Read! Learn! Explore! Books! Fun! Challenge! Prizes! Just a few words to describe Summer Break!

Every year it takes a whole team working behind the scenes to bring Summer Break to Charlotte Mecklenburg Library! Staff work on building the online challenge; create, sort and distribute incentives and marketing materials to branches; build engaging displays; and attend community events just to list a few things staff do to create and promote this fun community challenge!

So much work is put into the program for multiple reasons but the best part about Summer Break for staff is hearing from participants about all the amazing, wonderful, little, powerful, or unexpected ways that the community challenge and the library has impacted their lives.

Want to share what you love and enjoy about the library or Summer Break? Send us an email at [email protected], use the Contact Us form on Beanstack, or share your feedback with staff next time you visit the library.

Comments? Questions?

Are you having problems with the Summer Break 2023 website or your account?  Do you have questions about the program?  Feel free to call your local branch or email us at [email protected] for help or feedback.

The 2023 Summer Break program is brought to you by Charlotte Mecklenburg Library with additional support from Wendy’s, Charlotte Football Club and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation.  

This blog was written as part of Charlotte Mecklenburg Library's Black Lives Matter program initiative. Learn  more about the program and corresponding events here.

To recognize and understand the LGBTQ+ community, it takes the honesty of admitting societal prejudices against gay people while permitting that community to be itself without judgment. As former NBA player Jason Collins put it, the first professional male athlete to announce he is gay, “Openness may not completely disarm prejudice, but it’s a good place to start.” 

Public libraries across the country have been doing just that in recent weeks with the celebration of Pride Month.  Gay themed books are spotlighted in displays and often include representations of the multi-colored Pride symbol, resembling a rainbow. Charlotte Mecklenburg Library borrowed the color scheme for its Pride t-shirts, in its support of Pride, on sale to interested staff.   

Within the growing self-identified LGBTQ+ population, which according to the Gallup Poll is 7.1 percent of U.S. adults, is a sizable minority population. People of color make up 40% of that number with another 12% of those identifying as Black according to the Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law in a demographic study.  

Collins falls in that 12% and to borrow from his quote about openness, books can help to do that in the imagination and storytelling nature of a novel. Reading the stories can stir empathy and help one to understand the present. Charlotte Mecklenburg Library has several titles about those individuals in stories about coping with family, life, identity—living the human experience. Read about these stories with booklists for adult and teen readers.

Check out our Adult BLACK LGBTQ+ Booklist

Check out our Teen Black LGBTQ+ Booklist

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

This blog was written by Serena Guest, library collections associate, at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.

We made it to summer! Temperatures are already soaring and the kids are out of school for a few months.  If you’re looking for a great library resource children can enjoy while also sharpening their reading skills, Hoopla is it. Hoopla is an amazing service that offers ebooks, audiobooks, movies, music and comics. All you need is a Library card (https://www.cmlibrary.org/getacard) to access a world of exploration.

Once your account is created, make sure to turn on kids mode by clicking the word KIDS onthe top right-hand side to find many kid-friendly titles. Kids Mode is curated content for kids up to age 12. Note: There are different age ranges using this feature and titles available range from G-General Audiences to PG-Parental Guidance Suggested. Parents or guardians are expected to decide whether a specific title is appropriate for their child.

Here are the top five kids titles that were checked out from Hoopla by Charlotte Mecklenburg Library users last month:

1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
Available in eBook and audiobook.

2. Big Nate: Beware of Low-Flying Corn Muffins by Lincoln Peirce
Available in comic format.

3. Disney Classic Stories: Encanto*
Available as a Read-Along ebook. *A favorite of my seven-year-old

4. Big Shot by Jeff Kinney
Available in eBook.

5. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
Available in eBook and audiobook.

Learn more about Hoopla checkout limits here. 

At Charlotte Mecklenburg Library we aim to have library services extend beyond our physical locations. This year Library staff have attended multiple events around Charlotte to talk about Library services and Summer Break. At any of these events, staff can help you sign up and log your reading and activities for Summer Break!

