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Freegal Music Subscription Ending August 2025

May 23, 2025

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s subscription to Freegal Music will end in August 2025.  Customers will continue to have access to digital music through hoopla.

 

After August 1, 2025, customers will no longer be able to access music that is stored in the Freegal app.  In most cases, you can retain access to music you’ve downloaded from Freegal by transferring the downloaded music to another digital library.  Playlists created within Freegal cannot be retained.

 

Instructions for backing up Freegal downloads for Apple and Android users can be found on the Freegal FAQ page.  Scroll down to the bottom to see questions that address backing up your music or moving it from your device to a computer.  Music previously downloaded to a computer (Mac or PC) should already be contained in a file (s) on your computer, so no further action is needed.

 

New to hoopla?

hoopla allows Charlotte Mecklenburg Library customers to instantly borrow more than 400,000 music albums.  Customers can access entire music albums on hoopla.  Music albums are checked out for 7 days and then are automatically returned to hoopla.  Unlike Freegal, you don’t keep the music permanently but borrow it like you would a physical item from the library.

 

To get started with hoopla, create a hoopla account by clicking “Sign Up Now” on the hoopla site or the hoopla app compatible with your device.  Create an account with your email address, password, and library card number.

 

 

Questions?  Ask a staff member or contact Online Reference at [email protected]. 

 

 

Plaza Midwood Reopens on June 9

May 28, 2025

The work is just about done, and we’re ready to reopen our doors to you.  You’ll notice two major changes:

 

·       Fully renovated restrooms

·       Repaved parking lot

 

This facility was built in 1995, so we completed a few other maintenance items that won’t be as noticeable but are equally important.  New furniture for the children’s section will be delivered later this summer, so stay tuned for an even “comfier” area for the little ones.  

 

We can’t wait to see you!

2025 Summer Bookmark Contest for Children and Teens

June 4, 2025

This blog was written by Jesse Isley, children's services manager for Charlotte Mecklenburg Library

This spring, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library hosted our second annual bookmark contest for children and teens in grades K-12 to showcase the creativity of our community. We were excited to expand the contest this year to include middle and high school students, and we loved hosting the contest itself in March as part of our celebration of Community Read! 


We received over 1,100 bookmark entries—including hundreds from local schools and classrooms that teachers graciously dropped off for students. Themes included everything from love of books and reading (which made our hearts so happy!) to nature, animals, positive messages, and the celebration of summer. We also got to see unique materials used to complete the challenge with watercolors, stickers, and photography all submitted this year.

 

While it was a difficult task, we worked hard to narrow down the entries for final selection by our judges. We were so lucky to have 2 local artists judge the contest this year! To Melody Cassen and Chris Georgalas, we are so grateful for your support of our community and for your willingness to take on the hardest job of selecting winners for each range of grade levels. We greatly appreciate the judges sharing their time and expertise. Here is some of the feedback they shared:


“I loved the theme of these bookmarks—positive, universal that can apply to anyone.”


“It was hard for me to judge these as they were all so imaginative and genuine!”


“I congratulate all of the artists. It’s important for all of the creatives involved to know that they are unique in what they dream, and it is a gift they have to share with the world.”


We are thrilled to announce the winners below and first runners up below. Copies of the winning bookmarks will be available to pick up in every library location while supplies last. A huge thank you to our community for your response to this contest, and CONGRATULATIONS to our winners.
 

Winning Bookmarks: (l-r) Zoie Parikh, Laurel Martinez, Josephine M. & Hayden Jenkins
Bookmark Runner Ups: (l-r) Adair J., Lila Russell, Liam Christy, Ever Farley

Step into a story with Free RPG Day

June 6, 2025

This blog post was written by Laura Carroll, a staff member at the Mint Hill branch.

 

Join us for Free RPG Day on June 21st from 11am-4pm at our new University City Library location!

 

Free RPG Day is a world-wide celebration of role-playing games (RPGs). Role-playing games encourage collaboration, storytelling, and imagination as you take on the role of a character in a fictional environment.

 

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is celebrating its second year of Free RPG Day. This year’s event will feature sword fighting, costume design (cosplay), and, of course, games! We’re also excited to welcome community partners like the Athena Alliance, the Black Gamer League, and the International Game Developers Association at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte among many others.

 

New to RPGs? We’ll have workshops where you can make a D&D character and paint a mini-fig. You can even join a game for beginner players or try your hand at sword fighting.

