As Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15) comes to a close, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library customers can continue the celebration in a fun and mysterious way. The popular genre of mystery and detective fiction offers literature, highlighting Hispanic detectives,  all year long.  With titles available in print and e-books, and Hispanic detectives spanning California to New York, the Library has the genre covered.

Two writers in particular, Suzanne Chazin and Rudolfo Anaya, have the most material with four novels each. Chazin's detective stories are currently ongoing with a new novel scheduled for release next year. 

Chazin’s mystery series features a Puerto Rican police detective working in upstate New York named Jimmy Vega. Her novels are set in Lake Holly, NY, which typically has peaceful race relations, but draws Jimmy into volatile cases among undocumented immigrants within its Latino community. The crimes are viewed from varying perspectives as Jimmy, on occasion, is pitted against his girlfriend, Adele, former lawyer and the director of the local Latino community center. 

Described as intricately plotted and issue-oriented stories by Novelist Plus, a comprehensive reader’s advice resource, Chazin’s website states her immigrant background inspired her to create the Jimmy Vega series. The writer, the daughter of immigrans, has a Russian father and English mother, but has volunteered for several years at an immigrant outreach center near her home.           

Anaya’s books comprise another suspenseful series, but markedly differ from Chazin's with his lush and lyrical writing style according to Novelist Plus. Most of his detective stories were published in the 1990s, with the last released in 2005. The stories feature Chicano private investigator, Sonny Baca. Set in Albequerque, New Mexico, the novels have elements of crime, murder and spirituality as Sonny experiences dreams which guide him as a detective. Novelist Plus also notes that Anaya’s writings feature literal and symbolic journeys, with blurred lines between what is real and imaginary -- as seen in the Sonny Baca series.

Those Hispanic mysteries, however, do not stop with books by Chazin and Anaya. For a broader examination of mysteries featuring Hispanic characters, explore this list of 12 novels. Options for teens are also available. Find mystery fiction in the form of short stories with You Don’t Have a Clue: Latino Mystery Stories for Teens.

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This blog was written by Lawrence Turner, librarian at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.

Indigenous people, including Native Americans, have a complex and often misunderstood history in North America. As a trusted, community resource, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library wants to share important resources and materials that celebrate the cultural diversity of indigenous groups in the United States, especially in the state of North Carolina. 

The State of North Carolina officially recognizes eight tribes, and the federal government recognizes the Eastern Cherokee tribe. Learn more about North Carolina’s tribes in Dennis Isenbarger’s Native Americans in Early North Carolina or spend an afternoon exploring our extensive collection of Native American materials, only available at the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room. Visit any Library location to explore your potential Native American roots on Ancestry Library Edition. If you have a mobile device or computer, you can even access Mango Languages to learn the Cherokee language.

For our younger audiences, our Myers Park location offers Story Explorers: Native American Heritage Month Monday, November 25, 2019 at 6:15 p.m. 

To learn more about Native American culture, check out the following resources and materials: 

• Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz' 2015 An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States and All the Real Indians Died Off give a Native American perspective of North American history and dispel myths.   
• Cook authentic Sioux recipes like wild rice cakes and sweet corn sorbet from Shawn Sherman’s The Sioux Chef's Indigenous Kitchen.
• Listen to Apache-Filipino folk musician Nahko.  
• Stream acclaimed Native American films and documentaries like Winter in the Blood and Reel Injun through Kanopy.

• Tommy Orange’s critically acclaimed 2018 There There features a rotating cast of characters and viewpoints of twelve Native Americans traveling to a Bay Area powwow. 
• LeAnne Howe’s Savage Conversations explores the link between Mary Todd Lincoln, her stay in an asylum, and the massacre of 38 Dakota members. 
• Brandon Hobson’s Where the Dead Sit Talking is a coming-of-age story about a Cherokee teen living in foster care and a 2018 National Book Award finalist,  
• Try a collection of short stories or essays such as “Spider Woman's Granddaughters,” “Grandmothers of the Light” and “#NotYourPrincess.”
• Try works by other Native American authors like Sherman Alexie, Paula Gunn Allen, and Leslie Silko.
• Find children’s materials from these library staff reading lists. 

Audiences of all ages are encouraged to learn more about Native American culture by visiting the American Indian Library Association, American Indian Center and North Carolina tribal resources such as the Eastern Band of Cherokee.

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This blog post was written by Kristi Atkins, librarian, of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library continuously strives to offer a diverse and popular collection of materials to our community. One way we do this is through a catalog of thousands of e-books available to our Library cardholders for free to checkout and read on their digital devices. This collection is so popular that last year we had more than 1.7 million checkouts of downloadable books and audiobooks. The popularity of our digital collections is exciting, however access to these items is now being threatened by rising pricing models for public libraries and new restrictive policies.

