A Lifelong Relationship

Library trustee and monthly donor Ailen Arreaza has had a lifelong relationship with the Library. “I moved to Charlotte as a teen, and I’d hang out at the University City Library after school with my friends. For me the Library was both social and academic – it was one of the first places I felt truly independent.”

Today, Arreaza works for a non-profit organization for parents and is a busy mom to a 10-year-old and a 7-year-old. “I’m always looking for resources for families, and the Library is a treasure. When my sons were younger we went to storytime every weekend at ImaginOn, Now we live closer to Sugar Creek Library, and the kids reserve books on the app and we go there to pick them up.” The family spent last summer in Spain and brought Charlotte Mecklenburg Library with them. “We used Hoopla and other digital services to download books and audiobooks. The kids have ONE Access accounts through school so with multiple accounts we could all use online resources at the same time.”

Arreaza joined the Library’s Board of Trustees in 2017. “I’m glad to give back in this way, as our Library goes through an exciting period of transition. I’m especially proud to bring my perspective as a Latina to my role on the board. Many new immigrants come from places where libraries weren’t readily available, and ours offers so much. I’m excited to help the Library reach the Latino community in deeper ways.”

She’s also proud to support the Library Foundation. “As a trustee and a community member, I feel confident in the Foundation’s work, and glad to be a monthly donor. By contributing monthly, I’m able to give more over the course of a year than I would with one annual gift, so for our family’s budget monthly giving makes perfect sense.”