Sugar Creek Library will close at 7p.m. on July 2 for maintenance and re-open at 9a.m. on July 3.

All Library locations and book drops will be closed on July 4.  

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Get to Know the Allegra Westbrooks Regional Community

September 8, 2023

Situated conveniently off I-85 and Beatties Ford Road, Allegra Westbrooks Regional Library is located in the Lincoln Heights community in Charlotte’s Historic West End.

Formerly Beatties Ford Road Regional Library, Allegra Westbrooks Regional is the only Charlotte Mecklenburg Library named for an individual. Ms. Westbrooks began her career with the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County in 1947. Prior to desegregation, she managed the only library serving African American residents in Charlotte at the time—the Brevard Street Library for Negroes. Ms. Westbrooks was promoted to Supervisor of Branches in 1957, making her the first African American public library supervisor in North Carolina. She served in this role for many years until her retirement in 1984. Ms. Westbrooks passed away in April 2017 at the age of 96.

Allegra Westbrooks Regional Library welcomes customers from many neighborhoods along and around busy Beatties Ford Road serving a diverse community of readers, learners, job seekers, entrepreneurs, community leaders, and more. A variety of library programs are offered including multiple book clubs, a multigenerational chess club, technology classes, and Storytime among others. Collections include a diverse selection of materials such as fiction and non-fiction titles in multiple world languages, African-American fiction collection and African-American and religion non-circulating collections.

Located just over a mile away from the Library is Johnson C. Smith University, Charlotte’s only   historically Black college/university (HBCU) and West Complex,  “the largest culturally centered placemaking project on the West Side.” Unique community organizations like For the Struggle, Inc.  and Beatties Ford Road Vocational Training Center can also be found just blocks away from Allegra Westbrooks Regional. Well-established eateries like West End Fresh Seafood Market and Original Chicken and Ribs along with newcomer Archive CLT, a local staff favorite.

New residents may find support through the Office of Equity, Mobility, and Immigrant Integration , Refugee Health – Mecklenburg County Public Health, and Refugee Support Services. Are you new to Charlotte? Explore other neighborhoods through the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library blog and WelcomeCLT, a digital space created for newcomers to Charlotte.

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This blog post was written by Alesha Lackey, regional manager for Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.