Welcome! We're so glad you're here.

The Living Archives project is gathering, preserving, and sharing the stories of Mecklenburg County residents who navigated the COVID-19 virus. Begun in 2021, the project was re-launched in Spring 2022 with a renewed understanding that the COVID-19 experience was going to be on-going and complex. The project was designed with an equity lens, focusing predominantly on Black, Hispanic, Asian, and Indigenous voices that are often excluded from archives. Nearly 350 neighbors shared their experiences with the archive through audio visual interviews, poetry, art and written story and all of these narratives are available on YouTube and, beginning in June, in perpetuity at the digital Spangler Robinson Carolina Room of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.

We have turned a spotlight on 24 of our storytellers through a new traveling exhibit that will reach every corner of Mecklenburg County. Check out our events page to find out when we will be at an institution near you and then come check out the launch event and exhibit to meet some of the storytellers.

You are also invited to join us on April 11th as we unveil a mural from artist Abel Jackson on the wall of the Lions Services building at Eastway and Tryon.  And on May 16th at 6 pm at Discovery Place everyone is invited to join us for an evening with storytellers and music in celebration of the project and our collective experience.

Story Bites
Latest News

Mural Reveal

Don’t miss out on the first opportunity to see the Living Archives mural on the wall of Lions Services.  Artist Abel Jackson has been working hard and we can’t wait…
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Successful Opening Events

The exhibit launch at Allegra Westbrooks Library was an overwhelming success, drawing in over 70 attendees with enthusiastic audience participation. The questions from the audience added rich conversation and connection…
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March 11th at Allegra Westbrooks

Come to the Living Archives Exhibit Launch Event! Register for the first Living Archives Exhibit Launch event from 5:30-7:30 at Allegra Westbrooks Regional Library (formerly Beatties Ford Road Branch.) This…
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Living Archives at SxSW

The Living Archives project along with project funder Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) have been invited to present a thought-provoking panel discussion at the SxSW conference in Austin Texas.…
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A teen’s animation

For the past two months, teens throughout Mecklenburg have shared their unique points of view via an innovative Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Teen Instagram project soliciting their COVID-19 stories. The archive…
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Entrevistas En Espanol

Y si te sientes más cómodo hablando y escuchando en español, te tenemos cubierto. Actualmente tenemos 17 entrevistas realizadas en español y en nuestra lista de reproducción “Entrevistes en Español”.…
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Exploring relationships

We are exploring relationships with others throughout the County including Ada Jenkins Center, Generation Nation, and several intercultural pre-schools.  Reach out and let us know if you want to share…
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Come Join Us!

You can attend an event, share your story with us, or spend some time getting to know your neighbors’ lives. Connect with our newsletter to stay on top of project news (1x month) and follow our socials.

The Living Archives project is made possible due to the generous support of:

The Duke Endowment

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library  received an American Rescue Plan Humanities Grant from North Carolina Humanities, www.nchumanities.org. Funding for this grant was provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the American Rescue Plan Act economic stabilization plan.

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this Web page do not necessarily represent those of North Carolina Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.

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