The opening of the renovated North County Regional Library last month marks another milestone in the history of library services in northern Mecklenburg County.

A brief history of Huntersville

Huntersville, the town that the North County Regional Library branch serves, is a historic area of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County that is named after the Hunter family. This family settled in what was originally known as “Craighead,” but, in 1873, the town was renamed “Huntersville.” The Hunter (and Ranson) families were early settlers of the region and influential in many areas. Both families were farmers who owned large tracts of land in and around Huntersville, which is where the original relationship between the two families began.

The Hunters were also merchants, owning the first home and store along the railroad. In addition to farming, the Ransons operated the Ranson Brothers Gin Company, Huntersville’s primary cotton gin. The Hunter family continued to influence the development of the Huntersville community into the 20^th Century through property deals, education, social work and commitment to local organizations.

The impact of libraries in northern Mecklenburg County
Funding for new libraries in Huntersville and four other towns came from the Julius Rosenwald Fund in 1931, when the country was in the grips of the Great Depression.

In 1956, a new brick building was constructed for the Huntersville Library. Civic leaders who had helped raise money for the library branch marked the occasion by carrying a librarian across the threshold and into her new domain. The spacious, modern library was so impressive that its builders featured a photograph of it in an advertisement.

Beginning in the 1990s, the Charlotte/Mecklenburg community saw the introduction of “regional” libraries, which were large branches that served a wide geographic area. The library moved in 1991 to add a regional library in the northern end of the county. The plan called for the new regional to replace small community libraries in Huntersville, Cornelius and Davidson. Residents, loyal to their town branches, expressed opposition. The story of how this conflict was resolved is told in the Library’s family of websites.

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This blog was written by Tom Cole, librarian, with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library's Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room.

Are you considering alternatives to a four-year college degree? Join Charlotte Mecklenburg Library for the College  & Career Connections: Trade School Fair at Sugar Creek Library on November 16, 2019 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Explore programs offered at trade school organizations, educational institutions and colleges in the Charlotte area.  

Participating schools and organizations include: 

• Empire Beauty School 

• Southeastern Institute  

• Goodwill Opportunity Campus 

• Hedrick Automotive Group 

• Carolinas College of Health Sciences 

• Carolina School of Broadcasting 

• Central Piedmont Community College 

• Year Up 

• Road to Hire 

• Just for You Barber & Styling Academy & more! 

*schools and organizations are subject to change  

The College & Career Connections: Trade School Fair is a chance for community members to partner with the Library to prepare for lifelong achievement through higher education and vocational training. Participants will receive swag bags and there will be prize drawings.  

This event will relaunch the College & Career Connections program which includes free workshops and programming by in-field experts with topics ranging from financial aid to applications, admissions essays, and even services such as free ACT and SAT practice tests offered by The Princeton Review. 

In addition, the program offers a brand-new road map to help participants answer three very important questions – Who am I? What do I want to do? and How will I get there?  

Sugar Creek Library is located on 4045 North Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC 28206. For more information or questions call Sugar Creek Library at 704-416-7000.  

Register online today.

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This blog post was written by Jospehine Justin, marketing & communications intern, with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.

Did you know that the famous peanut butter sandwich was accidentally created by Philip Lance in Charlotte, North Carolina? In 1913, Mr. Lance, a coffee salesman, purchased 500 pounds of peanuts for one of his customers. When the shipment arrived, the customer had no use for them anymore. Lance did not want to waste the peanuts, so he roasted them at home and sold each bagful for a nickel.

 Over time, the peanut-roasting operation outgrew his home, so the flourishing business moved to College Street. This new location allowed enough space for a mechanical roaster, which eventually led to the production of peanut butter. His customers trusted his roasted peanuts but were a bit skeptical about the peanut butter at first. To demonstrate its quality, Lance spread the peanut butter onto a cracker as a free sample before each purchase. Thus, the famous peanut butter sandwich was born. 

Before machines, Lance made their own salted peanuts, crackers and peanut butter. Shells would be cleaned, graded, shelled, cleaned again, then processed. This was part of Lance’s policy to have the highest standards in quality and price.  Now machines can do what human can do – “from mixing dough, cutting, stamping , trimming and baking crackers; cleaning and roasting peanuts;  grinding and salting peanut butter; grinding cheese and reducing sugar to powder; make fill, and heat seal salted peanut bags; mix chocolate, beat creams and marshmallows ; cook, mold, cut, wrap, and heat seal candy bars and deposit peanut butter uniformly between crackers.” 