 

Want to level up your gaming skills? We have a game development workshop and a panel discussion on creating inclusive game spaces. We’ll have lots of gaming tables for you to join – including several different TTRPGs.

 

Feeling crafty? Join us in our Makerspace to 3D print, use a heat press, or make a button. Craving adventure? Swordwind Historical Martial Arts will present a sword fighting demonstration. There will also be giveaways, information about local gaming organizations, and a gaming lounge!

 

Whether you are a seasoned gamer or a new adventurer, we hope you’ll enjoy this special celebration of storytelling and exploration! Find all the details here on our calendar. 

Travel the World with the Frontline Puppeteers!

June 17, 2025

All summer long, join the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library's Frontline Puppeteers for any of our music-filled puppet show: Travel the World! This is a 30-minute puppet show that incorporates songs, folk tales, and stories from children's picture books featuring countries like Germany, Mexico, Australia, and Africa, followed by a puppet-making activity and a chance for attending children to meet our friendly puppets. The show is geared toward children ages PreK-Gr. 2, but all ages are welcome.

 

The puppet show is traveling to all 20 library branches throughout the summer months, so join us for one or for them all!

 

  • Wednesday, June 18th at 11:00 at Myers Park Library (1361 Queens Road, Charlotte, NC 28207)
  • Monday, June 23rd at 11:00 at North County Regional Library (16500 Holly Crest Lane, Huntersville, NC 28078)
  • Tuesday, June 24th at 2:00 at Allegra Westbrooks Regional Library (2412 Beatties Ford Road, Charlotte, NC 28216)
  • Tuesday, July 1st at 1:00 at South Boulevard Library (4429 South Boulevard, Charlotte, NC 28209)
  • Wednesday, July 2nd at 2:00 at Mountain Island Library (4420 Hoyt Galvin Way, Charlotte, NC 28214)
  • Thursday, July 3rd at 2:00 at Cornelius Library (21105 Catawba Avenue, Cornelius, NC 28031)
  • Tuesday, July 8th at 2:00 at Davidson Library (119 South Main Street, Davidson, NC 28036)
  • Wednesday, July 9th at 3:00 at Matthews Library (230 Matthews Station St., Matthews, NC 28105)
  • Thursday, July 10th at 2:00 at Hickory Grove Library (5935 Hickory Grove Road, Charlotte, NC 28215)
  • Tuesday, July 15th at 2:00 at University City Regional Library (5528 Waters Edge Village Drive, Charlotte, NC 28262)
  • Wednesday, July 16th at 3:00 at SouthPark Regional Library (7015 Carnegie Boulevard, Charlotte, NC 28211)
  • Thursday, July 17th at 2:00 at Mint Hill Library (6840 Matthews-Mint Hill Road, Mint Hill, NC 28227)
  • Monday, July 21st  at 2:00 at Pineville Library (505 Main Street, Suite 100, Pineville, NC 28134)
  • Tuesday, July 22nd at 2:00 at Steele Creek Library (13620 Steele Creek Road, Charlotte, NC 28273)
  • Wednesday, July 30th at 2:00 at South County Regional Library (5801 Rea Road, Charlotte, NC 28277)
  • Thursday, July 31st at 10:30 at Sugar Creek Library (4045 North Tryon Street, Suite A, Charlotte, NC 28206)
  • Tuesday, August 5th at 2:00 at Independence Regional Library (6000 Conference Drive, Charlotte, NC 28212)
  • Wednesday, August 6th at 2:00 at West Boulevard Library (2157 West Boulevard, Charlotte, NC 28208)
  • Tuesday, August 12th at 2:00 at ImaginOn: The Joe & Joan Martin Center (300 East Seventh Street, Charlotte, NC 28202)
  • Thursday, August 14th at 2:00 at Plaza Midwood Library (1623 Central Avenue, Charlotte, NC 28205)
 

More information about the shows can be found on our events page HERE.

 

The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Frontline Puppeteers are a troupe of trained puppeteers who work for various branches of the library. We have been bringing puppet shows and silly voices to Charlotte since 2018.

Library Late Night: Teen Summer Reading Celebration

June 24, 2025

This blog was written by Holly Summers-Gil, teen services manager for Charlotte Mecklenburg Library

 

Are you ready to read, so that you can see what happens when the lights go out at the library? Teens, ages 12-18, who participate in our Summer Reading program will be invited to a special after-hours event to celebrate their accomplishments in August. All you need to do is commit to reading at least 45 days this Summer and be one of the first 10 teens at your branch to sign up starting on June 14th! 


