Building a Stronger Community
“A library is a house of hope.”
- Karen Batchelor, Lawyer, Activist, and Genealogist
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library values openness, respect, and inclusion. That means we provide a friendly, helpful learning environment that supports free access to Library resources and the exchange of information. Simply put, we help the community grow and thrive.
Growing Our Library System
Years ago, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library made a commitment to the public to re-imagine and build a new Man Library that will be an innovative combination of resources, collaborative spaces, technology, and cultural experiences. The new iconic structure in Uptown Charlotte will be built on the same site where the original Carnegie Library – the first free library in Mecklenburg County – stood in 1903. The Charlotte Regional Business Alliance reported that 117 people moved to the Charlotte region daily during July 1, 2022 to July 1, 2023. The new Main Library will help ensure our growth meets the growth of the community. It will be a state-of-the-art facility spread over five floors with an immersive theater, innovation lab, career center, new resident welcome
center, the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room, 15 meeting rooms, a café, event space, and of course, books.More importantly, it will be a free, open, and accessible information hub that welcomes everyone. CML hosted a demolition event of the old location in August 2023 with the help of U.S. Rep. Alma Adams, Mecklenburg County Manager Dena Diorio and a host of elected officials, dignitaries, and guests. While one building was being taken down, another was breaking ground. The Library broke ground on a new location for University City Regional Library. This new location will be the largest regional library in the system, easily accessible, and filled with customer amenities. The project was supported by a
$39.6 million capital investment by the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners. Both locations will have a tremendous impact on the community as citizens will have new Library locations to come together, explore opportunities, and learn.We anticipate opening the Main Library and University City Regional Library in 2026 and 2025, respectively.
picture of NML or UC rendering?
Above: University City Regional Library Rendering, Architect: Gensler Left: New Main Library Rendering, Architect: Snøhetta
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