Beginning November 1, 2019 one of the largest publishers, Macmillan, is instituting an eight-week embargo against all public libraries on all new ebook titles. This means that when a new book is released, public libraries will be limited to only one e-book copy and will not be allowed to purchase additional digital versions to meet the demand of their communities until the eight-week time limit expires. Our community members, used to being able to place holds on new items and check them out on their digital devices, will no longer have readily available new releases of items published under the Macmillan umbrella. Wait times will be long for digital versions of popular authors like Nora Roberts, Phillip Margolin and Tomi Adeyemi.       

Access is very important to libraries. Charlotte Mecklenburg Library opposes this new policy. These embargos are hurtful to the reading public and could jeopardize the future of access to e-books in libraries. This change limits access of popular e-books to only those customers able to purchase these titles, bringing the greatest negative impacts to those the Library serves with free access. The Library budget, stressed by competing priorities and the growing needs within our community, will be stretched further as publishers add restrictions and raise prices on digital sales to libraries across the country, resulting in limited offerings and increased wait times for our community members.

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library supports industry efforts to combat these changes.  To express displeasure for Macmillan’s new e-book policies, please email Macmillan at [email protected].  You can also add your name to the growing list of readers who have signed a petition launched by the American Library Association at eBooksForAll.org.

Thank you for lending your voice to support Charlotte Mecklenburg Library as well as public libraries across the country.

Respectfully, 

To learn more about these changes and the impact to public libraries, please visit:

• Panorama Project - A cross-industry, collaborative research initiative dedicated to using data to measure the impact libraries have on developing readers, driving book discovery, and generating book sales in their local communities and beyond.
• Press Release from American Library Association
• Resource Page from Urban Libraries Council

The Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room is getting into the spirit of Halloween by uncovering ghost stories found in our collection. Keep reading for something spooky...if you dare.  

A Stroll Around the Neighborhood 

Have you ever taken a stroll around your neighborhood only to realize that all your neighbors and friends ignored you, despite your best efforts to get their attention?  

This very occurrence happened to Mr. Tolson on a crisp morning when he realized his newspaper had not yet been delivered to his home in Fourth Ward. Typically, his paper was left at the end of his rocky driveway at the same time each morning. Anxious to read the latest news on the Voynich Manuscript, he lit a cigarette, put on his cap and took a walk with the hope that the paper boy would deliver his newspaper by the time he returned. 

As he strolled leisurely around the neighborhood, he smiled and waved at familiar faces. Without anyone responding, he figured they were preoccupied with shoveling the freshly fallen snow from their driveways or hastily escaping the bitter wind.  

Mr. Tolson found a bench in the park where he sat peacefully to watch children, bundled up, playing in the snow. 

Soon after he sat down, two children and their parents sat on the bench next to him. He was so excited to finally talk to someone, but to his dismay, these people acted like he wasn’t there, just like those he saw earlier that morning. These were people he knew all his life. How could they just ignore him? 

At that moment, Mr. Tolson grew extremely concerned. Did people not recognize him? What was happening? It was like he didn’t exist. Even beggars on the street didn’t accept his change. 

For the first time that morning, he started to feel faint. A cold chill crept up his neck. He pulled his coat collar tighter as he made his way out of the park toward home. Feeling faint, he leaned all his body weight on the park gate for support. He was in tears and desperately tried to talk to the next person he saw. 

He saw a man of similar size and stature in the distance walking silently along the path. Mr. Tolson cried out, “Help! I feel faint! Can you help me home?” The man hurried over to his rescue. The two men walked through Fourth Ward together like they were old friends. 

As they walked, Mr. Tolson spoke of his business achievements, the weather, politics and old memories he had made at various places throughout Fourth Ward. They came across an old couple who warmly greeted him and his new friend.  

When they finally got back to his beloved home, he saw the newspaper sitting in its usual spot. He picked it up and brought it back inside. He started calling for his wife, but she didn’t answer. This didn’t concern him, as their house was fairly large, and she was likely upstairs in their room.  

He strolled down the hall to surprisingly find his wife crying with her head down on the kitchen table. He put the newspaper in front of her. His wife screamed to the butler wondering where the newspaper came from. The butler was puzzled, also unsure of where it had come from. 

Immediately after he put the paper down, Mr. Tolson read the front-page headline: “John Tolson, local businessman, found murdered! Police baffled.” 

