White |1

Recognizing Reduction of Education in Low Income Homes

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library – Mobile Library

Emerging Technological Trends in Information Access - LIS 631

September 25, 2022

University of North Carolina Greensboro

 White |2

Mecklenburg County can be found in the southwest portion of North Carolina.

Mecklenburg County is one of the largest counties in North Carolina with an estimated

population of 1,117,826 (Simply Analytics). The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library (CML) covers

the entire county. CML has eight cities where that cater to library needs, twenty-two physical

branches, one digital branch, and one mobile branch.

“The Mobile Library seeks to connect people of all ages to Charlotte Mecklenburg

Library by lowering access barriers to our services. To do this, our team will use rotating service

routes to reach customers around Mecklenburg County. When you see the Mobile Library,

endearingly referred to as "MoLi" (pronounced "Molly"), know that convenient access to Library

service is a moment away…Services will be available on a three-week rotating schedule that

targets high-need areas of the communities with limited access to a physical Library building or

virtual services.” (Branches, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library). With the MoLi being mobile it can

reach vast communities even in the most rural parts of Mecklenburg Co.

Methods

For this analysis, focused my energy on working with SimplyAnalytics to help recognize

the reduction of education and low-income homes. To ensure validity and accuracy I compare

data found from the census tracts in correspondence to Mecklenburg County. My chosen

variables for this report are used to illustrate the importance of education and access to learning

materials. The factors I will be examining are internet subscriptions in a household, computers in

a household, employment status, vehicles available, and educational attainment.

Findings
Education, Transportation, and Income
 White |3

To begin is with education and how education impacts income levels. Based on

Scatter Plot 1 we can see in certain zip codes there is a high percentage of no high school

diploma or equivalency with a pairing of not in the labor force. Through the data, one can see

that there is a correlation between unemployment and not graduating from high school or gaining

a high school equivalency.

Mecklenburg county has an estimated 10.55% population of people who have less than a

high school education and of that same total population, an estimated 29.34% of`12345 people

residing in Mecklenburg Co. are not in the workforce.

Scatter Plot 1: Correlation between Employment Status: Not in Labor Force and
Educational Attainment: Less than a High School Diploma |Simply Analytics

Charlotte – Mecklenburg Schools have had significant dropouts from schools ranging

from the 6-percentile range to the current dropout rate of 2.31% (Dropout Rates). Retention of

kids in school settings and especially public schools has been an ongoing task for all educators
 White |4

and especially the United States Department of Education. Figure 1 is a map of Mecklenburg

County and shows the areas where the educational attainment is less than a high school diploma.

Figure 1: Percent of People without a High School Education

Mecklenburg county based on scatter plot 2 has linear regression with Households with

no internet access and no computer in the home. Making education for those who may live out of

reach of bus transportation to take a class or even earn their GEDs difficult.
 White |5

Scatter Plot 2: Correlation between Percent of Internet Access in Home and Computers in Home

Having MoLi as a Mobile Branch for CML is a great asset because it can provide

resources to those who do not live in the vicinity of other CML Branches. Scatter plot 2 shows

the different census tracts with little or no access to the virtual world.

Figure 2 shows a full breakdown of Mecklenburg County and the cities.

Figure 2: Breakdown of Mecklenburg County

The breakdown of the cities in Mecklenburg County shows us that each city on average

at least 30 percent of its population is not in the labor force. Around 6 percent of the population

of each city has less than a high school diploma for educational attainment. This data can also

attest to the amount of poverty in each city and overall, in Mecklenburg County.

Recommendations

As stated at the start of the report, communities in Mecklenburg County have a strong

correlation between people without high school education and lack of employment in the labor

force. Having MoLi in Mecklenburg County helps reach the vast communities so people can
 White |6

help better themselves. MoLi can also provide free WIFI up to 100 feet and patrons can check

out laptops for 2 hours at a time. CML outreach services states…

“Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s services extend beyond our physical locations.

We are committed to providing all community members access to our staff, resources,

and services. Our goal is to provide services to some of the highest need and under-

served populations in our community. Whether a person is homebound, in senior

housing, within correctional facilities, living with disabilities, living in transition, or new

Americans, Outreach Services brings the Library experience and resources to the

community.”

While it is also Covid-19 and now Monkeypox spreading MoLi provides a safer way for

people to experience being at the library without having to go to a library. MoLi provides access

to library services all over Mecklenburg County from the inner city to the rural areas.
 White |7

References

Charlotte Mecklenburg Mobile Library—360° Tour. (n.d.). Retrieved September 30, 2022, from

https://app.cloudpano.com/tours/Qrzjpy14L Click here to view a 360° tour.

Dropout rate continues to decline in CMS. (n.d.). Retrieved September 30, 2022, from

https://www.cms.k12.nc.us/News/Pages/DropoutratecontinuestodeclineinCMS.aspx

Outreach Services | Charlotte Mecklenburg Library. (n.d.). Retrieved September 30, 2022, from

https://cmlibrary.org/services/outreach-services

SimplyAnalytics. (n.d.). Retrieved September 30, 2022, from https://app-simplyanalytics-

com.libproxy.uncg.edu/index.html