Dear Library supporters,

I woke up this morning thinking about The Library Book by author Susan Orlean examining the 1986 fire at the Central Library in Los Angeles. At a Library Foundation virtual donor appreciation event in 2020, Orlean shared what she uncovered researching the fire that destroyed the Library:

“Our feelings about a library are much bigger and deeper…whether you use the library regularly or not, there’s a sense that this is important, it’s the shared legacy of a society, and the loss of it is devastating.”

It’s not a stretch to see why this book has come to my mind. The fire devastation happening in California of over 12,000 homes and businesses includes the Palisades Branch Library.

“[The Palisades Library was] the hub of the community … losing that Library in a sense will disconnect that community even further,” said Joyce Cooper, director of branches at the Los Angeles Public Library, in an interview with NPR on January 14, “they don’t have any anchors left to cling onto. We will do our best to get in [the area] with services when it’s safe to do so, but for right now, they’ve lost their anchor.”

Much like when we opened our doors for people displaced by Hurricane Helene, a library system provides a safe harbor for those experiencing catastrophic events. From a place to charge a phone or use a computer for internet access to a refuge that feels something close to “normal” especially for families with children, library services can begin the process of stabilizing a life.

We are holding all those who have experienced loss in California in our hearts and thoughts including our Library colleagues at Library Foundation of Los Angeles. Click here if you are interested in helping with their recovery.

A library is not just a house for books, and it is not the only thing we lose in a fire. At this point of incredible growth and expansion in the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library system including the opening of the new University City Regional Library and the ongoing construction of our new Main Library, I am reflecting with gratitude on the strong, generous and kind community we have here in Charlotte, knowing that together we’re creating a safe place for all.

With heavy heart,

Jenni Gaisbauer, CFRE
Executive Director

P.S. Speaking of University City, I hope you will join me at the grand opening of the new facility on Saturday, February 8. I’m especially excited to see Stella Terra, the Anne Lemanski sculpture on display and to meet the artist herself.

At the Library

Legends and Legacy

Join the Library as we host a series of conversations with local legends starting February 6 at Allegra Westbrooks Regional Library as part of a celebration of Black History in Charlotte by The Charlotte Post. Explore the past as we honor remarkable people including Harvey B. Gantt, Mel Watt, Arthur Griffin, James Pughsley, Ken Koontz, Beatrice Thompson, and Dorothy Counts Scoggins.

Marie Benedict’s homage to the Golden Age of Detective Fiction

Wednesday, February 19
6:30 PM
Wells Fargo Playhouse at ImaginOn: The Joe and Joan Martin Center

Join the Library Foundation as we host a special evening with New York Times bestselling author Marie Benedict featuring her latest release. The Queens of Crime is a genre-bending novel starring Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie that blends classic mystery, historical fiction, and elements of true crime into a page-turning and unforgettable story. Tickets are $35 and include a signed copy of the novel.