Mr. Lance and his son-in-law, Salem Van Every, delivered the delicious peanut butter sandwiches on foot with baskets until they acquired funds and resources for a delivery system in 1924.  



By 1924, the delivery system majorly upgraded due to the efforts of postal carriers, truck drivers and railways. Delivery trucks operated around Charlotte, with each salesman owning their own truck to sell the fresh products. With weekly shipments of 125,000 pounds of goods delivered to the 50 full-time drivers, over one million miles were put on the trucks each year from deliveries.  

In 1926, Mr. Lance tragically died in an automobile accident in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Newspaper reports state that he “swerved his machine in effort to avoid hitting wagon while touring territory served by his company in the lower part of South Carolina.”  



His death dissolved the partnership he and Van Every shared, resulting in a corporation being formed. The business moved to 1300 South Boulevard to occupy a two and a half story warehouse that previously served as a hosiery, Duck pants factory and lumber plant. 



Following Mr. Lance’s death, Van Every served as president until 1943. His golden rule principle was to “put to work the minds, enthusiasm, and ingenuity of loyal and experienced men and women around him.”



When we hear “Lance,” the brands Nekot, Captain’s Wafers, Van-O Lunch and Toastchee also come to mind. Each version of the original peanut butter sandwich is still wildly popular today. 

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This blog was written by Sydney Carroll, archivist of the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room,  and Julia Zwetolitz, marketing & communications intern, of Charlotte Mecklenburg Library. All photos are courtesy of the Robison-Spangler Carolina Room.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always enjoyed reading. My earliest memories are those I’ve spent at the library. From dressing up as a bumblebee for a Halloween event to making many different arts and crafts projects with my mother, the library has always felt like a home away from home.  

Born in a seaside fishing town in Tamil Nadu, India, I moved to America with my family when I was a couple of months old. I’ve spent almost 19 years of my life moving from one state to another, from Colorado to New Jersey to Virginia to finally settling down in Charlotte, North Carolina. Each new place meant a new library card. 

The library wasn’t just a building to me as a child, it was a palace filled with endless worlds of stories and possibilities.  

As I grew older, the library became a place for me to not only check out books, but to study with my friends. I spent most days after high school at the South County Regional Library studying with my best friend in the teen area. While there may have been more moments of laughter than studying, I’ve always appreciated how the library caters to every season and stage in our lives.  

From reading Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco to Beloved by Toni Morrison, the books I’ve checked out at the library throughout my life have allowed me to step into different realities and become a more understanding and empathetic person.  

Looking back at my childhood as an immigrant, I can see the important role the library played during those developmental years in providing a welcoming environment for my family and I in a new country.  

Every trip I’ve made back home to visit my relatives in India, my suitcases have been packed with books but on my trip this past summer I was able to utilize the library’s e-books. While I absolutely love my hometown in India, it is disheartening to see that many places in India do not have the same public library facilities that are in America. 

Recently, books I have borrowed from the library, such as A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza, have allowed me to better understand my life as a minority in America caught in the middle of two drastically different cultures. In the future, I hope to be a part of creating a public library space in my hometown for people of all ages and backgrounds to discover new books and become lifelong learners.  

If I were to visit all the towns I grew up in, I would have to stop by the libraries because of how many memories it would bring back. I’m thankful for my parents who have spent countless hours in these libraries with me and my brother.  Without my parents, I wouldn’t be the book lover I am today.  

Being a fall 2019 marketing and communications intern at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library has been a full-circle experience for me because I get to give back to an institution that has given me so much.  

The columns in front of the Main Library building showcase quotes on reading and learning from famous people across time. On the first day of my internship, I read a quote on one column by John Grisham that said “The first thing my family did when we moved was join the local church. The second was to go to the library and get library cards.” As I moved from state to state over the past couple of years, this has been true for my family, too. 

The library is a haven where I have spent countless hours reading and spending time with the people I love. I know in the future, that wherever I go, the library will continue to be that for me.   

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This blog was written and posted with permission by Josephine Justin, student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. 

Do you or someone you know have a story of impact to share with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library? Please email our Marketing & Communications Specialist, Asha Ellison, at [email protected].

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.