The Friends of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library was originally established in 1982 as a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library through grassroots advocacy and fundraising.
In 2013, the Friends of the Library became the Friends Council, an important component of the newly created Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation. The Friends Council continues to engage broad community support for the Library through community awareness and fundraising events as part of the Library Foundation’s overall strategic plan. In this new structure, the Friends are able to develop an ever-stronger network of private support for the Library. Until early 2017, the Rock & Read 5K, select Little Free Libraries and Pop-Up Book Sales were all initiatives run and managed by the Friends Council.