Julie Walker named Georgia`s state librarian

A newsletter for friends and employees of Georgia’s public libraries
volume 11, issue 6 June 2014
Julie Walker named Georgia’s state librarian
Julie White Walker has been
selected as the new state librarian for
Georgia Public Library Service. She
will take over the role July 1 from Dr.
Lamar Veatch, who will be assuming other duties
in the University
System of
Georgia.
“We had a highly competitive,
national search for this important
leadership position and the search
committee was pleased to attract a
pool of talented candidates who all
wanted to come to Georgia because
of the excellent reputation of
Georgia Public Library Service,” said
University System of Georgia Chancellor Hank Huckaby.
“Julie had very serious competition, but it became clear she has the
talent, skills and experience we were
seeking,” Huckaby said. “We are
delighted that the GPLS staff has
such a deep pool of talent and look
forward to her leadership in the
coming years.”
Walker earned her bachelor’s
degree in political science and her
master’s degree in library science
from the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill.
Georgia Public Library Service is
the state library administrative
agency and a unit of the Board of
Regents. The state librarian is an
employee of the Board of Regents
and works with the network of
public libraries, which are county and
regional organizations. Bobby Haven/Courtesy of The Brunswick News
Walker is
currently the
deputy state
librarian, a
position she has
Walker
held since 2008.
In her new role, Walker will provide
leadership for GPLS staff as well as
staff of the state’s 403 public libraries.
In addition, she will have responsibility
for the Georgia Libraries for Accessible Statewide Services, the network
of regional libraries serving those with
visual or print impairments.
Before becoming deputy state
librarian, Walker was assistant state
librarian for technology, support
services and strategic initiatives (20062008) and director of the PINES
program that shares electronic
services among a consortium of more
than 250 public libraries (2003-2006).
She was associate director of the
Athens Regional Library System from
1990 to 2003. Prior to coming to
Georgia, she worked in various
positions at libraries in North Carolina and as a library automation
consultant.
Tickled red
Clifford gets a warm welcome at the Brunswick-Glynn County Library from 4-year-old Amelia Jane
Burgess. The Big Red Dog’s eighth “Tour de Georgia” took place May 12-16. Since 2007, Clifford has
helped Georgia’s public libraries celebrate Children's Book Week, the nation’s longest-running national
literacy initiative. This year’s tour also took Clifford to libraries in Folkston, Blackshear, Valdosta,
Ephesus, Powder Springs, Chamblee, Dalton, Ellijay, Dawsonville, Jonesboro, Atlanta and Conyers.
GPLS announces GLASS network consolidation plans
In its FY 2015 Zero-Based Budget
Report, released in January, the
Governor’s Office of Planning and
Budget (OPB) recommended significant changes be made in the provision of service to the patrons of the
Georgia Libraries for Accessible
Statewide Services (GLASS) network,
the state’s talking book program.
OPB proposed that GPLS reorganize
the program both to save money and
to achieve greater levels of participation in the coming years.
GPLS has responded with a plan
wherein the director of GLASS will
directly manage all outreach and
advisory services statewide. Instead
of providing grants to fund positions
in a limited number of local library
systems, GLASS will hire outreach
specialists as Board of Regents
employees and develop new performance measures that will provide
fuller and more accurate details of
the effectiveness of the program’s
outreach and advisory services.
“The first step on our path will
be an initial consolidation of the
talking book and braille services that
have been provided by the talking
book centers in
Columbus, Dublin
and Savannah,”
explained Pat
Herndon,
director of
GLASS. “The staff
at each of the
closing talking
book libraries has
Herndon
either retired in
the past few months or is planning
to retire by June 30. So, as of July 1,
patron support for those areas will
be provided from staff at AMLAS, the
Atlanta Metro Library for Accessible
Services.
“We are working very hard to
ensure that our readers’ advisory
services, as well as our materials
distribution, will be seamless during
and after the transition.”
Governor approves library capital projects,
MRR and computer funds for 2015 budget
On April 28, Gov. Nathan Deal
recognized the importance of
education — including public
libraries — when he signed into
law the state’s $20.8 billion fiscal
2015 budget.
Included are $4,780,000 in
bond funds for four library
construction projects, $2 million
to replace obsolete computer
equipment at public libraries
statewide and $1,676,592 in
redirected bond funds for library
major-repair-and-renovation (MRR)
projects.
The largest capital grant, for
2
Georgia Public Library Service News
June 2014
$2 million, will be used to build a
new Hogansville Public Library in
Troup County. Another $1.38
million will fund a 4,000-squarefoot addition to the Flint River
Regional Library System’s
Barnesville-Lamar County Library.