For more haunted ghosts, goblins and haunted houses, visit the Carolina Room on the third floor of Main Library to read through our spooky collection --> bit.ly/2oN32y7 

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"A Stroll Around the Neighborhood” was adapted from Roy Heizer’s book, Haunted Charlotte: Supernatural Stories from the Queen City. This blog was written by Julia Zwetolitz and is brought to you by the Carolina Room. 

Halloween is a holiday infused with amusement and suspense. The excitement is targeted for the children, but also enjoyed by adults as shown through the costumes, treats, fall festivals and parties. Those events are entertaining in real life while in novels the edginess goes much further. Halloween makes a likely backdrop for the whodunit murder in mysteries found on the shelves in the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library. 

Be forewarned when you seek these frightful novels because they’re in the cozy mysteries genre. Writer Leslie Meier leads the pack of cozy mysteries with three novels in the Library.  Why cozy mysteries, you ask?  These are identified as “gentle reads.” If you investigate, many books in that genre settle on multiple themes such as the culinary environments and the holidays. That said, why not follow the adventure of an amateur sleuth in an upbeat, occasionally funny story?  When you take that path, you're led to Leslie Meier according to Novelist Plus, the reader’s advisory Internet tool.

Her long running Lucy Stone mystery novels with a reporter in a fictional Maine town is Meier's staple for writing mystery books. The Library owns Halloween Murder which has two mysteries in one volume (Trick or Treat Murder and Wicked Witch Murder), Candy Corn Murder: a Lucy Stone Mystery and "Haunted House Murder" (with two additional stories by writers Lee Hollis and Barbara Ross). 

For a look at those titles and more Halloween-themed mystery books, check this list.  Authors include Morris Ferris, Rita Mae Brown and Agatha Christie with a Hercule Poirot mystery. These books range from regular print, large print, ebook, and eaudiobook book formats.

Take in the spirit of Halloween with these books, your favorite candy and a fictional dead body or two.

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This blog was written by Lawrence Turner, librarian, of Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.

National Novel Writing Month, also known as NaNoWriMo, begins each year on November 1. In addition to this 2019 NaNoWriMo information, eager and curious writers might enjoy the following prompts from the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room to reach their writing goals this month. Happy writing!

One September Morning 

On September 4, 1956, four young black students left home to participate in Charlotte’s first attempt to integrate schools. Dorothy Counts, who was 15 years old, faced a mob of angry students and adults as she made her way to Harding High School. At Central High School, 16-year-old Gus Roberts faced a similar situation. Meanwhile, his little sister, Girvaud, encountered a less stressful situation at Piedmont Junior High. Their parents told them to “carry yourself tall.” One student, Delois Huntley, quietly entered Alexander Graham Junior High School. The failure or success of this social experiment rested on the shoulders of four young children. How would they endure in a sea of angry white faces that surrounded them? 

They Call me Razor Girl 

This prompt is based on the true story of Nellie Green Freeman, a woman who was charged with the murder of her husband in May 1926.  

When police arrived at the Freeman home, they discovered the gruesome scene of the nearly decapitated body of Alton Freeman lying in the arms of his hysterical mother. Nellie confessed to the crime because he planned to leave her. "If other wives would give their husbands the same dose I gave mine, they'd have less trouble," she told stunned police officers. Her trial became a sensation and resulted in a surprise verdict. 

First in Freedom 

For centuries, the residents of Mecklenburg County have celebrated May 20 as the first American Independence Day. The state of North Carolina has the date on its flag. Write from a perspective that 28 men went to the courthouse and prepared a declaration that Captain James Jack delivered to the Continental Congress in 1775, a year before the American Declaration of Independence. Why were the facts covered up? 

Gold All Around Us 

At one time, there were more than 60 gold mines in Mecklenburg County. Write a novel describing the arrival of Cornish miners, the opening of hotels and stores and the people involved. 

Dr. Annie Lowrie Alexander 

Dr. Annie Lowrie Alexander was the first woman physician to practice medicine in North Carolina. Born in Northern Mecklenburg County, her father decided that she would study medicine to treat women patients after one of his female patients refused to let him examine her and subsequently died. The one stipulate was Annie could never marry. After private tutoring, Annie entered the Female Medical College in Philadelphia and graduated in 1888. After a bout of tuberculosis almost cut her career short, she returned to Charlotte and established a practice until her death in 1929. Her medical career and personal life would make a great story. 

Come to the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room on the third floor of Main Library to conduct research or simply for a quiet space to write! 

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These historical prompts were written by Shelia Bumgarner, librarian, of the Carolina Room. 

What is National Novel Writing Month?
National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a 30-day writing challenge with participants across the world. You can register here to track your word count and compete with friends to hit 50,000 words by November 30, 2019. NaNoWriMo a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing that encourages getting words on the page and turning off your self-editor (at least until December 1, 2019). The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library encourages you to spend November immersed in the act of writing for writing's sake and to get your creative juices flowing!

