Charlotte, North Carolina, was first settled after colonists made their way down the Great Wagon Road. Northern colonies in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia had become crowded, so settlers went south to seek religious and economic freedom, as well as to take advantage of quality farmland. Native Americans used this trail for hunting, trading, and war long before the settlers used it to migrate south. The Native Americans named the trail “Warriors Path.” 

Conestoga Wagon, courtesy of Wikimedia. 

Before Charlotte was chartered in 1768 by the colonial North Carolina General Assembly, settlers called the area “Charlottetowne” after Queen Charlotte Sophia of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The settlers sought to honor Queen Charlotte’s husband, King George III, as well as to sway Assemblymen into making Charlotte the site of the county courthouse as a political bid. Courthouses enabled cities to grow economically by serving as a hub for visitors and business during quarterly sessions. The Assemblymen chartered the city of Charlotte in 1768 and entitled the city to a courthouse and a prison.  

The charter reads: 

“Be it therefore Enacted, by the Governor, Council, and Assembly, and by the Authority of the same, That the said Three Hundred and Sixty Acres of Land, so laid off by the Commissioners or Trustees as aforesaid, be, and the same is hereby constituted, erected, and established, a Town and Town Common, and shall be called by the name of Charlotte.” 

-- Acts of the North Carolina General Assembly, 1768; North Carolina. General Assembly; November 07, 1768 - December 05, 1768; Volume 23, Pages 759-783; CHAPTER XI. 

1766- The First Mecklenburg County Courthouse (modern interpretation). Courtesy of the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room. 

Mecklenburg County, the county in which the city of Charlotte exists, was also named in honor of Queen Charlotte. Charlotte’s birthplace was Mecklenburg-Strelitz, which is a province in present-day northern Germany. Queen Charlotte never actually visited our city, but one of her handwritten letters is housed at the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room in the Main Library: 

Queen Charlotte Letter, 1812. Courtesy of Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room. 

 

Who was Queen Charlotte anyway?   

George III (1738-1820), Queen Charlotte (1744-1818) and their Six Eldest Children. Courtesy of Zoffany Royal Collection Trust/© Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, 2014. 

Queen Charlotte Sophia was born in Mecklenburg-Strelitz (in the Holy Roman Empire) in 1744, to Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg and Princess Elisabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen. As a child, she was educated by a priest in botany, natural history and language, but focused her studies in housekeeping and religion. As demonstrated by the letter above, Charlotte learned how to read and write. These were rare skills for women during that time—her royal status permitted her to have access to education through multiple tutors.  

Unfinished portrait depicting the marriage of George III to Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz on 8 September 1761, Sir Joshua Reynolds. Courtesy of Royal Collection Trust. 

At 17 years old in 1761, Charlotte was engaged to King George III. She was an attractive option to wed because she was born in an “insignificant” part of Europe and would likely have no interest in politics; she was instructed by George III after their wedding “not to meddle” in politics, which she obeyed. However, she did have indirect political influence—she used her closeness to George III to keep herself informed and to recommend office appointments, as well as keep German interests in mind. She did not speak English at first but learned quickly. One observer commented, "She is timid at first but talks a lot, when she is among people she knows."  

View of Buckingham House from WH Pyne, The History of the Royal Residences, 1819 (Courtesy of the British Library).

Although St. James Palace was the official Royal residence, Queen Charlotte fell in love with Buckingham House, which she and George III moved into shortly after purchasing. She gave birth to 14 of her 15 children in the house that eventually became known as “The Queen’s House.” This property is now popularly known as Buckingham Palace. 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Opus 3 Dedication Page. Courtesy of Bibliorare. 

Queen Charlotte had a passion for music, so she brought a harpsichord with her from Germany and took lessons from Johann Christian Bach, son of Johann Sebastian Bach. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart once played the organ as Queen Charlotte sang on a family trip to England when he was 8 years old. Mozart later dedicated his Opus 3 to his beloved queen. On the dedication page he wrote, “Filled with pride and joy at daring to offer you a tribute, I was finishing up these sonatas to be laid at the feet of your Majesty [Queen Charlotte]; I was, I confess, drunk with vanity and thrilled with myself, when I spied the Genius of Music at my side.”  