A total of $900,000 will help
construct and fund an addition to
the Mountain Regional Library
System’s headquarters library in
Young Harris, and the remaining
funds will be used to aid in the
construction of a new, 15,000square-foot Villa Rica branch for
the West Georgia Regional Library
System. AMLAS, which previously served
patrons in 10 metro-area counties,
will see its service area grow to
include 70 counties, stretching from
the Alabama line east to the Atlantic
Ocean and from the Florida line
north to the heart of Georgia wine
country in Lumpkin County. Patrons
in the 60 counties affected by the
change were notified by mail in May.
“Readers’ advisory, outreach and
circulation of materials will be
assessed to determine their efficiency
and effectiveness once this new
model is in place,” said Deputy State
Librarian Julie Walker. “Careful
review of these assessments will
inform decisions regarding future
consolidation efforts. In keeping with
the OPB suggestions, however, our
overriding goals are to continue
providing exceptional service to
current users and to encourage
greater participation in the service
from those citizens who qualify but
who may not have become aware of
it through earlier outreach.”
The GLASS network of talking
book libraries gives Georgians ready
access to materials from the free
national library program that is
supported and administered by the
Library of Congress and the National
Library Service for the Blind &
Physically Handicapped (NLS). Based
in part on the effects that NLS’s
recent digitization of content is
having on how GLASS delivers its
services, OPB estimates that consolidations in Georgia’s talking book
program could eventually realize a
potential annual cost savings of
$388,000.
“GPLS will use these savings to
increase statewide outreach efforts,
ensure appropriate staffing levels for
readers’ advisory, and explore new
programs and services for GLASS
See GLASS, page 4
Staff
Georgians voice library
support to Congress, FCC
A record level of early financial support for broadband in
schools and libraries was approved in May by the E-rate
program, the Federal Communications Commission’s
(FCC) program for supporting communications services in
these institutions.
Reflecting a dedicated effort by the FCC to get critical
funding for broadband to schools and libraries as quickly
as possible, the $450 million in funding commitments for
broadband is six times the amount approved at this time
last year by Universal Service Administrative Company, the
program’s administrator.
“Now more than ever, students and teachers rely on
broadband Internet access to stay ahead of the educational curve,” said FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler. “And in
libraries across the country, patrons are tapping into
broadband networks to find jobs, do research, launch
businesses, and access community services. It is essential
for the FCC to quickly and efficiently deliver the support
that these institutions need to maintain and improve
broadband service.”
First-time participants in National Library Legislative Day this year
included (from left) library system directors Pauline Abidde of the
Dougherty County Public Library, Kelly Lenz of the South Georgia
Regional Library, Geri Mullis of the Marshes of Glynn Libraries and Ben
Carter of the Conyers-Rockdale Library System.
Staff
“The E-rate Modernization Workshop was a great
During this year’s National Library Legislative Day
opportunity to talk about Georgia's library network model
events on May 5-6, a number of library directors and state
in the context of E-rate updates,” Almond said, “and to
librarians, including Dr. Lamar Veatch of Georgia, met
discuss the economies of scale we were able to accomwith Wheeler and his staff to discuss broadband capacity
plish in partnership with our libraries. In the past two
and the ways in which it relates to supporting the critical
years, Georgia went from being one of the slowest states
services libraries provide their communities. The FCC also
in library bandwidth to one of the fastest, and we did it
invited Emily Almond,
by taking some risks, finding
director of information
efficiencies and being flexible.
technology for GPLS, to
participate in its E-Rate
“Our network business
Modernization Workshop on
model speaks specifically to
May 5. “The American Library
changes being made in the EAssociation’s Office of
rate program, and we are very
Information Technology Policy
glad to have been invited to
did a fantastic job lobbying
talk with the FCC about our
for a robust library presence,”
approach.”
said Almond, who was joined Abidde meets with Rep. John Lewis of Georgia’s 5th District.
on the panel by Pennsylvania
According to Veatch, FCC
State Librarian Stacey Aldrich as well as Jeff
Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel’s comments at the
Letourneau from Network Maine.
annual meeting of the Chief Officers of State Library
Agencies captured the essence of the role libraries play in
One of the consistent messages to come out of the
connecting communities: “Modern libraries… are centers
workshop, Almond said, was Wheeler’s description of the
of knowledge dissemination — in all its forms. They are
E’s of libraries: “From completing Education, to jumpalso vital to our communities… And as the digital age
starting Employment and Entrepreneurship, to fostering
makes its way through our commercial and civic lives, I
Empowerment and community Engagement, highthink libraries are going to grow more important — not
capacity library broadband is essential.”
less.” 3
June 2014
Georgia Public Library Service News
GLASS
Continued from page 2
customers,” Walker said. “GPLS is
committed to enhancing and expanding services and to reaching
new levels of participation throughout the entire state.”
A revised network map showing
the new AMLAS service area will be
available after implementation at
www.georgialibraries.org/glass.
