Yes, you read that right!  

The legal separation of the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain in 1776 actually occurred on July 2, when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence proposed by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia. Lee made three main points, to include a declaration of independence, a call to form foreign alliances and a “plan for confederation”: 

Lee’s Resolution, June 7, 1776 (National Archives and Records Administration: 301685 )

After approving Lee’s Resolution, Congress turned its attention to The Committee of Five’s drafted statement of independence. The Committee met and wrote what became the Declaration of Independence between June 11-28. Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, and Benjamin Franklin all served on the Committee, with Thomas Jefferson leading as the principle author.  On July 2 the document was approved, and by July 4, 1776 Congress agreed on the final wording, thus leading to the official adoption of the Declaration of Independence. 

The Committee of Five (National Archives and Records Administration: 532924 )

So, should we celebrate July 2 as our actual day of independence? It seems that John Adams thought so. He wrote to his wife Abigail: 

“The second day of July 1776 will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.” 

Portrait of John Adams (National Archives and Records Administration: 50780435)

Adams's prediction of how Americans would celebrate this occasion was accurate, despite being off by two days. From the outset, Americans celebrated independence on July 4, the date shown on the much-publicized Declaration of Independence, rather than on July 2, the date the resolution of independence was approved in a closed session of Congress.  

The signers of the Declaration of Independence were not all present on July 4, 1776, although Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin did write that they signed it the same day the document was approved and adopted. Other members of Congress, led by John Hancock, the President of the Congress, signed the Declaration nearly a month later on August 2. 

The King of England viewed the members of the Second Continental Congress as traitors, rebelling against the crown. None of the signers were sentenced to death in response to their rebellious actions, but most were punished indirectly through the burning of their homes, imprisonment, or physical harm. 

Oddly, both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, the only signers of the Declaration of Independence later to serve as Presidents of the United States, died on the same day: July 4, 1826, which was the 50th anniversary of the Declaration. 

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Sources:  

Massachusetts Historical Society. Letter from John Adams to Abigail Adams, 3 July 1776. Accessed July 2019. https://www.masshist.org/digitaladams/archive/popup?id=L17760703jasecond&page=L17760703jasecond_2   

National Archives and Records Administration. Declaration of Independence. Docs Teach. Accessed July 2019. https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/the-declaration-of-independence 

National Archives and Records Administration. Lee’s Resolution. Docs Teach. Accessed July 2019. https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/lee-resolution-independence  

Another summer has flown by. School supply shopping has begun, vacations are winding down and another Summer Break program is about to end.  

Remember that Saturday, August 10 is the last day that you can enter reading time or activities in your log. Participants will have until Saturday, August 17 to pick up their milestone incentives – while supplies last. As a reminder, the incentives are as follows:  

• Wendy’s Jr. Frosty Coupons (earned at Sign-up)  

• Fine Waiver cards (earned at Sign-up, 10 hours, 15 hours, and 20 hours of reading)  

• Summer Break Completion incentive (Babies/children: a book; Teens: choice of a book or a Library drawstring bag; Adults: a Library magnet or notebook.)

Some participants may noticed they have earned a “Giving Makes the World Go Round" badge. Participants earn this badge when they reach 25 hours of reading. Every summer, the library gives back to the community by donating books to a local organization in need. This year’s recipient will be Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools. Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is happy to donate to CMS and we are thankful the school system will accept the contributions.   

Thank you for participating in Summer Break! We hope you’ve had fun reading and learning all summer long. We’ll see you again next summer!!   

Children's Services Leader, Jesse Isley, made a guest appearance on WCNC's Charlotte Today on Monday, August 5, 2019 and shared six back-to-school titles for kids, teens and adults. 

Click here to search titles

Children’s picture books:

Your First Day of Circus School by Tara Lazar, illustrated by Melissa Crowton

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages! It's the most amazing day on earth: the first day of school! It can be a daunting prospect, but don't worry - your big brother can show you the ropes. Join a nervous boy and his enthusiastic older brother as they navigate the highs and lows of a first day at school . . . except this school is a big top, and the teacher is named Miss Stupendous, and the cafeteria can be a zoo, literally! It turns out, school isn't so scary when you can let off steam during recess (on a steam train) and walk on stilts to all of your classes. With a bit of help from family and some new friends, you'll make it to the top of the class in no time! This charming take on school readiness will delight new school-goers and take a bit of the fear out of those first-day jitters.