Find Library NaNoWriMo events here.

How does it work?
By registering for an account on the NaNoWriMo website, you have access to an international community of other writers. When you register and choose a home region, you will connect with local participants, events and more. Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is just one of many participating locations.

For young writers, under age 18 (and the people who encourage them), there are a wealth of resources to set a writing goal and get words flowing onto the page or screen. Visit the Young Writers Program for more information.

Find details on how to sign up, track your writing, set goals and connect with your fellow Charlotte-area NaNos here.

What events will you find at the Library?
The Morrison Regional, Myers Park, Mountain Island Library, North County, and Scaleybark branches will have informal "Write-ins" in November. Come enjoy a quiet space and the company of your fellow writers as you work toward 50,000 words. All writers are welcome, even those not enrolled in the official challenge. Enjoy the supportive writing space available in the Library!

Main Library, Plaza Midwood and other Library branches will have additional special events, including a NaNoWriMo Quick Tips course on November 6, 2019, writing workshops and author events. Check our calendar of events for times and locations.

Eager and curious writers can even access Charlotte-themed writing prompts from the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room here.
 

Special Events

• NaNoWriMo Quick Tips, Wednesday, November 6, 2019, 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. at Main Library

Local Author Surabhi Kaushik shares tips and tricks from her experience for getting the words on the page to finish your writing project. Register here.

• Never Abandon Imagination, Saturday, November 2, 2019, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. at Mint Museum Randolph

Join us at the Mint Museum Randolph for a journey into creativity. Find ways to recover and reclaim your deepest source of inspiration. This writing workshop will guide us playfully through exercises designed to spark curiosity and imagination. Participants will view the exhibit “Never Abandon Imagination” as part of the workshop experience. Register here.

• Writers' Workshop: Exploring Story through Identity, Community and Purpose, Saturday, November 9, 2019, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. at Independence Regional Library

Join Louis B. Smith, a local writer, architect and conceptual thinker on a two-hour journey into story. Learn to create more complicated believable characters, clearly realized contexts for those characters and to express a sense of purpose for each. Whether you are writing about romance, adventure or personal histories this framework may help you better connect to your audience. The workshop will include free writing on each aspect. Register here.

• Creative Writing Workshop: Finding Transparency, Voice and Creativity, Thursday, November 21, 2019, 6 - 7:30 p.m. at Matthews Library

Join Glenn Proctor for this creative writing workshop. Learn how to uncover individual creativity as it applies to writing about life and truth. Register here.

• Library Resources for Writers, Monday, November 25, 2019, 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Main Library

How can the library help you with your writing project? Whether you are writing for pleasure or business, we have several resources to support you. We will cover them all briefly in this program, including an introduction to Pressbooks and Self-e. Register here.

Write-ins
Any library is a great place to work on a novel, but these locations have coordinated events. Come write with fellow writers!

• Monday nights 5 – 7:30 p.m. North County Library
• Tuesday nights, 5 - 7:30 p.m.  Myers Park Library (except Nov. 23 and 30)
• Tuesday night, November 26, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Matthews Library
• Wednesday nights, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Morrison Library and Mountain Island Library (except Nov. 27)
• Friday mornings, 10 a.m. – noon Scaleybark Library (except Nov. 29)
• Saturday mornings, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.  Mountain Island Library (except Nov. 9)
  North County Library

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This blog was written by Pamela Turner, senior library assistant, of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.

Mark I. West, Professor and Chair, Department of English at UNC-C and EpicFest volunteer shares his thoughts about EpicFest and the continued importance of sharing and creating stories within families:

The phrase storied family is generally used when referring to a famous family that figures in historical narratives, such as the Kennedy family or the Bush family.  However, I like to use this phrase when referring to families that are held together by a web of stories.  Such families read stories together, tell stories at the dinner table, and are always ready to enjoy a good yarn. 

Children who grow up in such families are lucky.  Research in the emerging field of family literacy indicates children are more likely to succeed in school if they grow up in families where books are available, stories are told, and reading is valued.  Barbara Bush, an early leader of the family literacy movement and the founder of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, is famous for having said, “Let your children see you read.”