Among the initial new and
exciting offerings for patrons,
Herndon said, is the telephone-based
book club that AMLAS began early
this year. “Within a few days of the
book club’s launch, I received a call
from a 94-year-old lady, Helen
Nemesnyik, who wanted to rave
about this wonderful service and tell
me how thrilled she is to finally be
able to participate in a book club
again,” Herndon said.
“It’s absolutely fantastic,”
exclaimed Nemesnyik, a Dunwoody
resident with macular degeneration.
“I remember participating in various
book clubs when I was young, and I
loved them. But I haven’t been able
to participate in one for the past 50
years, until now. My adviser sends
me a book a couple of weeks before
the book club meets, then we can go
in or call in and discuss it. For people
like me who can’t get out, this is
wonderful. I have only the highest
praise for all of the staff at AMLAS.”
Herndon said that GLASS is also
in the process of partnering with
AMAC Accessibility and with Tools
for Life on additional new programs.
AMAC Accessibility is an initiative of
the University System of Georgia that
began in 2005 to help post-secondary disability services offices provide
complete, timely, efficient accommodations to print-disabled students so
they can be more independent and
productive in their academic environ4
Georgia Public Library Service News
June 2014
ments. Tools for Life, Georgia's
Assistive Technology Act Program, is
dedicated to increasing access to and
acquisition of assistive technology
devices and services for Georgians of
all ages and disabilities so they can
live, learn, work and play independently and with greater freedom in
communities of their choice.
Initially, the only change that
most patrons will experience is the
replacement of the familiar voice of
the person who previously assisted
them at their talking book center.
Because all equipment at the closing
facilities belongs to the local hosting
libraries, there is no reason for them
to quit using the equipment if it is in
good repair and at least one staff
member knows the basics of assisting a customer in its use.
“For the most part,” Herndon
said, “patrons who come in looking
to use the assistive technology
equipment already know how to use
it. At most, they might need someone
to direct them to its location and help
get them set up for their session.”
“We will continue to use and
showcase our assistive technology
while promoting talking book services
throughout our area,” said Christian
Kruse, director of Live Oak Public
Libraries in Savannah. “We have
recently created a community engagement position that will be vital in
connecting potential users with all the
wonderful services available through
GLASS. We are excited about the
evolution of our service to seniors and
look forward to creating a dynamic
partnership with GLASS to provide
excellent customer experiences, both
in our buildings and out in the greater
community.”
“While Oconee Regional Library
does not have the funding to
maintain the assistive technology, we
will continue to allow all our patrons
to utilize our collection of approxi-
mately 5,500 large print books,” said
the Dublin-based system’s director,
Leard Doughety. “We will also
continue to distribute information
about the talking book program at
all of our branch libraries, so that
potential new patrons are made
aware of the program.”
The Columbus Public Library will
keep and continue using its assistive
technology equipment, said
Chattahoochee Valley Libraries
Director Alan Harkness. “We're
going to move our assistive technology equipment to the library's
second floor, where it'll be more
accessible for users on nights and
weekends, when CLASS was typically
closed,” he explained. “We are
teaching our public service staff
members how to use it, so we
anticipate that it will soon be used
even more than it is now.
“We're also going to continue to
use the space allocated for machine
repair even after CLASS closes to the
public. We have volunteers who have
provided this service for some time,
and they're willing to continue. As
long as we have a demand for the
old C-1 machines, willing volunteers
supply and the space to do it, it's a
great service to provide.
“Our webmaster, Darrius
Covington, knows how to use the
recording studio equipment, and he
records articles from our local newspapers for the Georgia Radio Reading
Service (GaRRS) and provides technical assistance for other volunteers.
We've recorded more than 2,000
pages since July, and we'll continue to
do this regularly. We're grateful to
Country's Barbeque for donating this
equipment to help us better serve the
print-impaired, and we will continue
to look for new ways to use it to
serve that community.”
Audio files for locally produced
See GLASS, page 11
First grads earn financial management certificates
At a ceremony in Warner Robins on
May 15, librarians from across the
state received their Library Financial
Management Certificates from
Georgia Public Library Service and
the Carl Vinson Institute of Government (CVIOG).
The certificate program is
conducted by faculty from CVIOG
and offered through an annual
partnership between the Institute
and GPLS. To earn a certificate,
participants must complete seven
days of intensive financial training
within a three-year period.
The program provides detailed
instruction on general financial
management topics such as introductory accounting and payroll
administration.
In addition, participants explore
more detailed course topics such as
budgeting for revenues and expenditures, internal controls and financial
statements, purchasing, and longterm financial planning.
Earning certificates this year
were Anne Bowen, director of the
Ocmulgee Regional Library System;
Linda Erkhart, business manager for
the Lake Blackshear Regional Library;
Angela Finley, bookkeeper for the
Chattooga County Library; Dawnah
Fox, business manager for the
Houston County Public Library
System; Regina Gray, Certified
Public Accountant for the West
Georgia Regional Library; Laura
Harrison, director of the Brooks
County Library; Sonji Harvey,
business/finance manager at the
Kinchafoonee Regional Library;
Sandy Hester, director of the
Fitzgerald-Ben Hill County Library;
Herman Howell, Certified Public
Accountant for the Coastal Plain
Regional Library; Anne Isbell,
director of the Lake Blackshear
Regional Library; Symone Kent,
financial administrator for the Three
Rivers Regional Library System;
Jacqueline Kimbro, manager of
administration with the DeKalb
County Public Library; Mamie
Simonds, business manager of the
Athens Regional Library System; Roni
Tewksbury, director of the West
Georgia Regional Library; and Billy
Tripp, director of Peach Public
Libraries.
The recent graduates — the first
librarians in Georgia to complete the
specially designed Financial Management Training Program — completed
work for their certificates in February.
Staff
The new program is the first of
its kind nationally. It was developed
exclusively for Georgia libraries by
CVIOG faculty member Tracy Arner,
a Certified Public Accountant and
governmental accounting expert
who, prior to the Institute's partnership with GPLS, provided management training for library systems in
Mississippi and Texas.
“I think what makes this training
program so successful is Tracy's
previous experience serving as a
member of a library management
team for more than six years and
later serving as a consultant to local
libraries,” said Stacy Jones, associate
director for CVIOG’s Governmental
Training, Education and Development
Division.
Back row (from left): Michele Jurkiewicz of CVIOG, Gray, Fox, Harvey, Howell, Isbell and State
Librarian Dr. Lamar Veatch. Front row: Tracy Arner of CVIOG, Kent, Tripp, Bowen, Erkhart, Harrison
and Deputy State Librarian Julie Walker. Seated: Simonds, Kimbro, Tewksbury and Christopher
Evans, director of business services and state grants for GPLS
“Coursework for the program
takes the best practices of the
Institute's financial management
program and customizes the curriculum and content to best meet library
needs,” said Arner. 5
June 2014
Georgia Public Library Service News
2014 Technology Boot Camp reaches new heights
Technological advancement and
improvements often spring from
using rapid-fire tactics, and Georgia’s
libraries are striving to stay ahead of
the curve. As part of that effort,
Georgia Public Library Service once
again hosted its annual Tech Boot
Camp at Unicoi State Lodge in Helen
from April 22–24.
Despite the rigorous implication
of its name, the Boot Camp is an
electronic menagerie for the
technologically inclined professional.
Library IT staff, digital librarians, and
directors from all corners of the state
come together each year to share
and trade ideas, show off
homegrown methods and enjoy the
company of colleagues.
The Cobb County Library
System’s Julia Huprich, digital
library services and communications
manager, and Burr Osoinach,
digital services librarian, discussed
Ali Nabavi, IT project manager
with Atlanta-Fulton Public Library
System, gave an overview of
multiple wireless networks utilized
within his system’s newer libraries
and ongoing projects in others.
Wendy Cobb, systems
administrator and technical services
coordinator for the Cherokee
Regional Library System, updated
the group on the ins and outs of the
recent Chromebox pilot project. Said
Cobb: “I feel that our libraries have
benefited greatly from the new
technology, enabling us to raise the
standard of service to our patrons.”
Other presenters included Dave
Daniels, technology support director
from Sara Hightower Regional
Library; Ben Dudley, system
administrator from East Central
Georgia Regional Library; Gabriel
Lundeen, deputy director of
Chattahoochee Valley Libraries; and
Curtis Spiva, technology librarian
with Mountain Regional Library
System. “Each year, Boot Camp gets
more interesting and enjoyable,”
said Spiva, who gave everyone an indepth visual look at the Untangle
Captive Portal software that he uses
Staff
Dr. Lamar Veatch, state
librarian, and Emily Almond, GPLS’s
director of IT, kicked off the event
during a welcome session, which was
followed by daily presentations from
attendees, tech vendors and state
library personnel. Representatives
from more than 40 library systems
participated, learning more about
equipment and initiatives for possible
use in their libraries.
their methodologies for bringing
unfamiliar electronic devices and
educational resources to staff and
patrons in engaging ways.
Staff
From left: Cobb, Daniels, Huprich, Osoinach, Nabavi, Spiva and Dudley
6
Georgia Public Library Service News
June 2014
to monitor and regulate wireless
networking for his system.
As in previous years, the
Technology Petting Zoo was a hot
spot where the latest and greatest in
digital devices could be tested and
win or lose techie approval. Tablets
running Android, Windows and
Apple operating systems were
displayed next to Chromebooks,
Chromeboxes and the new Google
Chromecast device, a potentially
simpler method for hosting visual
conference calls or educational Web
sessions for small-to-medium groups.
