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. 

Did you know hoopla Digital and Freegal Music have a vast array of music you can borrow and listen to? Everything from alternative to world music is at your reach. They even have fun categories to discover music like Groove Thing: House Music Anthems and The Sounds Of Stranger Things.

Discover new artists and reconnect with your favorites!  All you need to join in the fun is your Charlotte Mecklenburg Library card or One Access ID number!

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

Access hoopla here                 Access Freegal Music here

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

In 1875, St. Peter’s Hospital, the first non-military hospital in North Carolina, was founded to serve the underprivileged Charlotte community.  

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 1910 

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church formed the Church Aid Society after an inspiring message by Reverend Benjamin Bronson on taking care of the underprivileged and sick in Charlotte’s community. Patients were first treated at the church, but Jane Wilkes and other Church Aid Society women recognized the need for a hospital setting to better serve their patients.   

Jane Wilkes (1827-1913) 

St. Peter’s underwent several location changes and renovations in its operation. In 1875-1876, the hospital rented two rooms in Mr. Ferdinand Kuester’s home on East Seventh Street between College Street and the North Carolina Railroad. While serving patients at this location, St. Peter’s Hospital came to be known as the Charlotte Home and Hospital, which only served white patients (Jane Wilkes later aided in the fundraising and founding of Good Samaritan Hospital in 1892 to serve the black community). 

St. Peter’s Hospital, 1907 

In 1877, a single story, four-bedroom permanent facility was built on the corner of Sixth and Popular Streets. In 1907, the facility expanded to twenty-one rooms, five baths, seven closets and several storage rooms. By 1899, Charlotte Home and Hospital returned to its original name, St. Peter’s Hospital, after the organization amended its charter. 

Donations from St. Peter’s Episcopal Church board members and their belief in strengthening Charlotte’s healthcare system enabled the hospital to stay open as their services rapidly expanded. The success of the hospital soon attracted people as far away as New Hampshire and Alabama.  

Charlotte Memorial Hospital, 1940 

With many patients visiting from other states, St. Peter’s eventually expanded to the edges of its property lot in 1935. Five years later, the hospital moved to Memorial Hospital due , in part, to the trustees of St. Peter's Hospital, who worked to form the new medical facility. Today, it is known as Atrium Health (formerly named Carolinas Medical Center). 

St. Peter’s Hospital served patients in the Charlotte community for 60 years and became one of the most recognizable hospitals in the southeast. After much expansion and growth over the years, the hospital is now known as the Carolinas Medical Center. 

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Sources 

Houser, Jeffrey. St. Peter’s Hospital, Charlotte’s First Civilian Hospital. Charlotte Museum of History. Accessed March 2020. https://charlottemuseum.org/st-peters-hospital-charlottes-first-civilian-hospital/ 

Photos courtesy of the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library. 

St. Peter’s Hospital. CMStory.org. Accessed March 2020. https://www.cmstory.org/exhibits/turn-20th-century-life-charlotte-1900-1910-medicine/st-peters-hospital 

Do you suddenly find yourself working from home? Are you, like many of us, learning how to juggle work responsibilities with your kids’ schoolwork, figuring out how to stay organized, motivated and learning new software so you can connect with your coworkers (and, let’s face it – family and friends, too)? 

lynda.com, one of Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s many digital resources, offers courses that can help you navigate your new at-home work environment. The great news is that it’s free for you to access through the Library’s website with your Library card. (If you don’t have a card, you can apply for one online.) 

Connect with Your Coworkers 

lynda.com offers courses on Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype for Business, Google Hangouts and more so you can learn how to meet virtually with your coworkers, friends and family. Instructional videos range from a few minutes to a few hours, and courses include links that allow you to skip right to the section you need most. 

Skills for Working at Home 

Search “work from home” or “remote working” to find videos on the challenges of working from home, time management, security tips, and how to lead and manage teams remotely. If you don't have time to scroll through all the options, click on “Learning Paths” on the left side of your screen to find a collection of courses that lynda.com has gathered for you.  

Once you’ve nailed this working at home thing, take some time to explore the rest of lynda.com. You’ll find courses related to animation, photography, music production, web design, business and marketing, and much more to keep you busy and learning while you’re doing your part to stay at home. 

Here is a list of digital resources to keep teens well informed, educated and entertained.

Help with homework:

Gale in Context: Middle School: Middle school students can research their next topic to find videos, newspaper and magazine articles, primary sources, and more.

This resource is being offered temporarily by the publisher during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ebook Central Academic and Public Library Complete: Support your research with e-books on general nonfiction topics such as school & studying, career development, arts & leisure, and practical life skills.

Teen Health & Wellness Center: Provides middle school and high school students with nonjudgmental, straightforward advice and self-help support. Topics include diseases, drugs, alcohol, nutrition, mental health, suicide, bullying, green living, financial literacy, and more. Submit your own writing to the “Tell Your Story” feature, take part in a poll, submit your questions, and see what’s “In the News.”

