Hello, friends,
We’ve closed the books on another fiscal year, and I am happy to report… wow!
In a time marked by change and challenge, more people than ever are turning to the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library as a place for personal growth, connection, and comfort. And every step of the way, your support is what makes that possible.
The numbers tell a powerful story:
- Our libraries were visited 2.6 million times
- More than 9 million items were checked out
- Over 540,000 people attended one of our 26,000 free programs
All made possible by your support — and delivered by staff driven by a mission to improve lives and strengthen community.
More donors than ever are joining us, too. We now count 2,250+ loyal annual donors, and our Carnegie Circle has tripled since 2012 to 339 members. With your help, we’ve funded:
- Innovative programs for all ages
- Beloved events like EpicFest, Community Read, and Summer Reading
- A new digitization machine to preserve and share local history in the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room
Have you seen the progress on the new Main Library and Spirit Square on Tryon Street? Hard hat tours are now underway! Our friends at The Leon Levine Foundation recently toured the site and shared this with us:
This facility will serve as a dynamic knowledge center and community hub in Uptown Charlotte. … We’re proud to support a project that ensures powerful educational resources are available to all and strengthens Charlotte’s foundation for years to come.”
If you’re curious about the CommonSpark Campaign and how you can support the future of the new Main Library, I’d love to connect. Email me at jgaisbauer@cmlibrary.org.
Thank you for believing in the power of libraries. Your support makes a remarkable and lasting difference in the lives of us all.
With gratitude,
Jenni Gaisbauer, CFRE
Executive Director
P.S. Don’t miss an evening with bestselling author Megan Miranda — we’ll be in Davidson soon and would love to see you there!
Beat the heat with a chill down your spine
Puppets with a purpose and a passport
This summer, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s Frontline Puppeteers are bringing stories and songs from around the globe to all our Library branches. Travel the World is a 30-minute puppet show featuring music, folk tales, and picture books from places like Germany, Mexico, Australia, and Africa plus a fun puppet-making activity and a meet-and-greet with the puppets.
“This was an amazing experience that has changed the way we read to our children!”
Active Reading and Read Together workshops were provided at 70 unique sites this past fiscal year and helped build literacy skills for over 1,200 children. This evidence-informed approach improves a child’s language skills, vocabulary, and ability to understand what they read on their own. 82% of families shared that they would begin visiting their local library as a result of workshop attendance.
