PSA: The Library continues to partner with Hope Street Food Pantry! Join us at Sugar Creek Library on May 21 at 11am. Learn more at hopestreetfoodpantry.com.

Beloved children’s books will come alive as Storyland: A Trip Through Childhood Favorites opens at ImaginOn on May 25 and runs through Sept. 7.

Storyland, a new exhibit built by Minnesota Children’s Museum, provides imaginative, book-based experiences for children, and models early literacy experiences to parents and other adult caregivers.

Storyland transforms seven award-winning picture books – The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter; The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats; Where’s Spot? by Eric Hill; If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff; Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault; Abuela by Arthur Dorros; and Tuesday by David Wiesner into three-dimensional play and bi-lingual (English and Spanish) learning environments that highlight the six pre-reading skills: disposition to read, print awareness, letter knowledge, sound awareness, vocabulary, and narrative skills and comprehension.

Admission to the exhibit is free. The exhibit is open during ImaginOn building hours: Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Friday-Saturday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. (ImaginOn is closed on Sundays from Memorial Day to Labor Day for summer hours.) For more information, call 704-416-4600 or visit imaginon.org.

Information for Groups:

Can I bring a group? Yes! Groups are welcome to visit the exhibit after noon, Monday-Saturday. There is a maximum number of 30 children and one adult chaperone for every eight students. Reservations are neither required nor accepted and entry into the exhibit is always on a first-come, first-served basis. However, if you wish to combine your visit to the exhibit with any other building-wide activity, a group visit booking is required. You can make a request at imaginon.org/calendar/group-visits.

Can a group make a reservation to visit the exhibit? No, all visits to the exhibit happen on a first-come, first-served basis. Families are encouraged to take advantage of Family Time if your schedule allows. (See below for details.)

Is there a time when the exhibit is open just for families? Yes! Family Time for the exhibit is every Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. – noon. During this time, the exhibit is open just for children with their parents/caregivers (Limit 5 children per adult).

Can children visit the exhibit by themselves? Children under age 8 must be always with a caregiver. Caregivers should be at least 12 years old and mature enough to follow ImaginOn rules and guidelines. Chaperones are required for all groups visiting ImaginOn and the exhibit.

What if the exhibit is full when I arrive? Because visitor safety is our top priority, admittance into the exhibit is limited. This allows guests the ability to fully explore the exhibit at their own pace. If the exhibit is “full,” we have a queuing area where visitors can wait to enter the exhibit on a first-come, first-served basis. We have suggested activities to pass the time while you are in line.

The summer exhibit at ImaginOn is funded through the Library’s Humanities Endowment Fund, with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

World Refugee Day is an international day designated by the United Nations to honor refugees around the globe. It falls each year on June 20 and celebrates the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution. World Refugee Day is an occasion to build empathy and understanding for their plight and to recognize their resilience in rebuilding their lives.

The Library wants use this chance to share its resources from WelcomeCLT, specifically its immigration resources page. From naturalization to resettlement communities and world languages, the WelcomeCLT has a number of resources at your disposal. 

Customers can now visit ImaginOn and Sugar Creek Library to check out books from the Library's Children's Lucky Day Collection! 

The Children's Lucky Day Collection is a collection of highly popular books that are available for immediate check-out. It is made up of popular graphic novels and chapter books that are often checked out. 

These collections will always goes back to ImaginOn and Sugar Creek and will not be discoverable in BiblioCommons. The goal is for customers to walk in and discover it. 

One important change we are making to both Lucky Day Collections is increasing the number of checkouts from three to up to six items per account. The check out period will be the same as other materials (3 weeks), but renewals will not be allowed. We want as many readers as possible to enjoy the collection. Good luck!

July is Disability Pride Month!

Did you know that you can utilize 3D printing technology to assist you or your loved ones with physical disabilities and limitations? There are countless designs out there to help with tasks ranging from opening doors, cooking, getting dressed, and so much more!

This year to celebrate Disability Pride Month, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s South County Regional Branch will be 3D printing select assistive devices and mobility aids at no cost to you! You can check out the list of qualifying items here.