October is STEAM month and that means systemwide, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library (CML) will be hosting plenty of exciting and engaging STEAM programs for young children, preteens and teens. Books are a great way to introduce young readers to science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.

Representation in these books is also essential to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, creative designers and artists for social change. Encouraging and exposing young Black children to characters that look like them can help to visualize and understand that they can grow up to be great creators and problem solvers in our world.

Check out some of these books at CML that encourage learning science and other academic disciplines for pre-k through 4th grade with Black children as the main characters or subject of the book.

Lonnie Johnson's Super-soaking Stream of Inventions written by Chris Barton and illustrated by Don Tate

In this biography, learn about the NASA engineer, Lonnie Johnson.  As a kid, he participated in science competitions and grew up to become a great inventor. One of his most significant interventions was the Super Soaker water gun. (1st-4th grade)

Rocket Says Look Up! by Nathan Bryon, illustrated by Dapo Adeola

Rocket is fascinated with staring at the sky with her telescope before bedtime each night. She becomes totally excited about the possibility of witnessing meteor showers and creates flyers to pass out to neighbors in her community. Her big brother is annoyed with her antics but has to stick around to help her out anyway. The historical references to past events and the astronaut Mae Jemison provide a great learning opportunity to expand on this subject. (Prek-2nd)

I Want to Be a Doctor, written by Laura Driscoll and illustrated by Catalina Echeverri

This book is a part of the I Can Read! Series. In this series, a young and curious big sister asks many questions when she goes with her family to the hospital because her younger brother Jack injured his foot. She learns a lot about different doctors and their specialties. The illustrations are inviting and welcoming to readers. At the back of the book, readers will find a list of doctors. (PreK-1st grade)

My Rainy Day Rocket Ship, written by Markette Sheppard and illustrated by Charly Palmer

Mom says there is no outside playtime on this rainy day as a young boy uses his imagination to build a rocket ship inside his home using a pair of swimming trunks, goggles, socks, and more. The colorful illustrations and science concepts will encourage young kids to imagine having their own rocket ship and travel to faraway planets. (PreK-1st grade)

The Girl With a Mind for Math The Story of Raye Montague, written by Julia Finley Mosca and illustrated by Daniel Rieley

Read this biography to learn about the fascinating life of Raye Montague, a mathematician extraordinaire. As a young girl, she was inspired to become an engineer after visiting a German submarine and grew up to make significant contributions in the engineering industry. (K- 2nd)

Be sure to look out for the HallowSTEAM for Preschoolers program on Wednesday, October 20, 2021, at 10:30 AM, which will feature the book Ada Twist Scientist, written by Andrea Beaty and illustrated by David Roberts. Ada Twist is a young and curious Black girl that wonders how things work. She finds great joy diving into experimental science projects that perplex her mom, dad, and older brother. This preschool program will help to show and encourage diversity in science with a likable character. This book is recommended for the PreK-2nd grades. During this program, preschoolers will be exposed to basic science concepts and can participate in some hands-on activities. The activity bags will be available for pickup at University City Regional Library. Please visit cmlibrary.org for registration and more information about the program.

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This blog was written by Alicia Finley, children's librarian at University City Regional Library.

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.

It is October, and the Supreme Court is back in session garnering its expected news headlines. Some are watching, though, with a heightened sense of concern and Irv Gornstein, executive director of Georgetown University’s Supreme Court Institute, is one of them. He fears the overwhelming switch in recent years to a majority conservative court can hurt the court’s credibility with the public.

“I think we may have come to a turning point. If within a span of a few terms we see sweeping right-side decisions over left-side dissents on every one of the most politically divisive issues of our time—voting, guns, abortion, religion, affirmative action—perception of the court may be permanently altered,” Gornstein said in an interview with the Associated Press.

Point taken. Would those decisions fairly represent the greater American public? Would they be respected and upheld?

Gornstein’s observations may be spot on or off the mark. Regardless, Supreme Court decisions impact the public for decades, and Black U.S. citizens would be significantly affected. The “divisive issues of our time” mentioned by the professor can jolt Black Americans in safety, economic status, and citizenship conditions. Affirmative action is readily associated with African Americans as a court issue. Still, voting rights is an old policy fight that has received renewed attention, detailed in a Library blog last month.

One book in the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library collection, on Account of Race: the Supreme Court, White Supremacy, and the Ravaging of the African American Voting Rights by Lawrence Goldstone, examines the Supreme Court’s past decisions have not spread the right to vote for Blacks. Book critics commend accessible writing and in-depth research. Doubtless, those unfamiliar with the Court’s decision-making past may come to understand how it can operate and remain a substantial force in public conduct.