Queen Charlotte (1744-1818) by Sir Allan Ramsay, ca. 1761-1769. Courtesy of Royal Collection Trust, https://www.rct.uk/collection/402413/queen-charlotte-1744-1818 

According to some genealogists, Queen Charlotte is informally considered the second biracial Queen of England. She was purportedly a direct descendent of Margarita de Castro e Sousa, a member of the African branch of the Portuguese Royal House. Early portraits of the Queen show that Charlotte had hints of African physical attributes. Sir Allan Ramsay painted many portraits of Queen Charlotte, seen above. Writings from the period also alluded to her “mulatto” appearance, meaning “one with mixed black and white ancestry.”  

As anti-slavery movements in England became more prevalent, royal portrait painters were instructed to soften “undesirable” features in their subjects’ faces. This included making Queen Charlotte’s skin tone appear lighter and manipulating other physical features. In fact, Ramsay’s Coronation portrait of Charlotte was distributed in England and the colonies to subtly stoke anti-slavery sentiment due to the prevalence of Charlotte’s African features.  

A photo of Kew Gardens, the royal botanical garden Queen Charlotte helped maintain. Photo by Kew Gardens. 

Queen Charlotte had a keen interest in botany and played a large role in expanding and preserving Kew Gardens, the Royal botanical gardens in Kew, England. She was known by the British public as the “Queen of Botany,” and botanists named the Bird of Paradise, a flower native to South Africa, the Strelitzia reginae in her honor. Charlotte turned to botany when she struggled with her mental health, which is when she planned the gardens of the Frogmore House in Windsor.  

Queen Charlotte was also a philanthropist, founding several orphanages in England. She founded and was named the Patron of the General Lying-in Hospital in London, which was later named The Queen’s Hospital and is now known as The Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital. Queen Charlotte was also known to offer aid to poor families, as well as helped struggling musicians. 

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Sources:  

Blakemore, Erin. “Meghan Markle Might Not Be the First Mixed-Race British Royal.” History. https://www.history.com/news/biracial-royalty-meghan-markle-queen-charlotte. Accessed August 2019. 

Cooper, Jean L. and Angelika S. Powell. “Queen Charlotte’s Letters.” http://people.virginia.edu/~jlc5f/charlotte/letter_intro.html. Accessed August 2019.  

“England’s 18th Century Black Queen, Sophie Charlotte born.” AAREG. https://aaregistry.org/story/englands-first-black-queen-sophie-charlotte-born/. Accessed August 2019. 

Fraser, Flora. “Princesses: The Six Daughters of George III.” New York: Knopf, 2005. (CML Call No. 941.073 Fraser) 

Hanchett, Tom. “The History of Charlotte.” Charlotte. https://www.charlottesgotalot.com/articles/history/the-history-of-charlotte. Accessed August 2019. 

Hedley, Olwen. “Queen Charlotte.” London: J. Murray, 1875. (NCR B C479c H455) 

“History Timeline, Rural Beginnings 1730-1772, 1776- The First Mecklenburg County Courthouse.” Charlotte Mecklenburg Story. https://www.cmstory.org/exhibits/history-timeline-rural-beginnings-1730-1772/1766-first-mecklenburg-county-courthouse. Accessed August 2019. 

“History Timeline, Rural Beginnings 1730-1772, 1768- Charlotte Chartered.” Charlotte Mecklenburg Story. https://www.cmstory.org/exhibits/history-timeline-rural-beginnings-1730-1772/1768-charlotte-chartered. Accessed August 2019.  

Jackson, Marshall R., III. “Great Wagon Road.” NCPedia.  https://www.ncpedia.org/great-wagon-road. Accessed August 2019.  

“Queen Charlotte (19 May 1744- 17 November 1818.” The Royal Family. https://www.royal.uk/. Accessed August 2019. 

Valdes y Cocom, Mario de. “The Blurred Racial Lines of Famous Families: Queen Charlotte.” South Carolina etv. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/secret/famous/royalfamily.html.  

Walk-Morris, Tatiana. “Five Things to Know About Queen Charlotte.” Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smartnews-arts-culture/5-things-you-didnt-know-about-queen-charlotte-180967373/. Accessed August 2019. 

SouthPark Regional Library can be found on the corner of Colony Rd and Carnegie Blvd. With over 26,000 square feet, there are spaces for studying, working, and browsing the collection. When you walk in, you will find our expanded Children’s Area, Community Room, and Café seating area. The upper floor houses our Computer Lab, makerspace, Teen Area and study rooms. Also on the second floor, the world language collection includes Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese, as well as Chinese, French, German and Spanish titles for children.