Also of note was a 3D printer
that was used to create plastic
objects any nerd would love, from a
trilobite to a Saturn rocket and going
boldly on to create a miniature
starship Enterprise — with correct
NCC-1701 livery, all specially printed
to showcase the printer’s capabilities.
The ultimate goal of 3D printing
is to foster and promote creative
endeavors, whether artistic, practical
or scientific, and make it accessible
for all citizens, enabling inventors
and artists to visit their local library
and bring their ideas to life.
According to Almond, the Tech
Boot Camp continues to improve
upon its successes every year,
bringing together more and more
tech professionals dedicated to
libraries. “We have no plans to stop
or even marginally slow down,” she
said. “This year more than ever, I feel
like we were able to tap the deep
expertise of our own libraries. Most
of this year’s presentations were
conducted by our own libraries’ tech
managers and directors. They shared
solutions, real-world projects and
just plain ‘cool stuff.’ The amount of
technical innovation taking place at
Georgia’s libraries continues to
expand and impress!” Summer reading sweepstakes offers
five chances to win money for college
While saving for college can be
challenging, this summer it can be as
easy as reading a book. Children
across the state of Georgia who
participate in Georgia public
libraries’ Summer Reading Program
will not only get a jump start on
their academic future, they also have
the opportunity to win money for
college through the Path2College
529 Plan’s® fifth annual Summer
Reading Program sweepstakes.
Mitch Seabaugh, executive
director of the Path2College 529
Plan, said that this year there will be
even more chances to win. Four
regional winners will each win
$1,529 toward a Path2College 529
Plan, and one grand prize winner
will receive $5,529 toward a
Path2College 529 Plan. Additionally,
the library of the individual grand
prize winner will receive $1,529, and
the four libraries of the regional
winners will each receive $529.
“This is a way for children to
experience the joy and many
academic benefits of reading, and
they can win money for their college
savings. There’s really no downside
to participating — it’s a win-win,”
said Seabaugh. “Our goal is to
familiarize Georgians with the only
state-sponsored 529 college savings
plan and help families build a strong
financial and academic foundation
for the future.”
“The Summer Reading Program
encourages a love for reading and
learning year-round. This sweepstakes engages parents and children
in a practical conversation about the
importance of continuing that
education, as well as saving for the
expenses related to going to
college,” said Dr. Lamar Veatch,
Georgia state librarian. “If we can
help just a small percentage of the
children we serve start a plan for
their future, we will have been
successful.”
Parents, grandparents or legal
guardians of a Georgia child can
complete an online entry form at the
Path2College 529 Plan website,
www.path2college529.com, through
Aug. 10. Winners for the Fizz,
Boom, $ave for College sweepstakes
will be selected randomly from the
state’s 63 library systems, which will
be divided into five groups
representing each quadrant of the
state plus a separate category for
the 10 largest systems. Sweepstakes
winners will be randomly selected at
the conclusion of the sweepstakes.
For official rules, additional prize
details and more information, visit
www.path2college529.com. No
purchase necessary. Void where
prohibited. PINES survey shows big increases in customer satisfaction
GPLS conducted its 10th annual PINES User Satisfaction
Survey from April 13-19. Once the final opinions were
cast, participation in the survey was up 73 percent, from
1,111 to 1,920 respondents. More importantly, all seven
applicable questions showed significant increases in
"strongly agree" — up to an 8.8 percent increase in high
satisfaction with the service.
“We are especially pleased with the level of participation and satisfaction indicated in this year's survey of
PINES users,” said Deputy State Librarian Julie Walker. “It
is gratifying that the PINES program, now in its 14th year,
continues to grow and adapt to meet the changing needs
of library users throughout Georgia.”
“Many behind-the-scenes changes to the software
contributed to a better user experience for both staff and
patrons this year,” said PINES Program Director Elizabeth
McKinney, “and survey results are strong indications that
we are moving the PINES catalog in the right direction.”
Improvements implemented in the past year,
McKinney said, include a database cleanup that made it
significantly easier for patrons to find items; a cleaner,
more streamlined online public access catalog; a
“browse” search feature and GALILEO authentication;
and introduction of the KPAC (kids’ public access catalog).
“In the coming year, we will be adding additional
content from NoveList into the catalog,” explained Terran
McCanna, PINES program manager. “That will bring in
more series information, book descriptions, book recommendations and GALILEO database referrals.”
Full survey results of the 2014 PINES survey can be
viewed online at pines.georgialibraries.org/survey-2014. 7
This summer, the Atlanta Braves are again partnering
with Georgia Public Library Service (GPLS) for the 2014
Atlanta Braves Summer Reading Program, “Home Run
Readers,” presented by SUBWAY. The popular educational
outreach program encourages students to build a love for
reading, as well as advance their reading skills during the
summer months.