Testing & Education Reference Center (TERC): Create a free account to gain access to practice tests, including ACT, PSAT, SAT and AP Exams, as well as basic skills tutorials in English/Writing and Math.

tutor.com: Get free homework help in English or Spanish from a live, online, qualified tutor—up to 10 free tutoring sessions each week! Get help in a wide range of subjects including math, science, English, social studies and essay review.

NOTE: One Access students should enter your Student ID number as your username and your 4-digit birth year as your password.

World Book Encyclopedia: This dynamic and interactive online encyclopedia includes access to a Spanish version, e-books for homework help and research projects, and timelines of historical events. World Book Advanced, specifically for grades 8 and up, has been temporarily added by the publisher in response to COVID-19.

Entertainment:

Freegal: Freegal offers download or streaming access to more than 10 million songs, including Sony Music's catalog of legendary artists. Charlotte Mecklenburg Library customers get 5 free downloads per week (songs count as 1 download and videos count as 2). Streaming has temporarily been extended to 24 hours per day until 9/30/20 by the publisher. Once downloaded, the songs or videos are yours to keep!

hoopla: Access e-books, e-audiobooks, comics, music, movies, and tv. Hoopla has temporarily increased its checkouts to 10 per month but also offers “Bonus Borrowers” which do not count against your 10 checkouts.

kanopy: An award-winning video streaming service providing access to more than 30,000 independent and documentary films. During Library closure for COVID-19, you can view 10 items from Kanopy each month. Look for their “Credit-free Viewing” section to find films that will not count against your 10-item limit.

OverDrive eReading Room: Teen Collection: The OverDrive eReading Room: Teen Collection filters the Library's OverDrive collection to show only Teen content, which gets you to the titles you want faster! OverDrive currently allows up to 20 checkouts at a time.

RBdigital: Downloadable e-audiobooks and e-books in popular, literary, and classic fiction, mystery, biography and nonfiction. Filter to see the “young adult” titles. Due to COVID-19, you can have 20 items checked out with 10 requests. RBdigital also offers popular magazines with no limits.

TeenBook Cloud: An online collection of e-books, enhanced novels, graphic novels, videos and e-audiobooks, which offers teens all reading levels access to an amazing range of content.

This resource is being offered temporarily by the publisher during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Learn a Skill:

Ferguson’s Career Guidance Center: Ferguson’s Career Guidance Center is a comprehensive resource for career exploration and planning that allows you to quickly find the valuable career information you need, whether it’s learning about a profession, school planning resources, or skills and career advice.

lynda.com: Online learning courses in popular fields like web design, web development, IT, education/instruction, media production, and business.

Mango Languages: Language-learning with over 70 world language courses and over 17 ESL/ELL courses, featuring an engaging user interface, voice comparison, fresh design, foreign language films, and cultural anecdotes.

Universal Class: Online learning offering over 540 courses. Take a writing or art class, learn how to knit, improve your cooking or baking skills, or take Babysitting 101.

Spring has sprung, and you know what that means—spring cleaning! Many of us are using this time to start cleaning out old closets, drawers, basements and attics.  

The Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room is here to offer some general advice on how to properly handle and preserve your family treasures.  

1. Handle every item with care. Use both hands while moving fragile items to prevent any damage.  
   
   
   
   
   
   Courtesy of Burke Museum 

1. Wear nitrile gloves while handling photographs or negatives to prevent natural oils from transferring to the surface. Be sure to identify anyone in your photos on the back so future generations know who is pictured. 
   
    

1. Keep a clean working space free of food, liquid, and any obstructions that could cause documents to rip or crinkle.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
    

1. Avoid using adhesives that are not archival quality, like Elmer’s glue or Scotch tape. These adhesives will yellow and dry out over time. 
   
   
   
   
   
    Courtesy of Massillon Museum 

1. Remove all metal fasteners, such as paper clips and staples. These materials will rust and could permanently damage your documents. Try using a plastic fastener instead. 
   
   
   
    
   
   Courtesy of Smithsonian Institution 

1. Store your materials in properly sized containers (preferably in acid-free boxes and folders). Old books, diaries and albums should be stored flat.  
   
   

1. Arrange your family treasures in a way that makes sense to you, that will also be easy for future generations to access and use.  
   
   
   
   
   
    

1. Store your boxes and other family treasures in a cool, dry and dark place. Avoid basements, attics and direct sunlight.  
   
   
   
   
   
    

For those who feel strongly about donating your family treasures to the Carolina Room instead, here’s a brief list of items* we collect: 

1. Annuals (K12 and college) 

1. Business records 

1. Family papers 

1. Clubs and organization records 

1. Manuscripts and correspondence 

1. Maps 

1. Music (recorded/produced in Charlotte) 

1. Historical photographs and postcards 

*All items must relate to Charlotte/Mecklenburg  County history.  

If you have any questions or want more information on how to donate to the Carolina Room, please email the archivist at [email protected]. To see what archival collections we currently have, take a look through our Finding Aids. 

Stay tuned for an in-depth program on spring cleaning and preserving your family’s decorative art early this summer, hosted by Independence Regional Library!