General Assembly supports six library projects

A newsletter for friends and employees of Georgia’s public libraries
volume 11, issue 5 April 2015
General Assembly supports six library projects
For the second year in a row,
Georgia’s General Assembly recognized the importance of the state’s
public libraries.
On April 2, legislators adopted a
$21.8 billion budget for fiscal year
2016 that includes more than $10
million in bond funds for six library
construction projects and a further
$1,885,000 in bond funds for repairand-renovation projects at more than
70 existing facilities.
“Our gratitude goes to all our
elected officials for the inclusion of
these capital outlay projects for new
and renovated public libraries,” said
State Librarian Julie Walker. “This
represents the most projects funded
in one year since FY2010.
“The opening of a new library is
always a proud day in any Georgia
community, and the local supporters
of these facilities have worked long
and hard to provide local matching
funds for, and to advocate at the
state level for, their projects. We are
thankful for their individual efforts
and appreciate the continued
support of Gov. and Mrs. Deal and
our partners in the legislature for
maintaining and expanding the
strong public library program we
have in the state.”
The four largest capital grants,
each for $2 million, will be used to
build a new Harris County Public
Library in Hamilton, a new Harlem
See Legislature, page 2
D.J. Spence
Fitzgerald-Ben Hill library
celebrates century of service
“This is a great opportunity to
replace outdated and overcrowded
facilities,” added Nathan Rall,
director of library planning and
construction for Georgia Public
Library Service. “Four of the six
projects will result in new or larger
and more technologically advanced
buildings, and the remaining two
projects will offer much-needed
space additions, providing growth for
new programs.”
Residents, Friends and staff celebrated the past, explored
the current and cast eager eyes toward the future on
March 1, as the Fitzgerald-Ben Hill County (FBHC) Library
marked 100 years of service. The Carnegie Library, as it
was then known, first opened its doors in 1915, beginning the tradition of free library access in the county.
Although the library moved to a nearby building on the
same street in the 1980s, that tradition lives on.
“During the last century, the Carnegie Library, later
renamed Fitzgerald-Ben Hill County Library, has served
countless patrons by providing quality reading materials,
free access to technology, and dedicated staff to meet the
informational needs of the community,” Library Director
Sandy Hester explained.
“There are many fascinating stories in our library's
history, including it becoming one of the first in Georgia
to provide countywide service when our first librarian,
Louise Smith, had the innovative idea to utilize canvas
Ninth-grader Levi Wiggins (center, in tie) as philanthropist Andrew
Carnegie is joined by Spiderman, the Cat in the Hat, Thing 1 and several
young readers and volunteers at a Fitzgerald-Ben Hill centenary event.
bags and distribute books through the postal service's
rural route carriers. Later, a Works Progress Administration-funded project allowed for a multicounty bookmobile
that furthered the library's efforts to put books into the
hands of those who needed them most. We proudly
honor these, and many more, accomplishments of the
past and pledge to continue this pattern of excellent
service for the future.”
See Fitzgerald, page 9
Legislature
Continued from page 1
Public Library in Columbia County,
and to conduct major expansions of
both the Sharon Forks Library in
Forsyth County and the Cobb County
Public Library System’s East Marietta
Library. Another $1.5 million is for a
new, 15,000-square-foot Villa Rica
Public Library to serve residents in
Carroll and Douglas counties, a
project that was included in the
governor’s original $45 billion
FY2016 budget plan, announced in
January.
“The West Georgia Regional
Library (WGRL) system received a
partial grant of $500,000 in FY2015
with assurances the remaining
$1,500,000 would be awarded in
FY2016,” explained Walker.
The remaining $565,000 in the
General Assembly’s budget for
capital projects will be used to
expand the Three Rivers Regional
Library System’s (TRRLS) Charlton
County Public Library in Folkston.
Entering its 23rd year of operation, the current 5,000-square-foot
home of the Harris County Library
can no longer support the needs of
the community. The current building
is at maximum capacity; the shelving
is worn and weakened to the point it
is barely able to hold materials; and
there is no room for a dedicated
computer or tech services area.
“The new, 15,000-square-foot
project will
provide an
essential, central
focal point for
the communities
of Harris
County,” according to Keith
Schuermann,
Troup-Harris
Schuermann
Regional Library
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Georgia Public Library Service News
April 2015
director. “Planners already have the
site ready to go. Adjacent to an
award-winning recreational center
and swimming facility, local officials
kept an eye toward further development on this same parcel that will
encourage the community to gather
together. With that in mind, we will
build a library that truly enhances the
quality of life in Hamilton and Harris
County.”
The new
Harlem Library
will also be
located in its
town’s center.
“Currently the
library is in a 100year-old house
whose floor does
not support the
Maner
weight of the
books!” said Mary Lin Maner,
director of the Evans-based Greater
Clarks Hill Regional Library System.
“The new library will have 10,000
square feet of space, and it will be
the center of a beautification plan for
Harlem. It will feature an outside
amphitheater and an open-air
walkway.”