Goldstone’s book is included in a new booklist about the power the court has specifically affecting Blacks. The booklist consists of a separate book about the only Black Supreme Court justices, the revered, late Thurgood Marshall and his successor, the controversial Clarence Thomas, the current longest-serving justice.

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

On October 29, 2021 at 5 p.m., Main Library will close to the public. We look forward to reopening a reimagined destination library to serve the Charlotte Mecklenburg community for decades to come. During this period, we know this closure will impact how customers use library services Uptown. Building a newly designed Main Library will allow us to serve customers and Mecklenburg County in better and more advanced ways. The new Main Library will continue the community and neighborhood tradition of having a trusted public library in the same place that it has stood for 118 years. The new Main Library will be designed with customer and community interests and input in mind. Funding for the project is provided through a public-private convention with generous support from Mecklenburg County and private donors.

As always, customers can visit any of our 19 Library locations throughout Mecklenburg County to access helpful resources, programs and services. Throughout the closure period, we also ensure convenient library access through two interim Uptown locations for which we will soon share opening dates. Until then, we are excited to provide a glance at the services we will offer at each location. They are as follows:

CMLibrary @ Founders Hall, located at 100 North Tryon Street in suite 290, will be a hub for Library users to retrieve materials on hold, browse and check out materials from a select, popular collection, return materials, obtain Library cards and search the catalog. 

CMLibrary @ College Street, located at 406 N College Street (in the fellowship hall at First United Presbyterian Church), will provide Library users a space to study, sit, read and more. This location will be equipped with publicly accessible Wi-Fi and computers, as well as a variety of programs, resources and services including job help and career services, and printing and copying.

Cardholders will continue to have access to the same great programs and printed materials at all Charlotte Mecklenburg Library locations, as well as a growing digital collection that includes books, music, videos, research and leisure resources and more. We hope this information helps community members understand service options during the closure and keeps patrons engaged with the Library. The patronage of our customers is vitally important, so please read on for helpful information as well as other useful updates.

During the closure, we hope you will continue to use library services by connecting with another branch for browsing, borrowing, classes/workshops, family storytimes, and the many other ways you engage with your Library, or by using our online services at cmlibrary.org.

Other local branches near the Uptown area
There are other branch locations in proximity to the Uptown area that continue to offer a variety of online, virtual and limited outdoor programs, as well as access to extensive services and resources. We encourage Main Library customers to explore the option closest to them and to continue their library experiences at:

• Allegra Westbrooks Regional Library – 2412 Beatties Ford Road, Charlotte 28216 (704) 416-3000
• Myers Park Library – 1361 Queens Road, Charlotte 28207 (704) 416-5800
• Plaza Midwood Library – 1623 Central Avenue, Charlotte 28205 (704) 416-6200
• South Boulevard Library – 4429 South Boulevard, Charlotte 28209 (704) 416-6400
• Sugar Creek Library – 4045 North Tryon Street, Suite A, Charlotte 28206 (704) 416-7000
• West Boulevard Library - 2157 West Boulevard, Charlotte 28208 (704) 416-7400

Library Holds and Pick-ups
As of October 15, 2021, Main Library will no longer be an available option for placing items on hold. Any items placed on hold for pick up at Main, before October 15, will be available through October 29, 2021. Items will then become available for pick up at Plaza Midwood Library beginning November 1, 2021. After October 15, cardholders who normally pick up materials at Main Library will be prompted to select a new holds pick-up location the next time they place a hold in the Library catalog

Customers who wish to choose a different location for their holds pick-up rather than Plaza Midwood Library, can do so in the following ways:

1. Request assistance from Library staff at any Charlotte Mecklenburg Library location; or
2. Call the Library at 704-416-0101

Click here to learn how to update your default holds pick-up location in the catalog.

Returning Books and Materials to the Main Library Book-drop
Please note that on October 29, Main Library will no longer accept book returns and the book drop return boxes will be closed. Customers can drop off items at any of our other 19 Library locations, including at the nearby ImaginOn: The Joe & Joan Martin Center located at 300 East Seventh Street.

For more information, please visit our  Frequently Asked Questions

Want to learn more about our Building Projects? Click here

Thank you for your patience during the rebuilding of our new Main Library. We encourage customers to continue using a Charlotte Mecklenburg Library location – either at one of our other 19 locations or online at cmlibrary.org. We appreciate your patronage and support over the years at our Uptown location and look forward to welcoming everyone back to our new library in the future!

