December 2014
Holiday Closings: 
Christmas: All libraries will be open on Wednesday, Dec 24 until 5 p.m. and will be closed on Thursday, Dec 25 and Friday, Dec 26. 
New Year's: All libraries will be open on Wednesday, Dec 31 until 5 p.m. and will be closed on Thursday, Jan 1.
Children's literary festival coming in November 2015

Children of all ages and their families will have the opportunity to meet children and teen authors at a new literary festival called EpicFest. Thanks to the generosity of the Jim Preston Family, the Library will hold EpicFest in November 2015 following Verse & Vino.

 

On the day after Verse & Vino 2015, the Library and Library Foundation will bring selected children and teen authors to various Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, to inspire students with their stories and experiences. Then on Saturday, the Library and Library Foundation will host a FREE community literary festival at ImaginOn and feature those same authors. Throughout the day, children and families will have the chance to immerse in story times, author discussions, book signings and literary-based activities.

 

Stay tuned for more details about EpicFest and read more about the success of Verse & Vino in its inaugural year.
Shopping for an eReader, mobile device or tablet for someone special?
Let them know that with their library card, they can access a wealth of free downloads from the Library's website. We offer a large collection of free digital downloads for eReaders and mobile devices, including eBooks, audiobooks, eMagazines, music and movies.

The Library also offers help learning how to use and download items from our online collection onto your device. You can sign up for one-on-one training, attend a class or pop in during one of the scheduled drop-in sessions. Click here to learn more or to start downloading right away.

If you have a smart phone or tablet, you might want to install the CMLibrary mobile app; it makes downloading directly to your device quick and easy.
December program highlights
We have hundreds of programs scheduled this month; these are just a few of the highlights. Find more at cmlibrary.org/programs.

Looking for holiday programs?
Check out our special "Holiday Happenings" issue for a selection of holiday events taking place in libraries.

Adults

Wellness Wednesdays offer Affordable Care Act answers
Open enrollment for healthcare coverage in 2015 is now available 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.

Book Talk: Title Swap for Twenties and Thirties (TNT)
Looking to learn about great new books without having the commitment of a book club? Join us for a Title Swap for twenty- and thirty-somethings (TNT). Share something you are reading now, such as a favorite book or author, in an informal setting. A selection of books will be available for checkout. 
Call 704.416.7200 for more details. 
Light refreshments will be provided. 
Thursday, Dec 4, at 6:30 p.m. | University City Regional | Learn More

Film Series: Made in 1984: The Bounty
Our film series "Made in 1984: Hollywood Movies from 30 Years Ago" continues with The Bounty, starring Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins. Gibson plays Fletcher Christian, who leads a mutiny against the tyrannical Captain Bligh. A powerful and stirring adventure. 
Audience: Adults, Teens (12-18)
Saturday, Dec 6, at 2 p.m. | Main Library | Learn More
Saturday, Dec 13, at 2 p.m. | Beatties Ford Road | Learn More
Saturday, Dec 20, at 2 p.m. | South County Regional | Learn More | Register Online
Saturday, Dec 27, at 2 p.m. | Independence Regional | Learn More | Register Online
Teens
Learn, Connect, Play: Video Gaming
Grab your friends, play video games and have some fun while developing literacy, critical thinking and teamwork skills. 
Audience: Teens (12-18)
Wednesday, Dec 3, at 5 p.m. | West Boulevard | Learn More
Thursday, Dec 4, at 5 p.m. | West Boulevard | Learn More
Monday, Dec 8, at 5 p.m. | West Boulevard | Learn More
Thursday, Dec 11, at 5 p.m. | West Boulevard | Learn More
Wednesday, Dec 17, at 5 p.m. | West Boulevard | Learn More
Thursday, Dec 18, at 5 p.m. | West Boulevard | Learn More
Monday, Dec 22, at 5 p.m. | West Boulevard | Learn More

College 101: Scholarship Search with the Scholar Mom
Prepare for college and learn how to pay for school. Join Bernice Feaster, aka "The Scholar Mom," for information about scholarship types, websites, scholarship searches and how to apply. 
Audience: Teens (12-18)
Monday, Dec 8, at 6 p.m. | Scaleybark | Learn More

Measure Up! Teen Cooking Challenge
Learn to cook fun and easy meals and snacks while learning important skills for your future!
Audience: Teens (12-18)
Monday, Dec 15, at 3 p.m. | Beatties Ford Road | Learn More

Professional Development: Confidence, Dignity and Pride
Learn skills that will give you the edge when interviewing for your potential new job. This session will focus on confidence, dignity, having pride and being yourself! 
Audience: Teens (12-18), Preteens (8-11)
Wednesday, Dec 17, at 3 p.m. | 
Children

 

Are you looking for great children's books?