The SouthPark Mall is considered a staple of the SouthPark area. It is home to a variety of stores and restaurants. Whether you are looking to shop, grab a bite to eat, or just take a walk, SouthPark Mall is the place. Beside the SouthPark Mall stands Symphony Park, a large grassy lawn that holds many concerts and events throughout the year. Beginning in June, Symphony Park hosts the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra’s Summer Pops series, featuring a variety of music from popular cinematic soundtracks to opera performances.

If you are looking to go outdoors, check out nearby Park Road Park. The 72-acre park holds baseball fields, basketball courts, tennis courts, a volleyball court and a playground. Scenic walking trails surround a centrally located lake with piers. The area is also home to nearby Little Sugar Creek Greenway. The Little Sugar Creek Greenway, beginning at Tyvola Rd, runs for 4.8 miles. The greenway accommodates walkers, runners and bikers alike. It even includes a bridge connecting over to Park Road Park.

The Levine Jewish Community Center is a diverse, inclusive, multi-cultural community center, open to everyone of all faiths. The Levine JCC has a fitness center with indoor basketball courts, racquetball courts, tennis courts, and indoor and outdoor pools. The facilities host sports programs for youth and adults, summer camps, and cultural arts activities. The surrounding Shalom Park holds the Jewish Federation for Greater Charlotte, Jewish Family Services, Temple Beth El, Temple Israel, the Foundation of Shalom Park, the Charlotte Jewish Preschool, the Charlotte Jewish Day School, and the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization, as well as the Center for Jewish Education, Temple Beth El, Temple Israel, the Foundation of Shalom Park, the Charlotte Jewish Preschool, the Charlotte Jewish Day School, the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization, and the Center for Jewish Education and the Center for Jewish Education.

The Mint Museum Randolph, located around 15 minutes away, has galleries with the art of the ancient Americas, ceramics and decorative arts, and European and African art, among other collections. Located in what was the original branch of the United States Mint, the Mint Museum Randolph opened in 1936 as North Carolina’s first art museum. Additional areas of interest within the museum include a reference library, a theater featuring lectures and performances, and a museum store. Visit on Wednesday evenings from 5-9 p.m. for free admission!

With a variety of restaurant options available around the area, it is no surprise that the SouthPark staff have a few favorites. Renaissance Patisserie is a local café that offers French pastries, traditional baguettes, and the home of Charlotte's only Kouign "Queen" Amann. Another favorite is Milk Cha Cha, a boba tea shop providing a unique experience by using fresh fruits, fresh dairy and premium loose-leaf teas. The area is also home to Café Monte, a French Bistro serving classic Provence-style dishes and pastries made using local ingredients.

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

Resources:

• SouthPark Regional Library - 7015 Carnegie Blvd Charlotte, NC 28211 | 704-416-5400
• Café Monte - 6700 Fairview Rd Charlotte, NC 28210 | 704-552-1116
• Levine Jewish Community Center - 5007 Providence Rd Charlotte, NC 28226 | 704-366-5007
• Little Sugar Creek Greenway
• Milk Cha Cha - 4620 Piedmont Row Dr Suite 170A Charlotte, NC 28210 | 980-298-6226
• Mint Museum Randolph - 2730 Randolph Rd Charlotte, NC 28207 | 704-337-2000
• Park Road Park - 6220 Park Rd Charlotte, NC 28210
• Renaissance Patisserie - 6401 Carnegie Blvd #4A Charlotte, NC 28211 | 980-819-8771
• SouthPark Mall - 4400 Sharon Rd, Charlotte, NC 28211 | 704-364-4411
• Summer Pops - 4400 Sharon Rd, Charlotte, NC 28211

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This blog post was written by Kristin Wilkins, library assistant for Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.

When you think of May 5, does your mouth water in anticipation of the food, libations and festivities that generally accompany the holiday? If so, it's time to learn the significance behind modern-day Cinco de Mayo celebrations. More than a flavorful fiesta – Cinco's historical significance is important and relevant to events still affecting the country today. While Cinco de Mayo celebrations are prominent in the United States, May 5 is not as widely celebrated in its land of origin.

So, why is May 5 important? It was on that day in 1862 that the Mexican army defeated the French at the Battle of Puebla during the French-Mexican war. Although Mexicans won that battle, the French returned to capture Puebla the following year. The battle at Puebla is significant because it established Mexico as a force to be reckoned with. In fact, five years later, Mexicans troops proved their resiliency against foreign domination again by overthrowing the government and reestablishing themselves as an independent republic.

