Posts tagged Charlotte Mecklenburg Library
Volunteers Sought to Help Extend Library Hours
Aug 4th
Here’s great coverage of the ongoing situation at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library. Volunteers are needed and being trained to help do things like pull holds, check in materials, shelve, and organize the collections. This frees up the limited remaining staff to continue providing the excellent customer service that the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library is known for.
Library Volunteer Coordinator Chauna Wall told me that one of the hopes is that these volunteers will get a close up and personal, behind-the-scenes look at the work library staff do. These volunteers will be able to provide testimony as to the importance of libraries and will be some of the Library’s biggest advocates in upcoming elections and budget planning for next year.
Five Mecklenburg Towns Pledge To Help Save Charlotte Mecklenburg Libraries
Jun 22nd
From a June 21 Charlotte Mecklenburg Library press release
Charlotte, NC – In a historic move, five of the Towns in Mecklenburg County have committed to providing one-time support to the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library for fiscal year 2011 (FY2011). In each of the five Towns, local governing bodies met, and approved or conditionally approved an Interlocal Cooperation Agreement with the Library. The Library would like to thank the governing bodies and staffs of all the Towns, as well as Mecklenburg County and the City of Charlotte, for coming together in support of libraries during this crisis.
The five participating Towns have committed to the following levels of support.
- Cornelius: $175,000 contribution
- Davidson: forgiveness of lease payment in the amount of approximately $37,000; and solicitation of additional donations to total $175,000
- Huntersville: in-kind contributions such as programs, cross-promotion, representative liaison for the Huntersville
- Destinations Round Table, and police/security presence in and around the North County Regional Library
- Matthews: restructuring of lease to defer current payment to 2018 of $205,000
- Mint Hill: $175,000 contribution
With this latest contribution of approximately $730,000 from the Towns, the Library will have approximately $23.3 million to operate its 20 remaining locations in FY2011. This is a significant decrease from approximately $32 million in County funding for FY2010; but an increase from the originally proposed funding level of $17.67 million. The Library still had to close four branches last week, and will have to cut hours at the remaining branches by 26%, and lay off approximately 66, or 18%, of remaining staff. 120 staff were laid off in April due to FY2010 reductions.
Based on this funding level, Library officials have proposed a schedule of operation, with 670-680 hours spread over 20 locations. This would group all locations into geographic areas or “pods” – each with one regional and several community libraries. In this proposed schedule, the regional libraries will be open at least 34 hours and 4 days a week; the community libraries will be open at least 32 hours and 4 days a week. This schedule is the hours equivalent of closing six branches. The Library Board of Trustees will vote on this schedule, as well as the FY2011 budget, at its regular meeting on Thursday, June 24 at noon.
To recap the Library’s FY2011 funding situation to date: last week, Mecklenburg County approved $21.17 million in funding for the Library: $17.67 million, plus $3.5 million contingent upon the Library agreeing to pursue the consolidation of some Library functions such as IT, Human Resources, Communications, Finance, and Capital Projects management. Mecklenburg County also credited the Library with approximately $2.28 million for the consolidation of its Maintenance and Security functions. On June 7, the City of Charlotte approved $1.4 million in one-time emergency funding for the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, with similar conditions.
To help guide the re-examination of the Library’s operating and funding models, the Library Board expects to convene a citizen task force.
Citizens concerned about libraries can visit www.cmlibrary.org/support for more information. For more information about the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, visit our website at www.cmlibrary.org.
Five Mecklenburg Towns Pledge To Help Save Libraries – News Story – WSOC Charlotte.
Mecklenburg’s towns chip in; libraries to stay open – CharlotteObserver.com.
Zombies for Libraries
Jun 15th
Last week Charlotte Geeks along with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and Bouncing Ferret Films filmed several library advocacy videos featuring zombies who are suffering from the loss of libraries in the community. Watch the videos, share, but be warned these may not be for very young eyes!
See more at: http://www.zombiesforlibraries.com/
PARENTAL DISCRETION ADVISED!
Zombies Natural Habitat
Remembrance of Brains Past
BrainBusters
Farewell to Brains
My Daughter’s Fight for Libraries by Susan Marder
Apr 24th
When I told my daughter about the Mint Hill Library closing down, she was confused. I told her due to budget cuts, they had to close many libraries in our community. She started to cry. I started to cry. We both cried together as she yelled out, “Why is the government taking away my books? Don’t they know children love to read!?!” That kind of reaction surprised me. She’s only seven! I explained that it is not their intention to take books away from children, but then after thinking about it… that’s exactly what they are doing. Bottom line, it does take away from the community.
After crying, she took a deep breath and remembered a story she told to me about the children’s book character Arthur and what he did to voice his opinion. It was a story about a scary book that parents wanted to take away from the kids. If it worked for Arthur, surely it would work to help save our local library, right?
The very next day at school and with help of her teacher giving her the supplies needed, she gathered her friends together at recess and made this poster. She went around to teachers and students to sign her petition to help save the library. When I went to pick her up after school, she held this poster high above her head as she marched out to me never letting the poster down once.
I didn’t realize how much this meant to her. I didn’t realize what it means to a little girl who is about to lose the very thing that brings joy to her world. Unlimited books to take her mind on journeys of learning and fantasy helping her expand her imagination as well as her intellect.
I’ll be honest and say I don’t fully understand why it is the libraries are the first thing to cut. Why must we sever an educational tool as well as many positive things that the local libraries provide to our community? It just doesn’t make sense. We are both still confused and deeply saddened, but that will not stop us from traveling just a little further to fill in that need for new stories to be read.
