I was cleaning out my wallet over the weekend and found my forgotten library card. Now that the sadly underused piece of plastic is back in my possession (or never left, really), I decided to take a look at everything I can do with it. Turns out there’s a lot more to the library than just checking out books.
Here are seven things I didn’t know without digging a little deeper into Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.
The library had its own literary publishing branch.
Novello Festival Press was the nation’s only library-sponsored literary publisher and has put nearly 300 writers into print since it was founded in 2000. Budget cuts in 2011 shut down the operation and they are no longer accepting submissions, but you can still shop their titles here. Proceeds from NFP benefit the library.
Student IDs at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools now double as library accounts.
Starting this school year, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools are bringing access to library materials to some 145,000 students in 168 schools throughout the county as part of the ONE Access initiative. Students can access any library in the system, but if proximity to campus is important you can also find a list of which library is located closest to each school here.
You can research your ancestry in the Family Research Computer Center.
Located in the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room at Main Library Uptown, the Family Research Computer Center provides free access to local genealogy records and Ancestry.com’s library edition. Jackpot.
The library will mail books straight to your home.
No time to visit the library? You can check out books online and have them delivered to your home for a $5 handling fee. The Library by Mail service is free for homebound patrons who can’t access library services in traditional ways due to physical disabilities, visual impairments or the debilities of age. Books for everyone.
The library runs three Job Help Centers for people in search of work.
Job Help Centers are located at Main, Sugar Creek and Steele Creek branches. Services include resume review, job search assistance, computer classes and a job board updated daily.
You can download eBooks, audiobooks, music and videos.
The library provides access to multiple databases of digital downloads. Some services simply use your library card as your login information but others require a separate (free) account. Use your library card to access audiobooks, eBooks and eFlicks here, here and here.
You can use your library card to access online video training and tutorials for graphic design, website design, coding and more.
Library cardholders can access Lynda.com’s more than 3,000 training videos teaching business, technical and creative skills. Sign up here.