We'll send you a welcome email, along with weekly emails to keep you inspired and connected throughout the summer. Then, you'll get to come and celebrate with other teens in your neighborhood and surrounding community. 


Every regional branch is going to have different activities, food, giveaways, and so much more! You've already read so much just in learning about this special event, so be sure to get signed up for Summer Reading and snag one of our limited spots to our first-ever Library Late Night! 
 

Social Narratives for North County Regional Library

June 24, 2025

This blog was written by Jennifer Williams-Cannon, a librarian at North County Regional Library
 

 

 

What are social narratives (social stories) and why are they beneficial?

 

 

The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and the Autism Society of North Carolina have been trusted resources within our community for years. Both organizations work to improve lives and to build stronger communities.  Together, we have developed comprehensive social narratives for all Mecklenburg County residents to ensure a more inclusive society that fosters compassion and equal access to library resources and community opportunities.

 

Social narratives help individuals of all ages, particularly those with autism or other developmental differences, understand and navigate social situations, reduce anxiety, and improve social skills. Originally called “social stories”, which were developed by Carol Gray in 1989 as a social learning tool designed to help individuals with autism understand and navigate social situations. (Gray, 2015) They are not just stories, but a structured method with specific criteria to ensure they are descriptive, meaningful, and personalized for the individual.

 

Each narrative, typically one sentence, uses visual cues to aid in understanding. While some individuals read and retain written information easily, many others need pictures to support comprehension.  Many individuals with autism are visual learners and rely on visual cues to understand and process information around them. These “social narratives” break complex interactions into smaller, more manageable steps. The stories are meant to be engaging while also sharing information that can be practiced in different situations. This can lead to increased independence, confidence, and improved communication skills.  In essence, social narratives act as a guide, helping individuals with autism and other developmental differences to participate more fully in social settings and build meaningful connections with others.

 

If you would like to learn more about social narratives or about the resources in your community, visit Carol Gray's website and Autism Society of North Carolina. 

 

The following social narratives offer a description of (story time expectations, library rules, and how to care for your library books) while visiting the North County Regional Library in Huntersville, North Carolina. 

Going to my Library
Storytime at the Library
Taking Care of Library Books
Library Rules
Social narratives created in partnership with Autism Society of North Carolina

Summer Reading 30-Day Milestone is July 14th

July 9, 2025

Summer is in full swing and so is reading!  

 

If you or your kids have been turning pages as part of our Summer Reading program, it's time to enjoy one of the best parts of the adventure: picking up your incentives!

 

Whether you've devoured a stack of novels, explored new graphic novels, or read aloud, your reading efforts have earned some well-deserved rewards.

 

New this year is our treasure chest!

 

We have incentives as our way of saying thank you for participating, great job for meeting your reading goals, and keep going!

 

Visit your favorite branch and choose your prize from the treasure box!  

 

Don’t wait! Prize supplies are limited—first come, first served.

 

Bring your paper tracker or log your reading days into Beanstack!

 

Summer is not over, so keep reading!  

 

Go ahead—swing by your library, pick up your prizes, and celebrate your summer reading wins!  

 

You earned it.  
 

 

45 Days of Reading and Counting! – A Summer Milestone at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library

July 22, 2025

We’ve officially hit 45 days of Summer Reading, and the momentum is still going strong at the library! Since the kickoff of our Summer Reading Program, thousands of readers have been diving into books, discovering new stories, and building powerful reading habits — one page at a time, one day at a time!

This milestone isn’t just about the days on the calendar — it’s about the dedication, excitement, and imagination our community has poured into every story shared and every chapter read.

 

Experience Drawings

Remember that children and teens (age 5 to 18) who read for 45 days will be entered into special experience drawings.  To be eligible, the 45 days of reading must be logged in Beanstack and the Beanstack account needs to have either a CMS ONE Access or your Charlotte Mecklenburg Library card number entered and a valid email address. Winners will be notified by email.

With just a few weeks left in the program, there’s still plenty of time to keep reading, logging, and celebrating!

 

Still Time to Join!

New to the program? It’s not too late to jump in! Sign up online (www.cmlibrary.org/summer) or pick up a reading tracker at your local library and help us finish the summer strong.