Check out our blog Books for Kids on the Charlotte Parent website. This twice-monthly reading recommendation blog is authored by the talented children's specialists at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library. Here are our latest articles:

  • Friends and Family: "What a great time of year to celebrate friends, family and loved ones," notes Jesse Isley as she recommends four great children's books to share with a person you love.
  • Being Thankful: "Books can let us see there is so much more to holidays than gifts and receiving," says Maeve Cunningham as she offers four wonderful titles to help start a positive conversation with your child about being thankful.

Meet the Author: ABC Charlotte

Celebrate reading and meet Christy Pope and Thomas Berkau, authors of the children's book, ABC Charlotte. Signed copies of ABC Charlotte will be available for sale after their presentation. 

Audience: Preschool (3-5), Adults, Seniors

Learn more about the authors of ABC Charlotte in South Charlotte Weekly's recent article, "Children take alphabetic journey around Charlotte."

Wednesday, Dec 3, at 4 p.m. | Morrison Regional |Learn More
Volunteering at the Library - a different kind of gift for the holidays
Dr. Carole Winston, volunteer
December is the month for gift-giving and sometimes the best presents are those that need no wrapping. Last year, volunteers gave some 48,467 hours of service to the Library for a value that far exceeds just numbers alone. 

Volunteers often find an unexpected gift in the joy they receive from their efforts. Just ask Dr. Carole Winston, a retired college professor who volunteers as a reading buddy at University City Regional. "It is so gratifying to spend time reading to the children or having them read to me," says Winston. "Not only are they strengthening their reading skills, they are developing a love of reading that can last a lifetime." 

To sign up to be a reading buddy, or to have your child participate, contact a convenient library location. Become a library volunteer today!

Changes in online resources

Due to a major change in vendor for NCLive, we will be losing access to some of our online resources on Dec 31, 2014. However, NCLive is also adding resources that Charlotte Mecklenburg Library customers will now be able to access with their library card. 

 

The upcoming changes have been noted in red on our online resource page: cmlibrary.org/online.

Support your Library this holiday season
While your tax dollars fund 90% of the outstanding work of the Library, private dollars allow the Foundation to support library services, expand the Library's print and electronic collections, enhance programming for all ages, and help the Library grow to meet the changing needs of individuals and communities. Our Library lives at the intersection of information, literacy, lifelong learning and community. Together, with your support, we will continue to increase access, enable lifelong learning and cultivate knowledge.

During this holiday season, please consider investing in the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library. Give today!

Read more about how your investment benefits the Library.
Library in the Park: A spark at 6th and Tryon

If you happened upon 6th and Tryon on Wednesdays from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., starting in June through mid-November, no doubt you observed all sorts of outdoor library programs from gently-loved cookbook sales to a "talk like a pirate day" celebration. Officially called "Library in the Park," the Library's contribution was all part of an effort funded by the Knight Foundation and coordinated by Charlotte Center City Partners to animate 6th and Tryon Street. 


 Though the project has ended for the winter, stay tuned. You never know what shenanigans that lively little corner might bring in the future. Thank you to all who participated!

Popular service adds small fee

Did you know that if you can't find what you are looking for in our collection, we might be able to borrow it from another library? Our Interlibrary Loan service allows libraries to borrow materials that they do not own - such as books, microfilm and photocopies of journal articles - from other libraries throughout the country.

Increasing postage and processing costs means we will begin charging a small fee for Interlibrary Loan service starting Jan 1, 2015. This will enable us to continue providing this valuable service.
  • Interlibrary Loan Books and Microfilm: $2.00 fee for each Interlibrary Loan item received by the Library
     
  • Interlibrary Loan Photocopy Requests: 20 cents per photocopied page for each article received by the Library
Please note that if items are not picked up, the fee will still be assessed. If the request cannot be filled, the fee will not be charged. Payment must be made at time of pick-up.

To learn more about Interlibrary Loan, visit cmlibrary.org/ill.
Coming in January...
Holiday Closings: All libraries will be closed Thursday, Jan 1 for New Year's and Monday, Jan 19 in observation of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

New year, new you: Stay tuned for books, programs and resources that can help you kick start the new year and be the best you can be in 2015.
     
  
    

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