Dear friends,
We are brimming with joy here at the Foundation. Verse & Vino is very sold out, and soon, we’ll gather at the Charlotte Convention Center to celebrate the impact of libraries, the power of community, and the freedom to read. It’s a moment of joy, a reminder of how strong and generous our community can be when we come together.
Yet even as we celebrate, we are mindful of hardships on the horizon. With a freeze on SNAP benefits taking effect tomorrow, millions of Americans may lose access to a basic human need: food.
At Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, we meet our community where they are in times of growth and in times of struggle. When customers turn to us seeking answers, we help connect them to resources and hope. Thanks to our UNC Charlotte Master of Social Work practicum students, our Library staff have access to updated listings of local food banks and meal resources, and customers can even be connected directly to a Community Navigator for one-on-one support. Click here for the comprehensive list they compiled of food banks and food resources in our area.
Libraries are not food banks. But we are places people turn when they don’t know where else to go, from natural disasters like we saw last year after Hurricane Helene, to our current situation in the face of hunger and uncertainty.
Our mission to improve lives and to build a stronger community holds all aspects of human need. Improving a life can mean a book, a resource, a kind connection, or a port in the storm. The Library is here for it all.
With gratitude and kindness,
Jenni Gaisbauer, CFRE
Executive Director
P.S. Don’t forget to join us for EpicFest, our free annual literary festival for children and families at ImaginOn on November 8. Click here to learn more and see the incredible line-up of children and YA authors.
Vote for Library Innovation
As part of a season-long partnership between Honeywell and the Carolina Panthers, local organizations are being recognized for using innovation and technology to make a difference in our community. We are so honored to be among the featured organizations.
You can help us win! Vote now through December 22 to help CMLF become the Community Innovation Award Champion. The winning organization will be celebrated on the field during the Panthers’ final home game and receive a grand prize from Honeywell and the Panthers.
For the love of Carnegie Libraries
Our Library is receiving a special gift. We’re one of about 1,280 Carnegie Libraries across the United States that will receive a $10,000 gift from Carnegie Corporation of New York in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.
More than a century after philanthropist Andrew Carnegie helped fund the construction of 1,681 libraries nationwide including ours in 1903 on the corner of 6th and Tryon, we are still serving the Charlotte Mecklenburg community. Learn more about this initiative and discover the history of our Library on the Carnegie Libraries Across America map in the link below.
For book lovers of all ages
EpicFest is an extraordinary, free literary festival that joyfully connects children and families with books and the people who write them. Nationally-recognized children’s authors and illustrators will visit select Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools on November 7 to speak with students, and then headline a daylong literary festival at ImaginOn on November 8.
EpicFest is funded by Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation and the following sponsors: National Endowment for the Humanities, Libby Preston Children’s Literary Fund, American Airlines, Alpha & Omega, and Publix Super Markets Charities.