East Marietta’s current library has
two levels but no elevator, forcing
patrons with physical limitations to
access the building traveling downhill
and entering the lower level through
a dark, narrow side entrance. Many
rooms are poorly illuminated,
crowded, and have multiple, but
often unrelated, uses. In some areas,
ductwork and wiring are exposed,
raising safety concerns.
The new $8,640,000 library will
be close to double the size of the
current building, comply with the
Americans with Disabilities Act and
be located in close proximity to four
schools and Sewell Park, fostering
partnership programs between the
library system and Cobb Parks,
Recreation and Cultural Affairs.
“We are planning to incorporate
traditional services with innovative
services such as creative space in
which our patrons can create 3D
objects, music, videos and digital
photography,” explained system
Director Helen Poyer. “The library
will also house a black box theater
and have space for art exhibits. It will
provide dedicated space for children,
teens and adults and will be a
destination not only for the residents
of east Cobb, but all of Cobb
County.”
The Sharon Forks Library has the
second highest circulation rate of any
public library in the state. “It is
located in one of the fastest growing
counties in the nation,” explained
Jon McDaniel, director of the
Forsyth County Public Library. “We
hope to add 14,000 square feet to
the existing space and renovate with
a raised flooring system to allow
close power access to any location in
the library.”
Since it opened in August 1995,
the population served by the
Charlton County Library has dramatically exceeded projections, and the
facility is in dire need of additional
space to provide patrons a safer and
more pleasant library experience.
Access to electrical boxes; the
heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system; and computer
network hub is
difficult, and
employee
workspace is
uncomfortably
cramped.
Very
“This library
is bursting out of
its seams, making
it difficult to
Continued from page 2
provide the needed collections and
programs for an ever-growing
number of patrons,” said TRRLS
Director Diana Very. “The addition
will add 3,000 square feet of space,
which will allow for more bathrooms,
a bigger community room and more
room for children’s collections and
programming. This community loves
its library, and we are so grateful for
this opportunity to provide residents
with the space to meet their needs
and enable them to enjoy their
visits.”
“MRR grants provide matching
funds for essential repair and renovation of public libraries throughout
the state,” Rall explained. “The
grants leverage both local and state
funds for projects that will extend
the life of a facility by a minimum of
10 years. Approved MRR funds are
provided to library systems on a
reimbursement basis and are based
on actual remediation and repair
costs.”
With the exception of the
appropriation for the Villa Rica Public
Library, all library-associated bond
funds were added by the Senate and
House to the governor’s original
budget recommendations for
FY2016.
The revised budget now awaits
his approval and signature. Staff
If approved by the governor, the
$1,885,000 allocation for Major
Repair and Renovation (MRR) grants
for public libraries will pay up to 50
percent of approved costs associated
with needed structural repairs;
roofing projects; heating, ventilation
and air conditioning (HVAC) repairs;
and required life safety, accessibility
and code compliance projects. All
MRR projects require matching local
funds to qualify.
Staff
Legislature
Read Across Georgia
Gov. Nathan Deal and first lady Sandra
Deal welcomed State Librarian Julie
Walker (above, left) to the March 2
kick-off event for Read Across Georgia
Month. “A firm literary foundation is
essential for academic success, and
the Read Across Georgia initiative
helps to provide just that,” said Gov.
Deal. “I’m confident that through our
continued partnerships with state
agencies, organizations and classrooms all over the state, we can fully
achieve our goal of educating all
children to their fullest potential.” As a
part of the celebrations, first lady Deal
introduced a new pre-K book, TJ’s
Discovery, which was written by
teachers at the Rollins Center for
Language and Literacy at the Atlanta
Speech School. A copy of the book
will be given as a gift to every student
in Georgia’s Pre-K Program. The Read
Across Georgia campaign, launched in
2012, supports the governor’s Grade
Level Reading Initiative, which aims to
have all Georgia third-graders reading
at grade level or better by the
completion of third grade. Elaine Black
(left), director of youth services for
GPLS, represented the agency at an
information table at the Read Across
Georgia celebration and again on
March 4 at the 4th Annual Children’s
Day at the Capitol, sponsored by
Voices for Georgia’s Children.
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April 2015
Georgia Public Library Service News
PINES libraries debut Evergreen acquisitions module
The month of March marked a long-awaited milestone in
the history of PINES (the Public Information Network for
Electronic Services) and the Evergreen operating system
that was developed in-house by GPLS to power the Webbased PINES catalog.
Staff
“Our first library is now up and running using the
Evergreen acquisitions module,”
said Julie Walker, state librarian,
who served as PINES program
director when the Evergreen
software was developed. “The
PINES staff, along with members
of a national and international
Acquisitions (ACQ) Working
Group, have been striving to
create this since the implementation of Evergreen in 2006. “Our
PINES team has worked tirelessly
to make this important feature
of Evergreen a reality; it's a
complex module, and we are so
pleased to reach this day.”
