Charlotte, NC

C’mon now, ‘fess up: You know that one of your favorite places to hang out when you were young was at the library, right? I mean, all those books just opened up a wonderland of imagination for you and your friends!
Well, in today’s Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Library, you’ll find more than you ever would’ve dreamed of back-in-the-day. It’s practically a multi-floor mall of musings and mental challenges in the form of books, CDs, DVDs, PCs and more … in fact, over one-and-a-half million system-wide (there have a network of twenty libraries within the county)!

But there’s a lot more to do at the library these days than just hunker down behind a good book. For example, there’s the Rosetta Stone language learning center, where one can learn French, German, Greek, Italian, Russian, two kinds of Spanish (Latin American and Spain) and even two kinds of English (British and American)! You learn quickly, and on your own schedule.

If you like the classics — movies, that is — then the library’s Wachovia Theater (part of the ImaginOn project, which I’ll mention in a minute) have them for you this summer. Enjoy the big screen as it comes alive with

• All About Eve (July 1),
• Guys and Dolls (July 7),
• The Barefoot Contessa (July 14),
• Suddenly, Last Summer (July 21) and
• the intriguing Sleuth (July 28).

The library also offers a phone number for those who need help with their homework (naaah … they don’t give the answers. That’s up to the student to figure out!) and a neat blog for boys, called Boys Rule! Boys Read!. In this blog, kids write in to describe a book they’ve read. The moderator, a friendly chap named “Carl,” might just reward them with a free book!

Now … I mentioned the ImaginOn project. This complex includes interactive games and exhibits, famous theater performances, classic storytimes, classes and so many other things that kids (and adults!) can enjoy. Taking up a whole city block, the structure is the first in Charlotte-Mecklenburg to be certified as “green” — meaning it’s made of recycled material rather than new (which destroys the environment). This beauty is a real “must-visit” when you’re downtown.

Of course, there are courses, classes and the like at all the library’s “satellite” branches throughout the county, as well as the great reading, viewing and listening material. But, while you’re checking out the downtown area (like Discovery Place and the Nature Museum, you’ve gotta take in the wonder and amazing beauty that is … the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Library, Main Branch.