And, while it is customary in the U.S. to throw large, Mexican-themed parties, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated in Mexico mainly in the state of Puebla with military parades and battle reenactments.

Ultimately, Cinco de Mayo commemorates the bravery, culture, traditions, folklore and contributions of the Mexican people and their descendants to societies across the world. To learn more about Mexican culture, including food, folklore and more, check out our Celebrate Cinco de Mayo book list.

Photo credit: public domain

As somebody who loves fashion and is a working designer, it can be equal parts exhilarating and daunting to keep up with the latest industry practices. The dizzying world of high fashion is ever changing with new design processes, technology and trends popping up every few months. Fast fashion and the internet have completely changed the fashion landscape and it can be a strenuous process sifting through the thousands of blogs, websites and Op-Ed pieces to find reliable information about the latest fashion news. Sure, there are plenty of reference books in Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s catalog about fashion from a historical perspective, but what about resources for the modern designer? You may not think of your local library as a place where you can get those resources, but you’d be mistaken. What if I told you that you can get access to intensive coursework covering all aspects of the fashion design process, taught by industry leaders for FREE? You can with access to LinkedIn Learning through the Library’s catalog of digital resources.

(l to r): showing some of my designs at a recent fashion show, and in my home studio working on a pattern

LinkedIn Learning is an online educational site that includes over 3,000 courses in popular fields like web design, web development, IT, education/instruction, media production, and yes, fashion design. There are several different learning paths you can take and I chose the path called “Become a Fashion Designer.” This 20-hour course is filled with videos and learning activities in subjects like color theory, Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, pattern design and much more. Twenty hours may sound like a lot of time to invest, but the lessons are broken up into sub-categories ranging from one to four minutes each. Each course is self-guided and taught by industry leaders that know everything from the basics to the latest techniques. I love the flexibility to start and stop whenever I feel and not lose my progress, which is perfect for working professionals. I’ve even been able to watch a few courses while on the treadmill at the gym or while sewing a project at home.

Upon completion of the course, you receive a LinkedIn Learning Certificate showing that you have successfully completed the lessons and now have mastery of that skill. This is great to add to your resume or LinkedIn profile as a professional tool. The best part is that all of this was free to me (and to you too) just by using my Library card. Don’t have one? Get your own here.

Want to get started on your own learning track? Checkout LinkedIn Learning today.

Access LinkedIn Learning

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

It happened again on Saturday May 14, another mass murder by a gunman in the United States. This time in Buffalo, New York, African Americans were targeted at a grocery store with 10 dying. A young white adult was charged with the shooting and arrested on the scene.

The accused killer currently faces first-degree murder charges. Due to the nature of the crime, NPR reported “Officials have said they are investigating the mass shooting as a racially motivated hate crime and are also considering a terrorism charge. Separately, the FBI is investigating the shooting as both a hate crime and racially motivated violent extremism.”

Hate crimes are defined as “crimes committed on the basis of the victim’s perceived or actual race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability,” at the federal level by the Department of Justice and most states use similar wording in their laws.

As the crime investigation of the incident is underway the nation’s stunned reaction may be fading, but the affected community is processing and coping. Buffalo as a whole, of course, is affected, yet the attack was in a predominately Black neighborhood in one of the nation’s most racially segregated cities by news accounts. The shooting stings Blacks for being singled out only for their race and the result for many may be traumatizing. And granted, the nation has had recent tragic news stories of other racial minorities preyed upon too for hateful reasons. However for Blacks, the massacre double downs on the attitudes of otherness in the United States and being vulnerable. As expected, a new Washington Post and Ipsos poll of African American residents find a noticeable dip of 43% to 34% to the question whether it is a good time to be Black in America today.

A People magazine report of the story shared the anguish by one woman’s plea. “[Inside] Buffalo’s True Bethel Church, the pain was raw and personal. ‘One young lady at church on Sunday had lost a family member,’ explained Bishop Darius Pridgen. ‘She hollered out over and over, ‘Why? Why do they hate us so much?’”   

 Connecting some dots as to why such extreme violent acts occur may be found in reading about the topic of hate crime in the Library.  Check this booklist for books to read, including several written specifically for the teenage audience. These books are based on the church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina at Mother Emanuel AME Church and detail grief, healing and forgiveness for some victims involved. Readers would likely find some circumstances echo what occurred in Buffalo.