Back to School with Bigfoot by Samantha Berger and Martha Brockenbrough

The school year is about to start, and Bigfoot is worried about all the things that could go wrong--but he also remembers that all his friends will be there.

Youth fiction:

Mia Mayhem vs. the Super Bully by Kara West

Mia is excited about her first superspeed training class, but a bully on her relay team leads her to lose her shadow and, worse, to snap at her friends.

Teen fiction:

Panic by Lauren Oliver

In the poor town of Carp, New York, a group of teens enters a high-stakes game that involves a series of secretive, possibly deadly challenges throughout the summer, with the winner receiving more than $50,000--enough money to start a new life.

Adult fiction:

Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl

A darkly funny coming-of-age novel and a richly plotted suspense tale told through the distinctive voice of its heroine, Blue van Meer. After a childhood moving from one academic outpost to another with her father (a man prone to aphorisms and meteoric affairs), Blue is clever, deadpan, and possessed of a vast lexicon of literary, political, philosophical, and scientific knowledge--and is quite the cinéaste to boot. In her final year of high school at the élite (and unusual) St. Gallway School in Stockton, North Carolina, Blue falls in with a charismatic group of friends and their captivating teacher, Hannah Schneider. But when the drowning of one of Hannah's friends and the shocking death of Hannah herself lead to a confluence of mysteries, Blue is left to make sense of it all with only her gimlet-eyed instincts and cultural references to guide--or misguide—her.

From radios in cars and TVs in restaurants comes the sound of baseball – the buzz of the crowd, the call of a vendor, the crack of the bat. In the 300 block of South Graham St., the wall of Truist Field (formerly BB&T BallPark) runs right along the sidewalk. Four images are painted on it in commemoration of past Charlotte baseball teams and fields.



Latta Park

A playing area for baseball was cleared in Dilworth, Charlotte’s first suburb.

The Charlotte Baseball Club challenged amateur clubs from other cities to games in Charlotte and accepted challenges from other towns. The team’s poor performance one year prompted this sardonic boast in the May 13, 1892 Observer: “There are people who say it can beat the Pineville nine, that is, if Pineville has a nine.”

Wearn Field/Hayman Park

The Wearn name commemorates a whole family. Joseph Henry Wearn and Company were in the lumber business. Members of the family formed “the Wearn Nine” as an amateur team. J. H. Wearn (1861-1936) became

president of the first professional team in Charlotte and the field was named after him. The league it belonged to folded in 1917.

“Hayman” refers to Felix Hayman, the son of German-Jewish immigrants who, like his father, was a butcher (the family name was sometimes listed without the first “A,” indicating that the first syllable was pronounced with a long “I” sound). He restarted minor-league baseball in Charlotte by organizing the team for the South Atlantic, or “Sally,” League in 1919. Years after his death in 1932, people told stories about his baseball sense, his business flair and his charity work. The story goes that Felix once traded a turkey from his butcher shop for a player (Charlotte Observer, February 1, 1931, Sec.1, p.8).

 

Clark Griffith Park/Jim Crockett Memorial Park

In 1941, the Charlotte Hornets were acquired by Clark Griffith, owner of the Washington Senators, and began to play in a new stadium on 400 Magnolia Ave. in Dilworth. The Senators became the Twins and they pulled their minor league team out of Charlotte in 1972.

Charlotte went three seasons without a professional baseball team until the Baltimore Orioles relocated their AA farm team here in 1976. The stadium changed its name following the death of Jim Crockett, who had brought the team to Charlotte. His daughter, Frances Crockett, ran the team until 1987, seeing it through a fire that destroyed the wooden stadium in March of 1985. The Crocketts sold the team in 1987, which changed its name to the Charlotte Knights and moved to play in Fort Mill, South Carolina.

Buster Sloan served as groundskeeper at Griffith Park from its opening until his death in 1978. Sloan and family lived in an apartment under the bleachers. Fans could smell the chicken frying on their stove (Charlotte Observer, June 27, 1978).

