The Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room (Charlotte)

The Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room of the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County houses the largest collection of genealogical and historical materials of any public library in the state. Beginning in 1903, the Library began as a Carnegie Library and is now in its third building. Located in uptown Charlotte at 310 N. Tryon, it has a major presence in the community. This special collection is used by authors, the media and general researchers from around the country. Mecklenburg County was formed from Anson County in 1762 and was a part of the great migration that helped populate the rest of the south in the 1800s.

Charlotte is the largest city and Mecklenburg County is the largest county in North Carolina. The library’s collection specializes in city and county materials, as well as all southern and border states. Unique and most frequently used materials include:
• The Charlotte Observer negatives between 1956-1962 and 1966 – 2002
• “Heritage Books” from various counties and states
• Historic maps and Searching for Historic Maps
• Manuscripts
• Microfilm -- over 10,000 reels of federal census, county and state records plus all known issues in existence of The Charlotte Observer, surviving North Carolina newspapers published in the 1700s and some western North Carolina newspapers starting in the 1800s
• Online databases HeritageQuest.com and Ancestry.com Library Edition
• Public and private school publications
• Surname and biographical files

The Carolina Room Staff are committed to presenting local historical information for Internet users. Some exhibits include African-American history, military information as it relates to the city and county, database of cemeteries with several thousand burial records, photographs and postcards, some legal notices, divorce records and newspaper abstracts, early city and county directories, and entire books on local history.

Please visit these sites for more information.
General Library Information
Catalog
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Story, genealogical and historical exhibits by Carolina Room Staff
Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room Information