Elaine Hardy, PINES and collaborative projects
manager for GPLS, led a group that developed new
requirements for PINES acquisitions in 2008. Two years
later, the King County (Wash.) Library System went live
with Evergreen and an acquisitions prototype. SITKA, a
group of libraries in the provinces of British Columbia and
Manitoba, Canada, implemented version 2.0 of that ACQ
in 2010.
The acquisitions module is
used for ordering, receiving and
invoicing of materials, Elizabeth
Jordan (left) and St. John
McKinney, PINES program
director, explained. “Libraries
currently track their acquisitions using separate software,
but now they will be able to do that all in one integrated
system,” she said. “This module has been the most
complex and universally desired feature for an integrated
library system (ILS).”
Because of the complexity
of Georgia’s PINES system — a
complex multisystem consortium
with individual budgets and
funding sources — the module
required further development
before participating Georgia
public libraries could begin
using it.
“Elaine, PINES consultant
Leslie St. John and the ACQ
Working Group continued to
work diligently on the requirements and development that
were needed to allow a complex
multisystem like ours to use the
module,” McKinney said.
“Several other Evergreen
libraries also contributed mightily to that development,
including SITKA, the Massachusetts Library Network
Cooperative and the North Carolina-based NC Cardinal
consortium.”
The American Library Association has announced
Tina Jordan, assistant director of the Dawsonvillebased Chestatee Regional Library, was an active participant in the original ACQ Working Group, so when the call
went out for a pilot library, she and Chestatee Director
Claudia Gibson were the first to volunteer.
that Columbus-based Chattahoochee Valley Libraries
is among 10 public libraries or systems that will
participate in StoryCorps @ your library. Funded by a
grant from the Institute of Museum and Library
Services, the initiative will bring StoryCorps’
interview methods to libraries while developing a
replicable model of oral history programming.
Setup began in February, and Jordan sent out the first
electronic data interchange (EDI) order using the module
on March 3. The vendor received the order, confirmed it,
mailed the order, and sent an EDI invoice. Jordan used the
EDI invoice to receive and pay the order, and with that,
Georgia library history was made.
CVL wins one of 10 ALA grants
Selected sites will receive funding, training and
equipment to collect oral histories at their libraries.
Winners were selected through a peer-review
process from more than 300 applicants. 4
Georgia Public Library Service News
April 2015
“It has been a long time coming,” McKinney said. “If
all goes well, gradual implementation will begin this
summer on a volunteer basis, as PINES’ participating
library systems express their interest in implementing the
module.” Angel Tuggle, manager of the Piedmont Regional
Major Don Lohmeier
Tuggle wins dance contest,
funds for local reading
Library System’s (PRLS) Commerce Public Library, has
Jackson County residents dancing on air these days.
Tuggle and her professional dance partner Taylor
Zuercher waltzed away with the People’s Choice award
at this year’s “Dancing with the Stars — Jackson County
Style!” event at the Jefferson Civic Center on Jan. 31. In
the process, the pair raised $3,055 for the Jackson County
Arts Council and the 2015 Summer Reading Program at
the Harold S. Swindle Library in Nicholson. Tuggle was
manager of that PRLS branch before beginning her new
job in Commerce in February.
“Teddie Lohmeier, a former Jackson County Library
board member, asked me if I would dance to raise
awareness for the library. Of course, I said yes; I’ll do
whatever I can to promote library services. So Taylor and I
decided to perform the Cole Porter song “Friendship”
from the musical Anything Goes. We began practicing in
October and did so weekly until the performance.”
Five contestant pairs, each consisting of a local
celebrity paired with a professional dancer, competed for
Tuggle (left) and Zuercher take in the crowd’s applause.
the Judge's Trophy and the People's Choice award. The
latter was determined by donations, with $1 equaling one
vote.
“They all danced beautifully, and Angel was adorable,” said Beth McIntyre, director of PRLS. “It was a
wonderful show, and we are all very proud of her!”
“It was a great experience,” Tuggle concluded, “and
one that I hope will encourage other library supporters to
think outside their comfort zones in advocacy and
fundraising.” County commissioners honor Friends of Hall County Library
On Feb. 13, members of the Friends of the Hall
County Library were recognized for their hard work on
behalf of residents by the Hall County Board of Commissioners.
Lisa McKinney
Library board member Mark Pettitt approached
the commission with the idea for a
proclamation as a way to honor the
volunteers who spend hundreds of
hours annually advocating and
fundraising to provide support for
the library system.
“The Friends of the Library are
an integral part of the Hall County
Library System,” Pettitt said. “From
raising funds to donating books and
equipment to hosting events for
patrons, the system could not
operate as successfully as it does
without their kindness and their generosity.”
Accepting the proclamation were several Friends of
the Library officers and board members, including
President Judy Chasey, Vice President Virginia Hale,
Secretary Karen Hickey and Treasurer Billie Sanders.
The proclamation was presented by
Commissioner Billy Powell, who
also serves as the commission’s
representative on the Hall County
Library board.
From left: Powell, Denise Lee, Commissioner
Kathy Cooper, Chasey, Commissioner Jeff
Stowe, Hale, Commission Chair Dick
Mecum, