobby. And, if really did brush hands with the love of your life while looking for a good read at the Library, we want to know about that too.

SHARE YOUR LIBRARY LOVE STORY by Friday, February 4, 2022.

*Collected stories will be lightly edited (punctuation, spelling, etc.) and used on the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library blog, social media platforms and in other areas where marketing the stories is deemed appropriate. Participation in this survey is voluntary and only first names will be used in public posts.

Thank you for sharing the love.

The Hickory Grove Branch Library is located on the Eastside of Charlotte, NC. This vibrant and eclectic neighborhood connects deeply with the immigrant community with everything from diverse restaurants and grocery stores to language immersion schools and of course, the library itself. The Hickory Grove Branch has a large world language collection for all ages with Spanish being the largest number of items represented in the collection. Additionally, ten other languages are represented including Vietnamese, Chinese, French, Japanese and Korean.

Within just a couple of miles from the library, this community has two Spanish language immersion education programs. Charlotte Bilingual Preschool for ages three through five has provided innovative solutions for preparing Spanish-speaking children for success in school by providing superior dual language, multi-cultural early childhood education. And they have been providing this educational service in the Hickory Grove neighborhood for over twenty-two years. In the other direction, located in the old Eastland Mall Parking lot, is the Charlotte East Language Academy for kindergarten through eighth grade.  The school was established in 2018 and is a Title I school.

The Hickory Grove neighborhood has several community organizations dedicated to helping newcomers settle into life here in the Queen City. OurBRIDGE for Kids is a nonprofit organization that supports the immigrant and refugee community in Charlotte by providing afterschool programming and other community-based initiatives. The Latin American Coalition is a community of Latin Americans, immigrants and allies that promotes full and equal participation of all people in the civic, economic, and cultural life of North Carolina through education, celebration and advocacy. Finally, the Simmons YMCA New American Welcome Center is designed to provide a combination of services and strategies to connect and enhance cross-cultural understanding. With a focus on language and education, employment, health and wellbeing, citizenship and civic engagement, and the Y helps empower immigrants to achieve their full potential.

East Charlotte is also home to the Charlotte History Museum. This museum features programs and exhibits that explore important civic themes and how their meaning has evolved over time, including ideals of liberty, freedom, equity, justice, democracy, and citizenship. The museum sits on an eight-acre wooded campus and it is also the site of the oldest surviving house in Mecklenburg County, the Rock House, which was built circa 1774 for the Hezekiah Alexander household. And if you need to grab a bite after a day at the museum, Antoine James, the Access Services Manager at Hickory Grove, highly recommends our area for its food and restaurants. His favorite? Why Not Pizza located right next door to Hickory Grove Library. They have everything from pizza and pasta, to subs and wings. It is a staff favorite for sure!

New to Charlotte? Explore other neighborhoods through the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library blog and WelcomeCLT, a digital space created for newcomers to Charlotte.

Resources:

• Hickory Grove Branch Library - 5935 Hickory Grove Rd, Charlotte, NC 28215 | 704-416-4400
• Charlotte Bilingual Preschool - 6300 Highland Ave, Charlotte, NC 28215 | 704-535-8080
• Charlotte History Museum - 3500 Shamrock Dr, Charlotte, NC 28215 | 704-568-1774
• Charlotte East Language Academy - 6108 Wilora Lake Rd, Charlotte, NC 28212 | 980-343-0380
• Latin American Coalition - 4938 Central Ave #1, Charlotte, NC 28205
• OurBRIDGE for Kids - 3925 Willard Farrow Dr, Charlotte, NC 28215 | 980-272-6022
• Why Not Pizza - 7008 E W.T. Harris Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28215 | 704-536-0891
• YMCA New American Welcome Center - 6824 Democracy Dr, Charlotte, NC 28212 | 704-716-6600

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This blog written by Lonna Vines, children's librarian for Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.

This blog was written by Jasmine McNeil, outreach specialist for Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.

The Black Entrepreneur Series (BE Series) highlights Black Businesses and business owners in the Charlotte area. Find out how these entrepreneurs got their start, by joining us every week for the month of February for in-depth interviews and Q&A.

WEEK 1 (2/1-2/4)

BE Series 2023: Simply Skin Face & Body Spa - Dr. Nicole Calhoun, owner of a well-known spa in South Charlotte. Find out how she got her start, some challenges along the way and her goals for the future.

WEEK 2 (2/6-2/11)

BE Series 2023: McNeil Pressure Washing LLC - Meet the owner/operator of a local family-owned business, Malcom McNeil. Find out what sets his company apart from similar businesses in the area, and how he got his start into entrepreneurship.

BE Series 2023: The Real Estate Butterfly Firm - Christy Mercer Forbes is the Owner/Broker of The Real Estate Butterfly Firm. Find out more about her business, and the moves she’s making to be successful.

WEEK 3: (2/13-2/17)

BE Series 2023: Monument Real Estate Partners - Meet Johnny Walker, a commercial Real Estate Broker. Find out about his road to success and get some great advice about how to become a successful business owner.

WEEK 4: (2/20-2/25)

BE Series 2023: Agape Therapeutic Wellness - Charday Graham discusses how she became the owner of her own mental health practice, and her journey to how she got to where she is now.

BE Series 2023: Royal Oils Grooming Company - Owner of Royal Oils Grooming Company, Andre Russell shares his beginning to entrepreneurship. Learn about his journey and his products.

View the entire BE Interview Series Playlist here

This blog was written by Darrell Anderson, marketing & communications specialist for Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.

The stock market can be intimidating. Getting help with financial planning and investments can be costly. Who do you trust, how much do you invest, when is the right time, how much do you need to start? Even DIY investing can be costly because of the fees associated with research sites. But, you can get started today with FREE resources available at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library. All you need is your library card.

Access online investment resources for FREE

With your library card, you have access to several online resources to help you get started with smart investing.

Marketscope Advisor (CFRA) provides independent, differentiated and actionable analysis to help you make better investment and business decisions. Includes S&P Global’s Equity and Fund Research business, a leading provider of independent research and commentary with offerings focused on stocks, ETFs and mutual funds as well as sectors and industries.

Mergent Online is an electronic database that is easy to use and has global business and financial data for companies worldwide.

Morningstar Investment Research Center offers real-time investment research; access to financial information about publicly traded companies, company contact information, company profiles and analyst reports; and industry peer comparisons.

Value Line Investment Survey offers advice on which stocks to buy, hold and sell. Access investment advice on stocks, industries, mutual funds, options and convertibles.

Check out some useful reading materials

In addition to the online resources and programs, the Library offers FREE investment e-magazines, magazines, periodicals and books. Access The Economist, Forbes and Entrepreneur in magazine or e-magazine formats. Check out books like The Only Investment Guide You’ll Ever Need by Andrew Tobias and The Handy Investing Answer Book by Paul Tucci for expert tips and tricks to make the best of your personal finances. Find these and more investment titles in our catalog.

The 2023 Community Read program is designed to help our community by creating community dialogue around themes of friendship and promoting a community of readers, learners and creating a platform for discussion. Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation and National Endowment for the Humanities, the Library is able to give away a limited number of books at our branch locations. Beginning February 1, 2023 customers can request a free copy of one of the four Community Read titles to keep.

Book pick up will continue while supplies last. Call or visit your local branch location for more information. Each of the four Community Read titles are available for checkout in our collection as well with a Library card.

Everyone in the community can participate in Community Read: read a book, share perspectives, attend a program, engage on social media and build a stronger community together.

Visit the Community Read page for additional information, to register for programs take join the Community Read challenge today.