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Library Hours | | |
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All libraries will be closed on March 31 for Easter.
New expanded hours are coming in April! See the article in this issue. |
| A great story needs great characters. Become a library volunteer! |
If you would like to make a difference in your community as a volunteer at the Library, contact Volunteer Coordinator Chauna Wall at cwall@cmlibrary.org or (704) 416-0711. Visit the Library's volunteer page to see a complete list of opportunities. |
| Want a sneak peek at what's coming to your library? |
Find out about the Library's latest book, DVD and CD offerings through a free, weekly e-mail or RSS feed. Visit Wowbrary, put in your ZIP code, select "Charlotte Mecklenburg Library," enter your e-mail address, and follow the on-screen instructions.
See a sample weekly newsletter. |
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| MARCH READING RECOMMENDATIONS | |
 March is Women's History month. Our Readers Club team invites you to check out these titles that celebrate the lives of women in fact and fiction.
Bossypants
by Tina Fey
"Too often the humor of even the funniest comedians fails to translate from performance to the written page. Tina Fey, however, produced a book that kept me chuckling page after page, without going too heavy on self-deprecation, as so many female comics do." -Erin R., Morrison Regional Library. 
Read the full review on Reader's Club
Pearl of China: a Novel
by Anchee Min
"The 'Pearl' in Min's novel is Pearl Sydenstricker - who later becomes Nobel Prize-winning author Pearl S. Buck - who spent her childhood as a daughter of American missionaries serving in Chin-kiang... Remarkable and moving."
-Susanne W., Steele Creek Branch
Read the full review on Reader's Club
Pilate's Wife
by Antoinette May
"Wri tten with the opulence and violence of ancient Rome, Pilate's Wife is a journey into a world of the past and story often told through the eyes of an unknown woman." -Courtney A., South County Regional
Read the full review on Reader's Club
White Rose Rebel
by Janet Paisley
"Love, war and reality meet in Janet Paisley's White Rose Rebel set during the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745....Highly recommended for feminists, military buffs, romance readers and everyone in between." -Sally W., Beatties Ford Road Regional
Read the full review on Reader's Club
Enchantment:
The Life of Audrey Hepburn
by Donald Spoto
"Detailing the life of the elegant icon Audrey Hepburn, Donald Spoto opens the door to an inner look at what made Audrey so captivating to a worldwide audience." -Courtney A., South County Regional
Read the full review on Reader's Club
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks 
by Rebecca Skloot
"Skloot combines history, suspense, and great storytelling to create a page-turner." -Megan M., Main Library
Read the full review on Reader's Club |
| IMPROVEMENTS TO BETTER SERVE YOU! | |  Customers can now have more items in their holds list
By popular request, customers are now able to have up to 15 items in their holds list. The Library recently increased this number from 10 to 15. Placing an item "on hold" means requesting that an item be delivered to the library location of your choosing for pick-up when it becomes available. There are so many wonderful things to check out from the library, we know you'll enjoy the ability to reserve even more items. The "Catalog Help" page of the Library's web site cmlibrary.org has more information about placing items on hold.
No Foolin'! Expanded library hours begin April 1
 Library users who have struggled to remember when their branch is open will soon have an easier time remembering, thanks to an increase in hours at the 12 community libraries. Beginning April 1, the 12 community libraries -- Hickory Grove, Mountain Island, Myers Park, Plaza Midwood, Scaleybark, Steele Creek, Sugar Creek, West Boulevard, Matthews, Davidson, Cornelius and Mint Hill -- will be open Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10am-8pm; and Fridays and Saturdays 10am-5pm.
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Click here to print a chart of the new library hours that start April 1st. |
Are we back to where we once were? Not quite. This brings the Library system to about 62% of the hours it was open at its peak in January 2010. |
| FOR TEENS | | |
Library invites teens to "Check In" during Teen Tech Week, March 10-16.
 Local teens will be checking in as Charlotte Mecklenburg Library celebrates the seventh annual Teen Tech Week, March 10-16, 2013, with this year's theme, "Check In @ your libraryŽ." Getting hands-on with technology is not only fun, but it's critical to teens' future success. One of the ways that librarians and educators collaborate with and educate teens about technology is through Teen Tech Week, a week in which teens can sample a wide variety of technology programs. See a schedule of events at cmlibrary.org/programs or libraryloft.org.
Prom Project dress collection starts this March at several Library locations
 Girl Talk Foundation, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and Off Broadway Shoes are teaming up to present the 11th annual Prom Project complete with a "girls day in" to help girls get prepped for the prom, free of charge. The event takes place at ImaginOn April 6. Before selecting a dress, participants are required to complete the etiquette course to encourage appropriate behavior on prom night, as well as beauty, fashion and prom safety tips.
Items are being collected at six venues, including South County Regional Library, North County Regional Library, Morrison Regional Library, ImaginOn, WPEG-FM and Saks Off 5th at Concord Mills Mall through April 5. Learn more.
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| FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY ANNUAL BOOK SALE | | |
 Friends of the Library Annual Book Sale in April
The Friends of the Library's Annual Book Sale will be held at 1330 Central Avenue, Charlotte (see map), from April 12-20, 2013. We know you're looking forward to shopping for good books, especially when dollars spent translate into more resources for the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.
 The Friends need the help of book lovers and library supporters like you to move books from collection sites to the book sale location. If you'd like to help, please email contact@cmlibraryfriends.org with the subject line "Volunteer."
Visit www.cmlibraryfriends.org for details.
This year's Friends of the Library Book Sale is made possible by Katten Muchin Rosenman.
Book Drives
The Friends are collecting gently used books, tapes and CDs for the Annual Book Sale to support the Library.
- In March, items will be collected at the Friends storage pod outside Morrison Regional Library on Saturdays from 9:30-10:30 a.m. For large donations (2 boxes or more), email contact@cmlibraryfriends.org.
- In April, donate 5 or more gently used Books, Tapes and CDs to the Friends of the Library at a participating Chick fil-A location during these dates and get a FREE Chick-fil-A Sandwich. April 1-6: Cotswold and Northlake locations. April 8-13: Arboretum locations. Limit 1 sandwich per person, per visit; offer valid in-store only. For more information, visit www.cfarestaurant.com or call 704-366-0073.
For more information about the Book Drive or Book Sale, visit www.cmlibraryfriends.org. |
| EveryoneOn 3.21 | | 
Special library hours and events planned on March 21 as part of a national campaign to raise awareness of free digital literacy training and Internet access
Imagine how difficult it would be for your kids to do well in school if you didn't have a computer at home. Or how challenging it would be to find a job if you didn't have access to the Internet. When you consider that nearly 60% of low-income homes in the U.S. lack a computer, closing the digital divide is a huge challenge.
As the largest provider of free computer and Internet access in Mecklenburg County, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library supports the development of digital literacy skills to improve the education, quality of life and economic health of Mecklenburg County citizens.
On Thursday, March 21, the Library will participate in a national public awareness campaign called "EveryoneOn 3.21" along with many community partners. As part of that campaign, libraries will be open special hours on March 21 (see below). That day all libraries will offer programs and activities that support digital literacy. You can learn more at www.cmlibrary.org/everyoneon.
On Thursday, March 21, libraries will be open for the following special one-day extended schedule. Regional Libraries: 10 am - 8 pm
Beatties Ford Road, Independence, Morrison, North County, South County and UniversityMain and ImaginOn: 10 am - 8 pm Cornelius Library: 10 am - 8 pm All other Community Libraries: noon - 8 pm
Davidson, Hickory Grove, Matthews, Mint Hill, Mountain Island, Myers Park, Plaza Midwood, Scaleybark, Steele Creek, Sugar Creek and West Boulevard |
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MARCH FEATURED PROGRAMS & EVENTS | | |
Independence Writer's Group
An open discussion of the art and business of writing short stories, poems and novels. Critiques are available if ten copies of materials to be critiqued are provided. The group meets once a month on the third Saturday at Independence Regional.
3/16/2013 at 10:00 AM: Learn More / Register Online
 Books into Movies: An Afternoon with W. Somerset Maugham
Join us for a lively look at the life of W. Somerset Maugham. We will read his 1926 short story, "The Letter" from "The Casuarina Tree," short stories; then watch the 1940 Oscar-winning mystery movie of that name, starring Bette Davis. Refreshments.
3/29/2013 at 1:30 PM: Matthews Learn More / Register Online
Between The Covers Adult Book Club
Join us to discuss the book Enrique's Journey by Sonia Nazario. Copies of the book will be held at the front desk for you to pick up. Light refreshments will be served. Please register online or at the branch.
3/16/2013 at 10:30 AM: Scaleybark Learn More / Register Online
4/13/2013 at 10:30 AM: Scaleybark Learn More / Register Online
For Children Sensory Storytime: Spring Theme
(children preschool age to 11 yrs. old with special needs or disabilities and their families) This program will give your child an opportunity to practice their communication, social, and participation skills. 3/16/2013 at 11:00 AM: Steele Creek Learn More / Register Online  Dance-a-Story (Peter Pan) K-3rd graders
This is a 45-minute interactive workshop with staff from the North Carolina Dance Theatre and will introduce children to the world of ballet through story, creative moment, and music.
3/29/2013 at 2:00 PM: Steele Creek Learn More / Register Online
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| INTERRUPTIONS IN TELEPHONE RENEWAL SERVICE | | |
Telecirc will be down March 25-27.
 We have scheduled an upgrade of our telephone renewal and notification service (Telecirc) for March 25 - 27. During this upgrade, the service will be unavailable to renew items or check on the status of holds. The system will also not be available to notify customers that their reserved items are available. We apologize for the temporary inconvenience.
A good time to switch to email notices.
 If you have an email account, this might be a good time to consider changing from phone notifications to email notifications. One of the advantages of email notification is that a few days before an item is due, the library will send you an email message as a friendly reminder. You can easily change your account to email notification by entering an email address into your account profile. Learn more.
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| LIBRARY NEWS | | |
Strategic Plan
The Library is currently in the process of creating a strategic plan for the next three years. The process began in fall of 2012, and will wrap up in spring of 2013.
Community feedback has been gathered in several ways, including a phone survey, online surveys, focus groups and community forums. We'd like to thank the community for participating in our online survey and community forums. Congratulations to survey participants Melanie Kirschner who won the iPad and Christi Hays who won the Kindle Fire in our random drawing. To learn more visit www.cmlibrary.org/stratplan. |
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We'll see you at the Library! |
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