Knights Stadium

Beginning in 1990, the Charlotte Knights began play in Knights Stadium in Fort Mill. In 1997, the team began its association with the Chicago White Sox and moved up to AAA affiliation, which remained the case to the end of their time in Fort Mill and into the uptown era as well.

Other Teams

Up to 1976, all these teams were called the “Charlotte Hornets,” and up to 1954, they fielded white players only. African American baseball players organized their own teams as early as 1876. (Charlotte Observer, July 2, 1876, p.4) The “Brown Hornets” shared Griffith Park with the other Hornets. Textile mill workers also organized their own baseball teams and leagues. The story of their so-called “Outlaw” League is told in an online exhibit of materials from the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.

Want to learn more about baseball in North Carolina? The Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room has the Hank Utley Baseball Collection. In this collection you will find interesting documents and artifacts that were used in Utley’s book about the notorious “Outlaw” baseball league that formed in the late 1930s. There are newspaper clippings, interviews, biographies, statistics and photographs/negatives.

Midwood Elementary School was founded in 1934 and was located on 1817 Central Ave. in Charlotte, North Carolina. Midwood Elementary reached its prime years during the 1950s with 1,000 students enrolled. Several decades later in 1983, the school began to fall into disrepair and closed. After a 1985 arson fire at Albemarle Elementary, seventy workers brought Midwood Elementary back up to code in a speedy three days so children could attend a relatively-local school.

 

                               Midwood Elementary School, 1935

               Courtesy of the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room

Midwood Elementary School, 2019

Courtesy of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmark Commission

By the early 2000s, Midwood Elementary was an alternative school for students who dropped out of traditional schools for academic or personal reasons. Another part of the building served as a hot lunch program for the elderly and was also home to Teenage Age Parents Services (TAPS), a group dedicated to keeping pregnant teen girls in school.

                                     Midwood Elementary School

                                Drum and Bugle Corps, 1938-1939

               Courtesy of the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room

 

In 2012, the former Midwood Elementary School building became home to the International House. Founded by the Charlotte Area Clergy Association as the Community College and International Ministry of Charlotte, Inc. in 1981, the organization changed its name to “International House” in 1989. International House opened a multicultural campus to house Language Academy, League of Women Voters and All Ethiopian Community Center, among others. These organizations provided a variety of services, including direct services such as foreign-language conversation hours, cultural events, citizen workshops and legal services, to Charlotte’s growing international population.



 

         Midwood Elementary School, Miss Marion Price and her

               Kindergarten Group, Sponsored by our PTA, 1958.

              Courtesy of the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room

This scrapbook provides patrons a look back at Midwood Elementary during its active years. Clippings celebrate student and staff achievements and thank you notes show how much Midwood’s teachers were appreciated.

To learn more about Midwood Elementary, the Midwood scrapbook, and our other collections, please visit us at www.cmstory.org/ or on the third floor of Main Library.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

On Friday, July 26, deserving middle and high school students in the Charlotte community had the opportunity to consider that question on a larger scale. Students who participated in the “Bigger than High School” event hosted at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s (UNCC) Cato College of Education were able to explore and discuss various career options with professionals in rotating five-minute increments. Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Outreach Coordinator Jasmine McNeil partnered with Jimmeka Anderson with the Urban Education Collaborative, at UNCC to bring the event to life, hoping to spark excitement and curiosity in local students about their futures.

Program participants were challenged to think about life beyond high school and were introduced to African American business professionals who represented a variety of careers from leadership in the banking industry and educational leadership to social work, marketing, communications and even the possibility of serving the community as a librarian, through speed mentoring. The youth were also able to ask questions to panels of African American PhD students, UNCC undergrad students, participated in a tour of the campus and so much more.

Parents and guardians of program participants attended parent sessions where they learned about financial aid, Library resources, College 101 and spoke with a high school guidance counselor. One parent noted that the Library resources session was her favorite of the day because she wasn’t aware of all the tools the library had to offer. Other speakers, parents and guardians stated this event was helpful and something they wish they could’ve experienced when they were younger.

