News and Events
 
November 2014
November Holidays: For Thanksgiving, all libraries will close at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov 26 and will be closed all day on Thursday, Nov 27. All libraries will be open on Friday, Nov 28.
Top News: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and Library Card Campaign On Target for Success
The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools partnership to put library cards in the hands of children this school year is off to a great start with almost 25,000 participants. So far, 14,116 students from pre-kindergarten to third grade have signed up for a new library card and more than 10,000 students who already had cards now have a better sense of how to use them to support their education.

Later in the school year, the partners will pilot a library "eCard" program for students in grades 6-12 in the Project L.I.F.T. community. For more information, visit cmlibrary.org/studentsuccess or cms.k12.nc.us/News.
 

November Program Highlights
We have hundreds of programs scheduled this month; these are just a few of the highlights. Find more at cmlibrary.org/programs


Read, Learn and Play During International Games Day @ Your Library
On Saturday, Nov 15, we will join hundreds of libraries throughout the country for the seventh annual celebration of gaming in libraries - International Games Day @ Your Library. Like so many other libraries across the country and around the world, we will offer special gaming programs and events suitable for the whole family.

See a complete lineup of International Games Day events here.

Adults
Wellness Wednesdays Help Answer Your Questions About the Affordable Care Act
Open enrollment for healthcare coverage in 2015 starts Saturday, Nov 15 at healthcare.gov. Do you have questions about the healthcare law? At upcoming Wellness Wednesday sessions, representatives from Legal Services of Southern Piedmont and Get Covered America will be available to help answer your questions. For one-on-one enrollment assistance, you can book a free appointment by calling 1.855.733.3711. To view the schedule, click here. 

Meet the Author: Scott Fowler

Scott Fowler has been covering sports in Charlotte since the early 1990s for The Charlotte Observer. Join us as he discusses his latest work, 100 Things Panthers Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die, plus his life covering sporting events for the leading newspaper in the Carolinas. 
Tuesday, Nov 18, at 6 p.m. | Myers Park | Learn More | Register Online

Meet the Author: Chuck McShane
Local author and historian Chuck McShane will discuss his new book A History of Lake Norman: Fish Camps to Ferraris. Q&A and book signing to follow. Registration is recommended but not required. Audience: Adults, Seniors, Teens (12-18)
Wednesday, Nov 19, at 6:30 p.m. | Davidson | Learn More | Register Online

History Series: "The Great War! World War I"
Dr. Brian Jones, associate professor of history at Johnson C. Smith University, continues his series of lectures on the First World War. Each lecture is followed by a discussion. Refreshments provided; Audience: Adults, Teens (12-18).
Breaking the Stalemate: Thursday, Nov 20, at 6 p.m. | Matthews | Learn More | Register Online
The Christmas Truce: Thursday, Dec 4, at 6 p.m. | Matthews | Learn More | Register Online

North Carolina Music, from the 1960s to Today
For years, author and photographer Daniel Coston traveled with and photographed some of America's most popular musicians. Now, Coston turns his attention to the history of music and rock and roll in Charlotte and North Carolina. Join us for what will be a lively and entertaining program.
Saturday, Nov 22, at 12 p.m. | University City Regional | Learn More
Part of the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room's "Bringing History to You" series.

Meet the Authors
Celebrate reading and meet Dr. Sandra Govan, Elisha Minter and Irania Patterson, contributors to the book 27 Views of Charlotte. Learn about their writing process, inspiration and career path. Copies will be available for sale.
Saturday, Nov 22, at 3 p.m. | Beatties Ford Road | Learn More
Learn more about the book 27 Views of Charlotte in this recent Charlotte Observer article.

Meet the Author: Carolyn Noell
Celebrate reading and meet Carolyn Noell, author of The Medicine Man's Daughter and other books for adults. Learn about her writing process, inspiration and career path. Q&A to follow. Copies of Noell's latest books will be available for sale.
Saturday, Nov 22, at 3 p.m. | University City Regional | Learn More
Teens

Compelling Reads Author Tour
Have you closed the pages on a favorite novel or watched a blockbuster movie like Divergent or The Hunger Games and wondered, "How did the author come up with that!?" These seven authors of hot, young adult trilogies have the secrets, and they will offer up a show-and-tell as they help guide the audience through an interactive session that builds a story a sentence at a time to develop character, setting, mood, theme and plot with unexpected - and often shocking or hysterical - twists. Featuring authors Martina Boome, Kimberley Griffiths Little, S.E. Green, Claudia Gray, Beth Revis, Meagan Spooner and Megan Shepherd. 
Door prizes, book signings, author Q&A and light refreshments; Audience: Teens (12-18)
Tuesday, Nov 4, 4:30-6:30 p.m. | ImaginOn: The Joe & Joan Martin Center | Learn More

College 101
Teens, join us for FREE workshops designed to provide you with the information you need about your future beyond high school. The College 101 series covers topics that will take you from start to finish in the college process. This month we will offer FREE practice exams for the SAT and ACT, strategies for preparing for college and a workshop to help you locate scholarships. We will also host a visit from CPCC. See a list of November College 101 workshops here.
Children

Top 10 Children's Books for a Home Library 

Babies and toddlers have a natural fascination with books. Emily Nanney, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library's children's services coordinator, takes the guesswork out of picking wonderful children's books for your home library in this article written for Little Ones Magazine. 

 

Help Your Young Child Learn About Money
Many of us are aware of the positive effects that early exposure to books and reading can bring to children, but did you know that teaching them about money as early as 3 years old can have a similar impact? Join us for "Preschool Storytime: For Me, For You, For Later™" at which preschoolers learn about financial literacy skills through making choices and decisions. Come prepared to have fun learning how people, things and money have value. See a list of locations, dates and times here.
This program was made possible thanks to the generous support of PNC's national Grow Up Great initiative, to help prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life.
Help Your Young Child "Get Ready With Words"
Look for new "Words of the Week" each week at your library!
The world is an amazing place, and young children are curious about all of it. How can they express that curiosity? With words! There is a word for everything children see and experience. And the more children are encouraged to learn new words, the stronger their foundation will be for school readiness.

Each week our libraries are featuring "Words of the Week" that can help parents build their preschooler's vocabulary. In October, the words chosen were positional words (inside, outside, over, under, high, low, around). In November and December, we will introduce words that describe foods (apple, mango, beans, fruit) and introduce children to "sense" words (senses, delicious, fragrant, succulent).

How can you discover and practice the "Words of the Week" with your child? These words will be woven into library storytimes, so you can join your child in learning new words in an atmosphere of stories, music and movement. Some libraries are also putting together book displays in the children's areas with expertly-selected titles you can check out to take home and practice new words together.

Learning can continue in everyday moments at home. Boosting your child's vocabulary can be as easy as engaging him or her in conversation throughout the day. So continue talking to your child early and often. Together you will discover just how exciting the world of words can be. 

To participate in storytimes with your child, visit cmlibrary.org/programs and select the category "storytimes." Or call or visit your nearest library branch: cmlibrary.org/locations.

The "Words of the Week" are part of a two-year vocabulary initiative called "Get Ready With Words," which is funded by a grant from PNC as part of PNC's Grow Up Great program, which helps children from birth to age 5 prepare for school. Learn more here.
Featured Digital Service: Treehouse

Have you ever wanted to build your own website? What about developing your own app?

 

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library offers access to Treehouse, a FREE online video and interactive learning platform that teaches people how to design and develop websites and mobile apps. Classes include coding languages like HTML, CSS, PHP and Ruby, as well as creating iPhone and Android apps. Access is available with your Charlotte Mecklenburg Library card at cmlibrary.org/online/treehouse.asp.

 

Treehouse offers unlimited access to more than 1,300 videos, covering topics from basic HTML coding to Javascript to app development for iPhones, iPads and Android smart phones. Learning with Treehouse is project-based, so you learn by doing. Projects are taught through a combination of short videos, code challenges and quizzes to maximize engagement. You keep track of your accomplishments through gamification - earning badges to mark your progress.

 

In addition to projects, Treehouse also offers Learning Adventures designed to get students job ready. 

Friends Council Book Drive at South End Chick-fil-A

South End Chick-fil-A will host a book drive with the Friends Council on Tuesday, Nov 18 from 6-8 p.m. Chick-fil-A will give one FREE chicken sandwich to each individual who donates five or more books. Book donations will be used for the Friends Council Pop-Up Sales and Little Free Library Initiative.

 

South End Chick-fil-A, 3015 South Blvd, Charlotte, NC  28209

 

For more information about the book drive, including how to host a book drive at your location or how to volunteer, contact foundation@cmlibrary.org. 

You Are Using Tutor.com and We Are Glad!
We are pleased to report that after one year of receiving support from the Charlotte Hornets and Lowe's to increase the usage of tutor.com for children and teens, use of the service has increased by 81 percent. This is good news for the community and students in need of educational support services.

Tickets for Verse & Vino Have Sold Out

Thanks to the generosity of corporate sponsors, table sponsors and hundreds of library friends and supporters, tickets for Verse & Vino have sold out! A total of 850 guests will attend Verse & Vino at the Westin Charlotte on Thursday, Nov 13. Verse & Vino will feature five New York Times bestselling authors - Debbie Macomber, Lauren Oliver, Ron Rash, Kathy Reichs and Hampton Sides.


 

Verse & Vino is presented by PNC Bank and sponsored by Bank of America, The Charlotte Observer, Carolinas Investment Consulting LLC, Foundation for the Carolinas, Park Road Books, the Friends Council and many other event sponsors.
Coming in December...
Holiday Closing: All libraries will close at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, December 24 and will be closed on Thursday, December 25 and Friday, December 26. All libraries will close at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, December 31.
     
  
    

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