When families engage in literacy activities together, everyone in the family benefits.   It not only promotes children’s reading skills, but it also facilities family communication.  Families who have stories in common have something to talk about, and they can make references to characters and phrases that they all understand.  For a family who has read the Harry Potter books together, for example, the phrase “constant vigilance” takes on a special meaning since it figures so prominently in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

I think that all families should be storied families, and one way to accomplish this goal is to gather one’s family together and go to EpicFest 2019 at ImaginOn.  Billed as “Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s free literary festival for children and their families,” EpicFest will take place on Saturday, November 9, 2019, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.   As a member of EpicFest’s steering committee, I know that the organizers of this festival have arranged for many opportunities for families to engage in literacy-related activities together.  Participants can interact with children’s authors and illustrators, and they can participate in literature-themed craft projects.  For more information about the details of this year’s festival, please click on the following link:  https://foundation.cmlibrary.org/events/epicfest

I think it is fitting that Charlotte’s premier family literacy event came into existence because of a storied family from Charlotte.  EpicFest is the Preston family’s gift to the community.  Long-time supporters of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, Jim and Libby Preston had a passion for reading, which they shared with their daughter.  Libby Preston worked for many years as a librarian in the public schools, and this experience contributed to her commitment to promoting literacy in the Charlotte community.  When she died in 2014, her husband wanted to honor Libby’s passion for reading and literacy education, so he approached the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation about making a gift to help carry on his wife’s life work.  The result is EpicFest.  Jim died in 2016, and today EpicFest honors both Jim and Libby Preston. 

Jim and Libby Preston’s daughter, Mary Lane Lennon, serves on the EpicFest steering committee.  She and I often sit next to each other during the committee meetings.  We are the two non-librarians on the committee, but we both feel at home on the committee.  After all, we are all united by a deep belief in the power of family literacy.

On October 26, 2019 North Country Regional Library celebrated its Fall Fest and Grand Re-Opening. It was a successful unifying event that brought together approximately 200 community members to celebrate literacy and learning in northern Mecklenburg County. Attendees had a blast touring the new library!

North County was previously closed for renovations from July 2018 unitl October 6, 2019 when the branch re-opened its doors to excited customers.

Renovations to North County consisted of a new teen loft for ages 10-18, a calming room that offers a quiet place for nursing mothers, a makerspace, an expanded community room, conference room, study room, more accessible entrances, café, outdoor lounge area, new exterior book drop, efficient checkout system, automated materials unit and a public art display.

Fall Fest kicked-off with a 10 a.m. ribbon cutting ceremony. From 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m., guests toured the new space and participated in programs in and outside of the library. The fun festivities included a chance to enjoy Wrap ‘N’ Roll food truck and sweet treats from Johnson and Wales University, jumbo darts, basketball toss, face painting, performances from the Bailey Middle School Band and a raptor center where participants learned how raptors influenced artists. Participants also got to make their own owl sculpture and play a game guessing what artwork represented that kind of raptor..

Additionally, attendees were able to participate in a scavenger hunt, storytime, create in the makerspace, take photos with Queens Charlotte, Storm Troopers and navigate children's exploration maps.

Pictures from the event and the community turnout speak volumes of how much North County impacted the north Mecklenburg County community. Staff are excited to share all the resources the library has to offer so be sure to visit the new North County and experience the changes yourself.

View photos of the event below or visit our photo gallery here. 

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This blog was written by Julia Zwetolitz, marketing & communications intern, with Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.

On Wednesday, November 13, 2019 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. a free screening of the silent Harold Lloyd comedy classic The Freshman (1925) will take place at the uptown Mint Museum’s atrium. Local musician Ethan Uslan, a specialist in the art of “silent film live performance”, will provide live piano accompaniment.  

Harold Lloyd’s The Freshman, one of the milestones of the Silent Film Comedy Era, will be introduced by film programmer Sam Shapiro. The film tells the story of a college freshman trying to become popular by joining the school football team. The Freshman is widely considered to be one of Lloyd’s most hilarious, well-constructed films and was his most successful silent film of the 1920s.  

Hailed by the Chicago Tribune for his “vivid musical imagination” and “deep understanding of far-flung performance practices,” Ethan Uslan is a ragtime/jazz pianist and raconteur. His vast repertoire includes original arrangements of Civil-War era songs, African-American spirituals, New Orleans Jazz, 1920s Charlestons, blues, stomps, Harlem stride piano, swing, Cuban rumbas, and jazzed-up versions of classical masterpieces.  

This event is part of the Mint Museum’s “Live at the Mint” series. This series celebrates Charlotte’s dynamic arts community.  

Location: 

Mint Museum Uptown (Atrium)  

500 S. Tryon Street 

Charlotte, NC 28202 

This event is a partnership between the Library and Mint Museum. Hopefully, the success of this program will open the door to future successful programming partnerships between these two organizations. 

For more information about Library film programs, please contact Sam Shapiro at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library at [email protected] or at 704-416-0252.  

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