National Night Out

Multiple branches will be participating in National Night Out this year, a great event to learn about community resources for adults and children. Dates vary, but most of the events will be taking place on August 2, 2022 and it is advised to check with your local branch for details. At each event visitors to the Library’s table can pick up some great swag and learn more about Summer Break

Soccer Game

You may have seen the Library at a recent Charlotte Football Club game against the New York Red Bulls in early June. This year, Charlotte Football Club has partnered with the Library to sponsor Summer Break. Library staff members met with soccer fans and talked about available services and Summer Break.

Heroes Con

Graphic Novel and comic book enthusiast library staff showcased Library services, Summer Break, and even participated in a panel about banned books at Heroes Con in late June. Visitors to the Library’s table had the opportunity to take a photo using the photo booth, spin the prize wheel for various prizes, pick up a graphic novel or two and learn about Summer Break.

If you see the Library around town, come and say hi and ask us about Summer Break.

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 call your local branch 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 and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation. 

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

Whether you need resources for your small business or just want to stream the newest hit music, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library has a vast catalog of digital resources to fit your needs. Check out some of our offerings below and some fun facts about the Queen City's namesake monarch Queen Charlotte.

Did You Know? — Queen Charlotte spoke three language and you can, too. Learn Afrikaans, Tagalog, the language of love, or whatever you like for FREE with Transparent Language and your Library card.

Transparent Language provides a fun, effective, and engaging experience for learners of all levels looking to build their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in a foreign language. With over 110 languages to choose from, including English for speakers of over 30 languages, there is something for every learner. 

access Transparent Language now

Did You Know? — Queen Charlotte had serious musical chops! Not only was she versed in the harpsichord and tutored in music by Johann Christian Bach (the son of Johann Sebastian Bach), but she also was a muse to other classical musicians of the time. Enjoy the latest music tracks from all your favorite artists for free from hoopla and Freegal Music through the Library.

• Freegal Music is a free downloadable music service from your Library. Freegal offers download or streaming access to more than 10 million songs, including Sony Music's catalog of legendary artists. Also available are approximately 15,000 music videos to download. Charlotte Mecklenburg Library customers get 5 free downloads (songs are 1 download and videos are 2) and 5 hours of streaming each week. Once downloaded, the songs or videos are yours to keep! Mobile and tablet customers, download the Freegal app for iOS and Android.   
• hoopla allows customers to instantly borrow e-books, comics, audiobooks, music, movies and television — with no holds, and no waiting! And there's no need to worry about late fees; hoopla features an automated service that returns your item once your time is up. Content can be streamed to computers, tablets or smartphones, and can be downloaded to mobile devices to allow for offline viewing any time.    

          access freegal music now         access hoopla now 

Did You Know? — In addition to being royalty, Queen Charlotte was also a philanthropist who supported small business across the city of London. But you don’t have to be royalty to start your own business. All you need is a Library card to give you access to our vast catalog of free business resources including LinkedIn Learning and Universal Class.

• LinkedIn Learning is an online educational site that includes over 3,000 courses (and over 130,000 videos) in popular fields like web design, web development, IT, education/instruction, media production and business.  
• Universal Class is an online education experience offering over 540 courses in subjects like Entrepreneurship, Home and Garden Care, Computers and Technology, Health and Medicine, Homeschooling, Job Assistance, Law and many more.

access LinkedIn Learning now       Access Universal Class Now

This blog was written by Serena Guest, library collections associate, at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.

In June, Beyoncé released the song "Break My Soul." Over a stirring house beat, she sings about looking for motivation and a new foundation. It's an inspirational song that was much needed for so many of us. If you enjoy this song and you’re looking for your own motivation and new foundation, I've put together a list of suggested titles you might enjoy. You can also listen to "Break My Soul" for free on Freegal  - all you need is your Library card! 



 

The perfect booklist for Beyoncé fans:

• Fat, Crazy, & Tired by Van Lathan Jr. 
• The Power of Self-Discipline by Peter Hollins
• Good Vibes, Good Life by Vex King
• Self-care for Black Women by Oludara Adeeyo 
• The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk, MD 
• Atomic Habits by James Clear