Courtesy the Atlanta Braves
Take me out to the library
— and to a Braves game!
Home Run Readers rewards students in grades K-12
throughout the state of Georgia with a free Braves ticket
and a free SUBWAY “Fresh Fit For Kids Meal” for reading
books and completing an online activity. Discounted
tickets for accompanying family members and friends will
be available for each game for as low as $12 each.
All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman is serving as
the Braves’ ambassador for the program’s second year.
Program-related events are planned at libraries and at
Turner Field throughout the summer.
Freeman recommends baseball-themed books for summer reading.
“We are delighted to be a part of this program again
this year and are happy to connect SUBWAY and Freddie
Freeman,” said Jim Allen, Atlanta Braves vice president
of corporate partnerships. “Summer reading, baseball and
SUBWAY are a winning combination.”
Reward tickets can be redeemed up to one week in
advance for any of the five following games:
Tuesday, June 3, versus the Seattle Mariners;
Tuesday, July 22, versus the Miami Marlins;
Sunday, Aug. 17, versus the Oakland Athletics;
Tuesday, Sept. 2, versus the Philadelphia Phillies; and
Tuesday, Sept. 23, versus the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Courtesy Bartram Trail Regional Library
Inner space
Bartram Trail Regional Library Director
Lillie Crowe (left) and staff member
Tracy Holder welcome patrons to the
freshly decorated Mary Willis Library in
Washington. Through the support of a
grant from the Georgia Council for the
Arts, Holder and staff member Judy
Dennard designed and created the
space-themed tissue art display, and
both teach public classes on the
technique at the library.
8
Georgia Public Library Service News
June 2014
“We are so excited to continue this partnership
between the Braves and Georgia’s public libraries,” said
Julie Walker, Georgia's deputy state librarian. “Reading
incentives such as this are a great way to help young
people develop a love for reading while providing fun for
the entire family. Home Run Readers and its related events
will be excellent examples of our three organizations’ joint
commitment to communities across the state.”
Home Run Readers is open to all Georgia students in
grades K-12. The sign-up period runs through Aug. 24.
Program rules, a list of suggested titles, registration
information and redemption forms are available online at
www.braves.com/reading. Check-It-Out Reading Challenge begins 10th year
Hoops will lead to whoops this
summer at Georgia’s public libraries,
as the Atlanta Hawks and GPLS
celebrate summer reading with the
10th annual Check-It-Out Reading
Challenge (CIORC).
The longest continually running
program of its type, the CIORC
encourages young readers to earn
basketball-related rewards through
reading. Designed to enhance this
year’s national “Fizz, Boom, Read!”
Summer Reading Program, the
Hawks’ 2014 CIORC will welcome
young readers entering classes from
pre-K to grade 12 for the 2014-15
school year.
Hawks mascot Harry will make
personal appearances at libraries in
metro Atlanta to promote the
program, and souvenir bookmarks
promoting CIORC are now available
at participating library branches across
the state. Registration is underway
and will be conducted online through
Aug. 30.
Any child enrolled in grades pre-K
through 12 in the state of Georgia
may participate by having a parent or
guardian log on to
www.checkitoutreading.com, either
on a home computer or a publicaccess computer at the library. Parents
and guardians may register each child
in their household for the program.
As many as six participating children
may attend a Hawks game together
when accompanied by at least one
adult who has purchased a ticket.
“Check-It-Out Reading and the
Atlanta Hawks are
proud to announce
our 10th edition of
this program and to
encourage students to
continue reading
throughout the
summer months in
preparation for the
upcoming school
year,” said Eric Platte,
senior manager of the
Atlanta Hawks. “As an
avid reader myself, I’m
proud of the success
of this program and of
watching our students
flourish.”
As part of their
decadelong partnership with GPLS, the
Hawks will sponsor a
number of Georgia
Public Libraries Nights
during the 2014-15
regular season, with
discounted admission for employees
of the state’s public libraries and their
friends and families.
“It’s great to have this support
for summer reading from our
partners, especially in times of
economic challenge,” said Elaine
Black, director of youth services for
GPLS. “From the beginning of our
relationship — which has introduced
many new families to
summer reading —
public libraries have
benefited greatly from
our connection to the
Hawks.”
“Sports serve to
inspire us in many
different ways,” said
State Librarian Dr.
Lamar Veatch,” and
we’re proud that
Georgia’s public
libraries are working
together with organizations like the
Atlanta Hawks and
Atlanta Braves to
motivate young
readers to continue
their education and
have fun reading
during the summer
months.”