As a keepsake, students received take-home booklets with a yearbook theme.

The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Outreach Department would like to give a special thanks to the Library staff that participated and demonstrated several of the Library’s FOREWARD culture principles such as WE OVER ME, LOVE WHAT YOU DO, THINK AND ACT FORWARD and BE A HERO. Thank you to: Asha Ellison, De’Trice Fox, Shannon Page, LaShai Thompson and Holly Summers for your amazing contributions to the Bigger than High School Event.

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This blog was written by Jasmine McNeil, outreach coordinator at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.

Are you looking to improve your filmmaking skills or just curious about the process of video and film making? If so, you may be interested in attending one, or all, of our new workshops starting in September. As part of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s burgeoning Community Media Strategy, and in partnership with the Charlotte Unconventional Film School, we are excited to announce Make-a-Movie workshops. Beginning in September and running through December 2019 , these FREE in-person workshops will take place at various Charlotte Mecklenburg Library branch locations and will bring together filmmakers, professors and professionals to provide insight into the art of movie-making and this exciting industry.  

Registration for all sessions is recommended as space is limited.

A link for each session can be found with the corresponding descriptions below:

Hands-On Make a Movie One-Day Workshop

This day is all about ACTION! The day will begin with camera exposure, lenses, framing, movement and simple lighting techniques. We will film a very short scene (about one minute) with 2 actors. The script will come from a local person. The actors will be local talent and chosen in advance. This workshop is meant for adults who have little to no experience being on a movie set. A participant can only attend one of these sessions. Because it is hands-on, there is a limit of 15 students per session. Each session will take place on Saturday afternoons, from 12:15 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.
 

Click here to register for Sept. 7, 2019 – University City Regional Library

Click here to register for Oct. 26, 2019 – University City Regional Library

Click here to register for Nov. 16, 2019 – West Boulevard Library

Click here to register for Dec. 7, 2019 – Sugar Creek Library
 

Make a Movie: Telling Stories for the Screen

Rodney Stringfellow currently teaches courses in screenwriting, film history and video production at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. An educator and screenwriter, he has written episodes for Nickelodeon, PBS, Disney Channel and more. Stringfellow designed this class to help students craft stories specifically for the screen. The workshop teaches story structure, screenplay formatting, idea development and what happens after you have finished your script. This session will run from 1 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
 

Click here to register for Sept. 28, 2019 – Main Library
 

Hands-On Make Your First Short Documentary (Session A)

This is an opportunity for adults to wrap their heads around the steps required to make a short, low budget documentary from scratch. There will be an emphasis on peer-to-peer support and working together on individual projects. We will learn by doing. These sessions will be led by the Director of Charlotte Unconventional Film School, Julie McElmurry. McElmurry is self-taught and has completed six documentaries. This workshop is for adults who already have an idea for a very short documentary and need some guidance and deadlines. We will utilize a short, free online seminar on our own time in addition to our class time. Over four sessions, students will be given deadlines for figuring out and arranging tasks. They will be given basic video editing software, taught to interview, taught how to create an outline for the documentary and shown some examples of other short documentaries that are engaging and informative. By the end of the workshop, we will have created several two-minute videos about the Library branch where we are meeting.

Each session will take place on Thursday evenings, from 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m.

Click here to register for Oct. 10, 2019 – Main Library

Click here to register for Oct. 17, 2019 – Main Library

Click here to register for Oct. 24, 2019 – Main Library

Click here to register for Oct. 31, 2019 – Main Library
 

Hands-On Make Your First Short Documentary (Session B)

This is another opportunity for adults to learn the steps it takes to make a short, low budget documentary from scratch. There will be an emphasis on peer-to-peer support and working together on individual projects. This session is also led by the Director of Charlotte Unconventional Film School, Julie McElmurry. Please read the description for “Hands-On Make Your First Short Documentary (Session A)” above for more information.

Each session will take place on Thursday evenings, from 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m.
 