Main Library is located at 310 North Tryon Street, Charlotte, 28202. For information on all branch locations, click here.

November is an exciting month for aspiring writers!  November is National Novel Writing Month when writers worldwide write with a goal of ending the month with 50, 000 words of a brand-new novel.  Are you inspired to write the next great American novel?  Do you want to create a book of family history to share with cousins near and far?  The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library has resources for every type of writer to get you started on your journey.

Digital Resources

The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library has resources to help you in writing, publishing, and sharing your creation. 

Pressbooks is an easy-to-use online software program that allows writers to create professional e-book and print ready files in ePUB, MOBI, and PDF formats.  Pressbooks covers all aspects of writing your book, start to finish.  All you need to get started is a library card!  Access Pressbooks from the Library’s Resources page and create a Biblioboard profile to get started. 

After creating your masterpiece, you can submit your work to be self-published using the Indie Author Project resource.  Submitting your work to Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s Indie Author Project resource can promote your work and increase readership.  After being vetted by Biblioboard, your work is added to the statewide Indie North Carolina Collection on Biblioboard Library.

Biblioboard Library is an e-book resource.  Content on Biblioboard Library includes titles from independently published authors in North Carolina, a curated K-12 Classroom Collection of literature, philosophy, history and geography topics, and other top independently published e-books.  E-books created by Charlotte Mecklenburg Library customers can be found here!  Biblioboard Library e-books are always available with no wait! 

Print Resources

Need some help getting started on your writing journey or just want to learn more about the writing craft?  Recommendations from Charlotte Mecklenburg Library staff can be found in our catalog.

• Writing for Authors
• Editor Betsy Thorpe Recommends Writing Titles
• Memoir Writing Resources

Events and Programs

Want to connect with fellow local writers?  Attend one of our writing group programs!  Love poetry?  We have a program for you!  Charlotte Mecklenburg Library has programs and events for writers of all ages.  Explore our event calendar here.

Access all the Library’s resources for free with your library card.  Don’t have one?  Sign up here!  If you need more help with the resources covered in this blog, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library staff are available to help by email, chat, and phone. 

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 This blog was written by Amy Richard, library collections manager at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.

November marks National Family Literacy Month, a time to celebrate families- adults and children- learning together! Charlotte Mecklenburg Library always strives for families learning together, and this month we place a special emphasis on promoting and sharing all the resources, services, and programs you and your family can utilize to improve your literacy practices at home.

Read Together

Visit your local Library branch often as a family to check out books together! According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children who are read to have better language skills, have more interest in reading, and have better nurturing relationships with their parental figures (AAP, 2014).  Make it a habit to read as often as you can as a family. If you cannot make it in person to our Library locations, thousands of digital e-books await you online! Browse one of our digital book resources, and spend time reading together as a family.

Talk Together

Talking about books and what is going on in your child’s life will help to improve your child’s language and vocabulary skills. Cognitive scientists from MIT found that conversation between an adult and a child can actually change and enhance a child’s brain physiology (Association of American Universities, 2018)! Active Reading, or the practice of reading aloud a children’s picture book by asking questions, building vocabulary, and making connections to the child’s world and experiences, is a wonderful way to talk together as a family. Charlotte Mecklenburg Library provides Active Reading Family Workshops and Active Reading Training programs to help you and your family have meaningful conversations about books together.

Write Together

There are many ways to practice writing as a family at home. Start a family journal, where family members write back and forth to one another, or simply send notes and letters to each other! Seek inspiration from our storytellers at the Library to write your own story together as a family. Drawing counts too! The practice of writing aids in fine motor skills, self-expression, and language development. Feel free to write a book review as well together as a family and add it to our catalog for others to enjoy!

Learn Together

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s mission and vision is to improve lives and build a stronger community. We do this by learning together! There are many ways to learn together as a family at the Library. Programs are available daily that you can attend together as a family including storytimes, story explorer programs, puppet shows and more! Check out step-by-step books to create a new recipe or craft together as a family too. Discuss what you learned together as a family and share it with others.

Celebrate with Us

To celebrate National Family Literacy Month, you and your family are invited to participate in a special Virtual Family Literacy night on November 16, 2021 at 6 p.m. Expect singing, dancing, reading, writing, and learning together as a family to improve your literacy practices at home!

Improve your family literacy this month and beyond by checking out all that Charlotte Mecklenburg Library has to offer. Read together, talk together, write together, and learn together. We consider your family a part of our family, and we hope you consider Charlotte Mecklenburg Library part of your family too. Happy National Family Literacy month!

