Teen Resources at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library

By Laura Leftwich, CRC Member and Holly Summers, Senior Program Manager — Teen Services, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library

For teens already preparing for back-to-school and those wanting summer to never end, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library system has plenty to offer. In addition to their usual services like free Wi-Fi and study areas, the Library offers engaging and meaningful teen programs throughout the year that range from book clubs to STEAM projects to gaming. For school-ready teens, it’s easy to get a head start on career planning and tutoring. Teens can also sign up to participate in various events and become a VolunTeen to earn community service hours.

Programs like Community Service Project and Teen Advisory Council, offer community service hours for teens who participate. Teens seeking community service hours (up to 20 hours) can also contribute content for the libraries by writing a review of a book, movie, or other resource the library offers. These reviews can be filmed for the chance to be added to the Library’s teen Instagram account as well. There’s also an opportunity for teens to create more content to be featured on @cmlibraryteens with eight projects to choose from! Teens should follow them to stay in the know and be a part of the conversation.

The Library also offers two teen-authored newsletters out of their Davidson and West Boulevard branches. These are centered around teen accomplishments and aims to promote the work of the impressive local community. Be on the lookout for more branches to offer these newsletters including South County Regional Library.

For older teens thinking about the decisions ahead, the Library has plenty of resources available. Teens can fill out a My Next Step form to get help with their next step when planning for their future after high school. Teens can also register for a My Next Step session to get 1-on-1 support from a friendly Library staff member. The Library also offers podcasts on career and college exploration. With 47 episodes featuring colleges around the country, teens are sure to get a firsthand listen into what the school is like and if it could be a good fit for them. They will also learn about different career paths. There are interviews with an engineer at NASA, an actor, a zoo videographer, and more. And once school is back in session, don’t forget about all of the free online resources the Libraries offer, such as Tutor.com that provides up to 10 free tutoring sessions every week for grades K-12. A friendly reminder that all CMS students have a ONE Access card with the Library, so check it out for more details on how to get started.

So, for teens looking for volunteer hours, college and career readiness, an outlet to publish some creative work, or just looking for somewhere to get out of the house and explore their local community, the Library is hard at work to be a cool and beneficial place to spend your time.