Her school acknowledged what my little girl did by honoring her with a perseverance award recently on their morning school TV announcements. That did bring a smile to her face and she thought she had a victory in being a very small part in supporting what she believes in fighting for and I am very proud of her. I am sending this in to help further the support we feel as a family in voicing our belief in not shutting the door to these libraries. Thank you for letting us share.
Susan Marder
Mint Hill, North Carolina
It Takes a Village to Save a Library
Mar 22nd
I sat at the Library Board of Trustees Meeting last Thursday and watched County Manager Harry Jones talk about the grim reality facing Mecklenburg County–a $13.2 million in immediate budget cuts across all departments before June 30th and an estimated $85 million shortfall for fiscal year 2010-2011 which begins July 1. You can view Jones’ presentation to the Library Board here: http://bit.ly/dgAZ7U.
After Jones’ presentation Library Director Charles Brown made his recommendation to close 12 libraries and layoff 148 staff members.
As you can imagine library staff were anxiously awaiting the news back at their branches or at home or from wherever they were connected.
I’ve been with the Library for nearly 11-years now and it is fascinating to see the role social media has played in these events. When we faced budget cuts in previous years it took days to get the news. Now with the advent of social media the news was transmitted instantly through Twitter feeds, Facebook, instant messaging, text messaging, and probably through other means that I’m not even aware of.
One former staff member tweeted that his heart was broken over the news.
But out of the meeting came a glimmer of hope when community members and the Library Friends group spoke up and said we can make a difference, we can do this. The tone in the room changed instantly from despair to hope. Before the meeting adjourned a library staff member back at her desk had created the event on Facebook $2 million in one week which aims to raise enough money to keep the 12 libraries open until July.
Since then the Library has raised more than $70,000 in online donations alone! Cash donations collected at libraries will be tallied on Monday.
This weekend saw grassroots efforts sprouting up all over Mecklenburg County with everything from a town-hall meeting to children selling lemonade to support the library.
Lemonade for the Library by Ed McDonald
Not only is the community rallying but staff members are rallying as well. Look for the next post which will show how you can help support the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.
One Week – $2 Million Dollars: A Call to Action!
Mar 18th
I’m sure you’ve heard the news:
On Thursday, March 18, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Board of Trustees approved a plan to lay off 148 employees and close 12 library branches in order to absorb a $2 million reduction in funding from Mecklenburg County.
The branches that will close under the plan are:
- Beatties Ford Road
- Belmont Center
- Carmel
- Checkit Outlet
- Cornelius
- Hickory Grove
- Independence Regional
- Mint Hill
- Morrison Regional
- Myers Park
- Scaleybark
- Sugar Creek
It will take approximately two weeks to complete the closings, with the selected branches closing their doors at the end of the business day on Saturday, April 3.
Director Charles Brown make the recommendation to the Board his voice full of emotion. Brown said this was the lowest point in his 40-year career in libraries. It was a solemn moment as the room fell silent.
After the recommendation from Brown and discussion among the Board, members of the community were invited to speak.
Dr. Susan Harden spoke passionately as an avid library user and former staff member, “Research is clear that societies are advanced by citizens having access to public libraries and the materials in them and the technologies in them.”
Bill Brawley, a library user from the Matthews community, vehemently said, “All of the wisdom of man is in books and you can get them in the library for free. Why would you not support a library?”
Harriet Smith from the Friends of the Library challenged the community to both volunteer in our libraries and to help raise the money to save our libraries.
You can see a 2-minute video with highlights from the meeting here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/420/index.html?media_id=11731321. If you’ve ever wondered why libraries are so important to the community, watch the clip!
As Dr. Harden, Brawley, and Smith spoke the energy in the room changed and a call to action became clear. We need a grassroots effort to raise $2 million dollars to save our libraries and we need it fast.
Staff immediately mobilized. Before the meeting was over one staff member who had been watching events unfold via Twitter created the Facebook Event $2 million in one week.
How can you help?
Donate now: www.cmlibrary.org/DonateNow
Contributions received by March 31, 2010, will help lessen the severity of immediate library service reductions, and even after March 31 all contributions will continue to help us provide the best possible library services to the more than 17,000 adults and children we serve each day.
Advocate:
Share this link with your friends and neighbors. www.cmlibrary.org/DonateNow.
The Library receives more than 90% of its funding from Mecklenburg County. Let your elected officials know what libraries mean to you. You can contact any and all of the Mecklenburg County Commissioners here: http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/BOCC/Meet+The+Board/home.htm
I’m calling on you to donate if you can. If you can’t donate, please help advocate for us. My heart aches for the community who will lose access to the tremendous amount of free resources and programs the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library has to offer. Unemployment is more than 11% in Mecklenburg County. The community needs us more than ever.
This quote from my long-time hero Carl Sagan eloquently sums up my thoughts:
The library connects us with the insight and knowledge, painfully extracted from Nature, of the greatest minds that ever were, with the best teachers, drawn from the entire planet and from all our history, to instruct us without tiring, and to inspire us to make our own contribution to the collective knowledge of the human species. I think the health of our civilization, the depth of our awareness about the underpinnings of our culture and our concern for the future can all be tested by how well we support our libraries. ~Carl Sagan, Cosmos
Are you willing to support your library?
To stay up-to-date on our budget situation sign up for updates from the budget info page: http://plcmc.org/about_us/librarybudgetinfo.asp and follow @cmlibrary on Twitter.
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