Click here to register for Nov. 7, 2019 – University City Regional Library

Click here to register for Nov. 14, 2019 – University City Regional Library

Click here to register for Nov. 21, 2019 – University City Regional Library

Click here to register for Dec. 5, 2019 – University City Regional Library

Mountain Island Library will be hosting a Downton Abbey Tea and Trivia Night on Monday, September 9, 2019 at 6 p.m.  If you, like some of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Staff and the millions of Downton fans worldwide, were sad to see the program end, you’ll no doubt be excited that Downton Abbey: The Movie is set to open in theaters in the United States on September  20, 2019!

Here’s what we know so far- it’s 1927.  The series ended on New Year’s Day 1926.  Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham, receives a letter informing him of an impending visit by King George V and Queen Mary—causing a stir amongst the Crawley Family and servants alike.  Downton has been tightening its purse strings and running with less staff than before. However Carson, the former head butler,  is returning for this important royal visit. 

This British historical period drama film is written by series creator, Julian Fellowes, and directed by Michael Engler.  It is a continuation of the six-season television series, Downton Abbey, that ran on PBS from 2010 to 2015.

This Tea and Trivia Night will be both fun and fact-filled as we explore the historical world events that took place (the sinking of the Titanic, World War I, the 1918 Flu Pandemic, and the dawning of women’s rights—just to name a few without giving too much away) throughout all of Downton’s six seasons.

So, whether you’re new to Downton Abbey or a die-hard fan, join us for an evening where you’ll reacquaint yourself with an in-depth peek of the many aspects of the post-Edwardian era in which the TV series was set—as well as offering insights into the remarkable events that shaped the world during this time.

Come for a fun-filled evening, challenge your knowledge, meet fellow fans and make new friends.  Of course, tea and English treats will be served.  Let the festivities begin!

Registration is recommended as seating is limited. Register here.

Charlotte Pride Festival and Parade 

Every third weekend in August, Charlotte Pride holds its annual Pride Festival and Parade. Since Charlotte’s first Pride Parade in 2013, it’s grown bigger, better and has attracted hundreds of thousands of people. In 2018, 165,000 people attended Pride. This year, over 200,000 attended with over 6,000 participants. 

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library  

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library prides itself on being a welcoming place for all—a place where we celebrate diversity and inclusion. As part of that mission, the Library started participating in the Pride Parade in 2018 by being one of the many groups to walk in the parade. Our group photo of that day gained the most likes on Instagram of all the library posts up to that point. During the parade, it was clear by the amount of people excitedly shouting, “It’s the library!” that our participation was important to our community.

This year the Library also held a Pride Summit at Beatties Ford Regional Library on August 13, organized by Viviette White. The Summit brought community members and organizers alike to the library. Participants met established and emerging leaders from organizations such as One Voice Charlotte, PFLAG Charlotte, Atrium Health and the Library for an afternoon of learning, networking and the kick-off of Pride week at the library. This event was the first of its kind and hopefully the first of many more LGBTQ+ events in the library system.  

This year, 25 staff members and their families from different library locations participated in the parade and represented the system by walking. One of the participants said, “I’m so glad I was able to participate. Seeing how supportive and appreciative the community was makes me glad the Library is involved. I can’t wait to participate next year!” Those who were not able to attend the parade aided in various way leading up to the event. Thank you to all who supported our efforts to bring Library resources to the Charlotte community and helping us build a stronger community!  

Happy Pride! You are welcome here. 

Beyond the Parade:  

Although Charlotte Pride is over for this year, the Library provides the community with many LGBTQ+ resources and materials throughout the year. Here are a few: 

Library Booklists 

During the parade we handed out bookmarks with book recommendations for children, teens and adults. You can view those books here.  

The American Library Association’s Rainbow Books List is a curated bibliography highlighting books with significant gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or queer/questioning content, aimed at children and youth from birth to age 18.

The first and most enduring award for GLBT books is the Stonewall Book Awards, sponsored by the ALA’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Round Table.

Community Resources and Organizations 

Time Out Youth is a Library partner and an organization that provides a safe space for LGBTQ+ youth to be their authentic selves.

PFLAG Charlotte provides support for parents and caregivers of LGBTQ youth. They have some great resources available here.

For more information on Charlotte Pride, check out their website. They host a lot of other events throughout the year as well.

This blog was written by Abs Keller