Dear friends,
306.43 is joy.
If you were to wander the stacks, you’d find this Dewey Decimal number connected to happiness, leisure, and the ways we experience joy in our daily lives. It feels especially fitting this week.
April 19 – 25 marks National Library Week, an annual celebration led by the American Library Association to recognize the essential role libraries and library professionals play in strengthening our communities. This year’s theme, “Find Your Joy,” captures something we see every day across Charlotte Mecklenburg Library: moments of discovery, connection, and possibility.
Behind those moments are more than 450 dedicated Charlotte Mecklenburg Library staff members working across 21 locations (plus two mobile units and an administrative center), both in our neighborhoods and behind the scenes to ensure your access to resources never wavers. Whether you’re enjoying storytime, exploring your creativity in our makerspaces, advancing your career, or discovering your next favorite book, the Library is a place where joy takes many forms.
And that joy is essential to the health of our community and our democracy.
If you’re looking for some joyful ways to celebrate National Library Week, here are a few simple ideas:
— Visit the Library. Browse the shelves, attend a program, or try something new.
— Thank a staff member. Our people are exceptional at what they do, and I am proud to support the incredible work they do every day.
— Explore resources. From makerspaces to digital tools to career support, your Library is here to support your next endeavor.
— Encourage someone to get a library card. It’s easy, it’s free, and it’s a passport to joy.
— Share your experience using #NationalLibraryWeek on social media.
On behalf of the Library Foundation, we are forever grateful to the Library staff who improve lives and make our communities stronger. They truly make the world in which we live a better, more joyful place.
With gratitude,
Jenni Gaisbauer, CFRE
Executive Director
Library staff Rachel Ares (Matthews Library), Lonna Vines and Pamela Kemp (Myers Park Library) along with Jennifer Byrd of UNC-Charlotte (second from left) celebrated the kick off of “Rooted and Rising” at Myers Park Library, a powerful four-part series hosted during Women’s History Month that explored today’s most pressing feminist issues and featured local leaders, artists, and activists.
A Conversation with Chef Sam Hart
Executive Chef and Founder of counter-, Charlotte’s first Michelin-starred restaurant
Join us for an evening at the intersection of culinary arts and library advocacy. In a moderated conversation with local chef Nikki Sawyer Moore, the city’s first Michelin-starred chef, Sam Hart, will share how storytelling shapes every course they create and why they’re donating a curated collection of culinary books to the new Main Library at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.
Monday, May 18
5:30 PM
ImaginOn: The Joe and Joan Martin Center
Tickets: $15 include a post-event reception with champagne, coffee and dessert
CML gets City and County Recognition
In alignment with the national effort, both the Charlotte City Council and the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners adopted proclamations that recognized April 19-25 as National Library Week and highlighted Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s important mission.
The Charlotte City Council adopted the proclamation during the April 13 business meeting, read by Councilmember Victoria Watlington, and the Board of County Commissioners adopted it during their April 21 meeting, read by Commissioner Laura Meier.
Tee up for the Library
Join the Matthews Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Golf Tournament for a day of golf, networking, and fun, proudly sponsored by Harris Teeter. Set on the beautiful greens of Olde Sycamore Golf Club, this premier event brings together local business leaders, professionals, and golf enthusiasts for friendly competition and great company. Proceeds will benefit Matthews Library.
Monday, May 18, 2026
11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Olde Sycamore Golf Club