For additional
information on CIORC and other
Hawks- and National Basketball
Association-sponsored educational
programs, visit the team’s website at
www.hawks.com. Eight systems win Dollar General grants to support summer reading
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation (DGLF) has announced its 2014
Summer Reading Grants, which
include eight awards to Georgia
public libraries and library systems.
Georgia’s winners include the
Chattooga County Library System in
Summerville; the Elbert County Public
Library System in Elberton; the
Waycross-based Okefenokee Regional Library System; Peach Public
Libraries in Fort Valley; the Sylvaniabased Screven-Jenkins Library
System; the Statesboro Regional
Public Libraries’ Franklin Memorial
branch in Swainsboro; the Jesupbased Three Rivers Regional Library
System; and the Oconee Regional
Library’s Treutlen County Library.
DGLF Summer Reading Grants
provide funding to local nonprofit
organizations and libraries to help
with the implementation or expansion of summer reading programs.
Programs target pre-K through
12th-grade students who are new
readers, below-grade-level readers or
readers with learning disabilities. 9
NEWS IN BRIEF
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
Jay Turner, director of continuing education (CE) for
GPLS, has been selected to participate on the Chief
Officers of State Library Agencies’ (COSLA) CE Connector
Project. This project aims to foster greater shared development and delivery of CE programs across state libraries, as
well as collective state library engagement in national
efforts to coordinate CE initiatives among national
organizations. The 15-month project is funded by a grant
from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, along
with contributions from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Its 11 committee members were selected through a
competitive nationwide selection process.
At their quarterly meeting on April 29, the trustees of
the Coweta County Public Library System recognized
Branch Manager Bill Skelton with a plaque commemorating his 25 years of service to the system.
Staff
Georgia’s public library community bids a fond
farewell this month to three system directors who will
retire June 30. Emerson Murphy was appointed director
of the Clarkesville-based Northeast Regional Library
System in July 1988, giving him the second-longest
current tenure among the state’s library directors.
Thomas Jones has worked at the Macon-based Middle
Georgia Regional Library System for 40 years, serving as
its director since April 2008. Patricia Edwards joined the
Jefferson County Library System as its director in July
2006. She previously worked at the Gwinnett County
Public Library.
Departing directors Jones, Edwards and Murphy
The 2014 Collaborative Summer Library Program
(CSLP) Teen Video Challenge winner for Georgia is
Morgan McAndrew, a patron of the Hall County Library
System. “Her video, entitled ‘Spark a Reaction,’ was a
definite fan favorite at the CSLP annual conference in
April,” said Elaine Black, director of youth services for
GPLS. McAndrew’s video can be viewed via a link on the
Youth Services page of the GPLS website at
www.georgialibraries.org. Courtesy Athens Regional Library System
Librarians nominated as ALA-APA’s local stars
The American Library AssociationAllied Professional Association (ALAAPA) celebrated National Library
Workers Day on April 14. As part of
the 12th annual event, ALA-APA
invited library staff, users, administrators and Friends groups from across
the country to nominate their local
“library stars.”
Love a parade
In honor of the Winterville Branch Library’s
40th birthday, Athens Regional Library
System Director Kathryn Ames (right) was
named grand marshal of the Winterville
Marigold Festival’s annual parade on May 17.
10
Georgia Public Library Service News
June 2014
Among Georgia’s star nominees
for 2014 were three staff members at
the Chattahoochee Valley Libraries in
Columbus: Megan Aarant, library
associate at the South Columbus
Branch; Deborah Clark, children’s
associate at the Mildred Terry Library;
and Tammy Battley, financial
services coordinator for the system.
Also named were Elizabeth Puckett,
library assistant, and Julia Huprich,
digital library services and communications manager, of the Cobb County
Public Library; Karen Thompson,
youth education coordinator at the
Cherokee Regional Library’s LaFayetteWalker County Public Library;
Michele Johnson, manager of the
Three Rivers Regional Library System’s
Hog Hammock Public Library on
Sapelo Island; Pamela Rowe, library
assistant at the Flint River Regional
Library’s Barnesville-Lamar County
Library; and Lisa Bowen, circulation
manager for the Clayton County
Library System in Jonesboro. GLASS
digital formats, there is no loss of content for patrons.”
Continued from page 4
books will be sent to AMLAS, where Lamar Robinson,
the GLASS recording studio technician, will edit the files
and apply the required markups to ensure compliance
with NLS standards — just as he does with those materials
that are recorded at the AMLAS studio in Atlanta. All of
Georgia’s locally produced books are submitted to NLS for
potential inclusion into its archive of such materials, a new
project that is currently in the beta-test phase.
The July consolidations will almost certainly result in a
learning curve for current and future AMLAS employees,
but Walker said she is confident that the end result will
assure uniform access to services throughout the facility’s
expanded service area. It will also provide an immediate
increase in readers’ advisory coverage for many patrons to
six days a week, and the optimized telephone call-center
technology at AMLAS will more accurately track the
number of patron calls while ensuring consistency in
focus, message and delivery of outreach services.
