I wanted to take this opportunity to write about why I believe in the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, why what we do every day in our jobs is so important to our community, and why I believe it is critical that we demonstrate our support of the Library Foundation to our customers and our fellow staff members.

Those of you who know me know I try to say what is on my mind and in my heart.  My job is very dear to me, and I would like to share some of my thoughts on “Why I give”.

• I give because of the wonderful outreach programs that serve hundreds of children and adults every year who are not able to get to a library.
• I give because of the constant need for materials to serve all of our customers.
• I give because of my granddaughters Haley Nelson and Mara Allan, to ensure that their public library will be here for many years to come.
• I give because I never want to tell another customer that we are closed because of budget cuts.
• I give because I remember the day we locked the library door and knew the next day we would be closed to people who need our services.
• I give because of the world of e-resources available to our customers.
• I give because our public libraries are an extension of the relationships we have built in our communities.
• I give because I believe in the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library System.
• I give because of every little person and their caregivers, who come into our libraries for storytime. These are memories and important relationships in the making.
• I give because I see the difference the CML Foundation makes for Charlotte Mecklenburg Library each and every day.

These are just some of the reasons why I give. Why do you give?  Why is being a part of this organization important to you?

I appreciate the jobs that we all do each and every day!

– Elizabeth Merklein