NEWS

On Saturday, February 17, the Davidson Branch Library invites town residents for a program honoring Davidson’s History West Side neighborhood. Throughout the day, you can check out information from the Shared Stories Project, help update historic maps, learn how to do research genealogy, listen to stories from West Side residents, and learn best practices for recording and saving your own family stories.

There will be three separate presentations held on Saturday:

• Genealogy: At 10:00 a.m. librarian Thomas Cole, a Charlotte historian and librarian in the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room in the main branch of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, will discuss a variety of library resources that can be utilized to research your ancestry. The Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room houses historical and current information on Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, and North Carolina. Additionally, the Carolina Room contains genealogical resources from all fifty states in print and online. It is the largest collection of genealogical materials in the North Carolina public library system.

• Historic Preservation: The next presentation will begin at 11:30 a.m. and will feature John Howard from the Charlotte Historic District Commission and Autumn Rierson Michael, an attorney, professor, and preservation consultant. They will discuss options, as well as the pros and cons of historic preservation in neighborhoods under the threat of gentrification.

• Shared Stories from the West Side: The final presentation of the day is slated to begin at 1:00 p.m. and will feature a panel discussion about growing up on the West Side of Davidson and the changes going on there today.

The library is located at 119 S. Main Street or on the Village Green, depending on your mode of transportation. If you have any questions in advance of the event, you can contact the library at (704) 416-4000.