NLS began the rollout of its digital talking book audio
players in 2009, and the impact of the machines, as well
as that of downloadable audio, has been significant.
Improved audio quality, ease of mailing and the reduced
storage needs for materials are changing the landscape
for patrons and providers alike, Herndon noted. “Fewer
cassette machines are in use, replacement parts are no
longer being produced, and the supply of remaining parts
is dwindling, never to be reordered,” she said.
“GLASS network libraries host eight different toll-free
phone numbers, some with operating hours as short as
35 hours per week,” Herndon explained. “We eventually
plan to have one toll-free number for the entire state that
will be answered 54 hours per week. Consolidation will
also decrease the administrative burden of separate
talking book libraries maintaining, sharing and coordinating patron records across the three systems — KLAS,
CMLS and BARD/MOC — currently in use.”
“As this changeover occurs, we are recycling the
technologically outdated materials that have been upgraded by NLS to the latest format,” she said. “In fact,
Georgia’s GLASS Distribution Center in February earned
kudos and received a certificate for its recycling efforts
from TruGreen Plastics. These included sending 190,534
pounds — 11 tractor trailers full — of outdated and
unusable cassettes to recycling facilities.
Staff
Courtesy Archway Partnership
“It’s really awesome to see this quantification of our
recycling efforts at GLASS,” she said. “And the best thing
about it is that, with all our recent upgrades to the latest
Eventually, by using all 402 public libraries as community contact points for NLS service and ensuring that staff
at every library in Georgia is trained to make appropriate
referrals, Walker said, “GPLS hopes to raise awareness of
GLASS to the levels enjoyed by other services, such as
GALILEO and the annual Summer Reading Program, that
are sponsored and coordinated by the state but that serve
readers in every community.” Saturday academics
Honor system
At an April 16 appreciation luncheon for funding officials and library
stakeholders, the Cusseta-Chattahoochee Library Board (CCLB) formally
honored Abbie Dillard for her service to the Columbus-based
Chattahoochee Valley Libraries (CVL). A retired public librarian from
Dublin, Dillard served as chair of CCLB and as chair of the CVL regional
board for a total of 12 years. From left are Cusseta-Chattahoochee
Public Library Manager Pamela Burgamy and board members Martha
Burgamy, Crystal Coleman, Mattye Kinney, Dillard, Jane Culpepper, Lynn
Harp, Mike Webb and Jessica Ezzell.
Northwest Georgia Regional Library (NGRL) Director Linda Floyd
(standing, 10th from left) and Assistant Director Jessica Miles (standing,
12th from left) welcome parents, children and Dalton State University
(DSU) volunteers to the Dalton-Whitfield County Public Library’s Saturday
Academy of the Every Child Ready to Read program. “This was a
fantastic collaborative program introducing the library and literacy to
parents and children as a family group,” Floyd said of the six-week
Saturday Academy, which was co-sponsored by NGRL, DSU and the
University of Georgia’s Archway Partnership. “Although the focus was
preschoolers and parents, entire families participated, and many have
registered for library cards and begun attending other library programs.”
11
June 2014
Georgia Public Library Service News
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Staff
CONTACT US
Georgia Public Library Service
1800 Century Place, Suite 150
Atlanta, GA 30345-4304
404.235.7200
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Lamar Veatch, state librarian
David Baker, editor
Dustin Landrum, assistant
Georgia Public Library Service News (ISSN 1546-511X) is
published bimonthly by the Georgia Public Library Service,
the state agency that supports public libraries and works
with them to improve the quality and variety of library
services available to Georgia citizens of all ages.
This publication is made possible by a grant from the U.S.
Institute of Museum and Library Services to the Georgia
Public Library Service under the provisions of the Library
Services and Technology Act.
Information presented in this newsletter will be provided in
alternative formats on request. For more information about
Georgia’s libraries and literary events, or to post an event,
visit our online calendar at www.georgialibraries.org
Georgia’s own ‘last lion’
At the Georgia public library directors meeting on May 15, State Librarian Dr. Lamar
Veatch recognized Senator Jack Hill (R-Reidsville) for his many years of “unwavering
support of Georgia’s public libraries.” Veatch presented Hill with a personalized copy
of William Manchester’s and Paul Reid’s “The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill:
Defender of the Realm, 1940-1965.” Veatch also presented copies of the biography to
libraries in Effingham, Evans and Tattnall Counties, each with a bookplate designating
it as a gift made in Hill’s honor. From left are Veatch; Hill; Jennifer Durham, director of
Statesboro Regional Public Libraries; Martha Powers-Jones, director of the Ohoopee
Regional Library; and Christian Kruse, director of Live Oak Public Libraries.