An additional catalog subject search for “hate crime” can find resources including more e-book and video entries that focus on different populations and attitudes as well as true crime stories and novels.   

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The blog was written by Lawrence Turner, an adult services librarian at South County Regional Library.

It's that wonderful time of year - Summer Break! Take you and your family’s summer learning to the next level with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Summer Break 2022 Challenge. Our summer learning challenge starts June 1 and ends August 13. The community is challenged to read 10 million minutes together.

Register for the challenge online by visiting our website or downloading the app, Beanstack Tracker. Your free account allows you to track reading time and learning activities to earn prizes and collect virtual badges. Even tracking Queen Charlotte can be logged into Beanstack as an activity. Find Queen Charlotte at your local branch, visit the Queen Charlotte Walks in Her Garden statue in uptown Charlotte, or take a selfie with Queen Charlotte. The possibilities of reaching 1,200 points to complete the summer break challenge are endless!

Exciting Programs

Though our Summer Break 2022 program can be completed entirely online, our libraries are hosting some wonderful programs this summer. Check out these upcoming programs that you can attend in person, as well as access from home. We have something for everyone!

Comments? Questions?

Are you having problems with the Summer Break 2022 website or your account?  Do you have questions about the program?  Feel free to chat with us online or email us at [email protected] for help or feedback.

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The 2022 Summer Break program is brought to you by Charlotte Mecklenburg Library with additional support from Wendy’s, Charlotte Football Club's Greater Goals and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation.  

The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library has amazing business resources. Many people are not aware that the Library has anything beyond children’s storytimes and novels. But if you are thinking about starting a business or have an ongoing business and would like to expand, we have data for you. Your taxes have paid for these resources, so why pay someone else to gather what you already have access to?

Can you use a list of businesses? Data Axle Reference Solutions is a business directory for the entire United States. You can select the industry, the geography, the number of employees and then create a list of businesses with contact names, addresses, phone numbers and more.

Do you need to know what’s going on in your industry or your customer’s industry? ABI/Inform Collection has industry reports from Dun & Bradstreet, Plunkett, and other global publishers. These show the state of the industry, regulations, challenges, opportunities, ratios, and what’s on leadership’s radar.

Will you be selling to a select demographic? SimplyAnalytics allows you to create maps to show dense geographic areas where your potential clients live. There are 8,000+ variables of age, income, housing, spending habits, and so much more you can map or put into spreadsheets to analyze. 

These are only 3 of several resources available to use for your business planning. 

You don’t have to spend hours watching tutorials or reading instructions to use these databases. Book a 1-hour time slot for a 1-on-1 video call with a librarian here. Pick a session that suits your schedule and register. You’ll receive an email with the Zoom link for that session.

Meet our business Librarian

Mimi Curlee is a 30-year reference librarian who has shown hundreds of business people how to use these databases for their specific needs. She will be glad to work with you to find data you can use for your business success. Sign up for a 1-on-1 video call here.

Each summer, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library encourages people of all ages to participate in our summer learning program, Summer Break. There are lots of reasons why! We think one of the best parts of Summer Break is hearing from participants about all the wonderful, little, powerful, or unexpected ways that the program has impacted their lives. Because of this, we thought it would be nice to have a giveaway for participants who share what they love about Summer Break with us.  

Big or Small – Share Your Summer Break Experience with Us 

One of the things customers share most frequently is how Summer Break fosters a love of reading. Have you found a great book this summer?  

Summer Break includes six activities in addition to reading such as create, explore, give, play, write, and new this year, Queen Charlotte. Has Summer Break inspired you to try a new hobby, play a game, or attend a concert or play? What virtual badge or activity has been your favorite this summer? Let us know about it! 

During Summer Break, the Library hosts a variety of programs both online and in person for all age groups. Have you attended any exciting, engaging, or helpful programs this summer? Let us know about it! 

Share your story of how Summer Break has impacted you this summer and get entered into a drawing to win a bag of books and Library swag. 

How to Share Your Story with Us 

Stories can be submitted in three ways: email us at [email protected], the Contact Us form on Beanstack, or fill out a Story of Impact form next time you visit the library. For an entry to be eligible for the drawing it must include an email address so the prize winner can be notified. Drawings will happen randomly throughout the summer until August 13, 2022. 