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This blog post was written by Elyse Berrier, Library Program Coordinator, at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.

Early voting started October 21, 2021 through October 30, 2021. There are seven (7) early voting locations, which include these four Libraries:

• Davidson Library –  119 South Main Street, Davidson, NC 28036
• Matthews Library - 230 Matthews Station St., Matthews, NC 28105
• Mint Hill Library -  6840 Matthews - Mint Hill Road, Mint Hill, NC 28227
• North County Regional Library - 16500 Holly Crest Lane, Huntersville, NC 2807

Voting hours will vary. For all seven early voting locations and voting hours, please click here. 

For more information, please visit the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections website here.

This promotion has ended.

Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the past year and focus on what you are thankful for. The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is thankful for YOU, our customers!  And as a gift to our customers, we are selecting a small collection of e-books that will be available instantly with no waiting in our OverDrive/Libby resource.

This week only the below titles will be available to check out with no holds.  If you currently have one of these titles on hold, your hold will be immediately filled!  You can check out up to three of these titles.  Enjoy!

Dune by Frank Herbert (e-book)

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (e-book)

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne (e-book)

The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi (audiobook)

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari (audiobook)

New Kid by Jerry Craft (youth audiobook)

How to Catch a Turkey by Adam Wallace (youth e-book)

Pete the Cat's 12 Groovy Days of Christmas (youth e-book)

The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco (teen fiction)

One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus (teen audiobook)

Promotion ends November 28, 2021 at 11:59 p.m.

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This blog was written by Amy Richard, library collections manager at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.

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.

Business executive Sheryl Sandberg takes a simple view of workplace diversity.  The billionaire and philanthropist said, “We are building products that people with very diverse backgrounds use, and I think we all want our company makeup to reflect the makeup of the people who use our products.”  And that’s enough said.

In keeping with Sandberg’s work philosophy, diversity and inclusion (“D&I”) in the workplace would be a company priority.  That follows in line as a response to the racial unrest in 2020 following the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and others.  Street protests sprang up around the world as the events fueled the Black Lives Matter movement with growth and acceptance.  So, last September, when Glassdoor, a company review website, published its survey about D&I with adult employees and jobseekers, their findings were not surprising. It revealed many survey participants check how companies address D&I, and value those companies that do.     

Creating a diverse workplace is an understandable component to the process of a nation with growing multiracial populations.  To react otherwise is to deny talent, expertise, and profit-making opportunities.  And yet, the current efforts are lacking.

Diversity and Inclusion Strategist La’Wana Harris details several missteps when company management is not supportive of change.  In her book, Diversity Beyond Lip Service: a coaching guide for changing bias, Harris writes that these include company management giving a deaf ear to new voices, minority hiring for company “window dressing,” and employees attending an unbiased training workshop without follow-up to pursue the training.  Harris explains further in individual stories of failure and success for the cause of D&I, which she concludes needs strong and consistent support from committed company elites—typically, white men—to make the process work.  Until then, the path is rocky with an unsteady ride. 

An additional problem is the use of microaggressions in the workplace.  Microaggressions are identified as “indirect expressions of racism, sexism, ageism, or ableism,” according to a June 2020 article in the Business Insider newspaper.  Specifically, the article points out 14 troublesome comments and questions to minorities and others in marginalized groups.  For example, the question to an African American woman asking if her hair is “real” may imply her appearance is unprofessional.  As a response, the article recommends that question should not be asked and “natural hair, regardless of their ethnicity, should be accepted as professional and workplace-friendly.”

Repeated microaggressions can take a toll and cause stress such as racial trauma. In February 2019, the American Psychological Association published “Uncovering the Trauma of Racism” and identified workplace discrimination as a traumatizing act of racism, and thus, being a form of racial trauma. One book, with a featured booklist of this topic of workplace diversity, focuses on the possible hurt one can face in Right Within: how to heal from Racial Trauma in the Workplace by Minda Harts.  She shares from her experiences, and from others, to unpack and expose painful work situations while moving on to heal herself and encourage the reader.

The previously mentioned booklist is “Creating Workplace Diversity.” It features eight library books detailing the goal achieving diversity in the workplace with personal stories, research, challenges, and inspiration.         

Access the booklist here

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

Bring the joy of browsing the shelves to your phone with the Library’s new and improved mobile app. With new titles, staff lists and programs featured on the homepage, the new mobile app will provide a discovery every time you log in.  Access Charlotte Mecklenburg Library from your Android and Apple iOS phone or tablet anywhere 24/7. Search for "CMLibrary" or "Charlotte Mecklenburg Library" to download! The name of the new app will remain the same.

The new app will be available to download from the Google Play Store or the iPhone Store on December 1, 2021. After December 1, 2021, the old CMLibrary app will not be accessible. Your information linked to your Library card will be transferred over once you log into the new app. 

Notable Features with the new app: 

• In-app Library card that can be used to check out materials 

• Manage your account, search the catalog, renew and reserve books 

• Scan the barcode of any book to see which branches have it available 

• Find branch location information with the most up-to-date information on Library hours and closures 

• See and register for events and programs through the Library calendar 

• View new titles, curated staff lists and recommendations 

• Connect with us on social media 

• Access our homepage 

• Pay fees 

See below for a sneak peek at the new features.

New home screen with easy to access menu at the top and discovery of new items at the Library.

See the upcoming programs and register right in-app. Check out the curated staff pick lists from Charlotte Mecklenburg Library's own librarians.

Find your next great read and place it on hold. Easily select the location where you would like to pick it up.

See all of the Library's locations and the most up-to-date branch hours and closures.

Forget your Library card while at one of our branches? Don't worry! You can access it in the app.

Update your settings, including your email account, within the app. Never miss one of the Library's updates.

Need help finding and downloading the new mobile app?

Open the App Store on your iPhone or Google Play Store on your Android phone.

Search for cmlibrary or Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and look for the i can app and click install.

Need to find your Library card?

Find your Library card on the home screen of the app here.

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This blog was updated on December 7, 2021. 

There are a few things that can be overlooked when we think of helping the community - including the importance of clean laundry and childhood literacy. Millions of families in underserved communities visit laundromats each week to fulfil the basic need for clean clothes. For many families, fulfilling this basic need can be challenging.  



The LaundryCares Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping laundromat owners provide services such as Free Laundry and Literacy Day and childhood literacy services to families in underserved communities, hopes to provide access to clean laundry and encourage childhood literacy during Free Laundry and Literacy Day in partnership with  Too Small to Fail, a public awareness and action campaign promoting the importance of early brain and language development, and Charlotte Mecklenburg Library. Free Laundry and Literacy Day is an event that hopes to ease some of the stress around dreaded laundry day by offering free laundry services, free early learning activities, and free food and drinks for those in the community. Also, be on the lookout, Sir Purr from the Carolina Panthers will be in attendance from 3-3:30 p.m., you don’t want to miss him! 

"Everyone is excited to help this new store open its doors and already give back to the neighborhood the business will serve,” said Dan Naumann, executive vice president of the LaundryCares Foundation. “We’re especially grateful for the installation of the new Family Read, Play & Learn Space here; it’s perfect for this location.”   



During Free Laundry and Literacy Day, members of the community are encouraged to bring in an unlimited amount of laundry to wash for free while children participate in early literacy activities with Marilyn Price, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s master puppeteer. There will also be a ribbon-cutting for a new Family Read, Play, & Learn space within LaundroLab. This learning space will offer comfortable seating with high-quality books, toys, and other learning materials designed to help parents and caregivers engage in literacy-rich activities with their children while they wait for their laundry.  

According to an independent study conducted by New York University (NYU), Family Read, Play, & Learn spaces in laundromats had an overwhelmingly positive effect on children’s literacy-related activity. The article also revealed that: 

• “When spaces were paired with librarians, children engaged in substantial and sustained literacy activities.” 

• “Parents expressed pride and delight as they observed their children’s literacy-related activities.” 

The LaundryCares Foundation will provide free children’s books to attendees to help children maintain great literacy habits at home. 

“We are excited to offer this event to our valued members of the community,” Dan Naumann continued. “Creating literacy-related spaces that provide books, play materials, and engage children developmentally not only creates a stronger generation, but also brings more families into the laundromat- which is a win-win for everyone.” 

Event Details: 

When: Friday, December 10, 2021, 1-6 p.m. 

Where: The Laundry Room - 901 E Arrowood Rd, Charlotte, NC 28217. We are excited to offer this event to our valued members of the community.  

Creating literacy related spaces that provide books, play materials, and engage children developmentally not only creates a stronger generation, but also brings more families into the laundromat- which is a win-win for everyone.  

Visit www.laundrycares.org to learn more about the LaundryCares Foundation. 

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This blog was written by Taylor Gantt, marketing and communications intern with Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.