Queen Charlotte submitted a fabulous Story of Impact recently, “I’ve had a fabulous time participating in Summer Break this year! I love reading to my children and logging the reading we do together! They’ve all greatly enjoyed our nightly reading sessions! I also love the Queen Charlotte activities. What fun it’s been to visit my statue near ImaginOn and see my likeness in many of the libraries around Charlotte.”  

Comments? Questions? 

Are you having problems with the Summer Break 2022 website or your account?  Do you have questions about the program?  Feel free to chat with us online or email us at [email protected] for help or feedback. 

The 2022 Summer Break program is brought to you by Charlotte Mecklenburg Library with additional support from Wendy’s, Charlotte Football Club's Greater Goals and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation. 

Written by Kristi Madron, children’s librarian at SouthPark Regional Library

Summer is in swing, and for most parents, that means leaving behind all the pressures of school until the fall. But these last couple of years have had an outsized impact on some kids. Reading proficiency scores, which determine how well a child will do in school overall, have completely dropped significantly. Only a small percentage of kids are now reading on grade level. If your child is one of those kids who needs some help to level up, the library and some amazing volunteers have a couple programs to help kids in kindergarten through fifth grade improve their literacy this summer.

Paws to Read is an in-person program where volunteers with licensed therapy dogs help children practice reading skills. Studies show that time spent reading and an environment of enjoyment around reading has a measurable impact on a child’s reading abilities. Therapy dogs provide an uncritical ear and reduce stress hormones and anxiety. Kids will get one on one attention and an experience of reading that isn’t high-pressure.

Currently, six libraries are offering regular and on-going Paws to Read therapy dog sessions: Matthews, Mountain Island, North County, South County, SouthPark and Steele Creek. Schedule a session here

Reading Buddies is available in-person this summer in select locations. Children set up a regular weekly appointment to read 30 minutes with a specific volunteer. The summer sessions begin on June 21st and last until July 30th, for a total of six weeks. A responsible adult should remain in the library during the session, and attendees should arrive a few minutes before their session is to begin so they can select a book and get signed in. Adult volunteers will use Active Reading practices to ask questions, build vocabulary and connect to the child’s world.

This program is available this summer at four locations: Matthews, North County, SouthPark, and University City. You’ll need to contact the children’s department by phone or in-person to schedule your child for their weekly slot. See cmlibrary.org/branches for phone numbers and addresses of these locations. There are also virtual Reading Buddy appointments. To set up a virtual regular appointment, click here

Masks are currently required for all one-on-one sessions. All adult volunteers have passed a background check and have received training for these programs.

These programs could make a big difference for how your child approaches reading this fall. If they are all full, however, please stop by the children’s desk at your favorite location and ask for recommendations, it’s one of the best part of the job!

Summer means school is out, family is on vacation and there’s plenty of time to read or enjoy other educational activities. Take your summer learning to the next level with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Summer Break 2022 Challenge. Our Summer Break 2022 programs can be found online and IN-PERSON! This summer, the Library is hosting some wonderful programs online. Check out the available online programming on the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library calendar.   

Thursdays at 11 a.m., the Library will host fun presenters on the ImaginOn Facebook page such as Center for Puppetry Arts, Charlotte Mecklenburg Frontline Puppeteers, Japanese Folktales & Origami and Will Parker and the Make Believe Band. Here is a full listing of events in the Summer of Stories series. 

Wanting to join the Library for some in person programs? We have that too! Check out the available in person programming on the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library calendar. Some branches are having in person storytimes for little ones as well as fun STEAM programs! There are a variety of gaming programs offered if you want to explore chess, board games, or video games. 

 Reading, Fun Activities  and an App  

Visit our website or download the app, Beanstack Tracker to track your reading time and learning activities to collect  virtual badges and prizes. This summer we challenge everyone to log 1200 points. At least 600 of those points must be earned through reading (equal to 10 hours of reading). Each activity is worth 20 points and may be used to supplement a program. Continuing to read throughout the summer will help us reach our goal of reading 10 million minutes as a community. 

Comments? Questions?  

Are you having problems with the Summer Break 2022 website or your account?  Do you have questions about the program?  Feel free to chat with us online or email us at [email protected]  for help or feedback.  

The 2022 Summer Break program is brought to you by Charlotte Mecklenburg Library with additional support from Wendy’s, Charlotte Football Club's Greater Goals and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation.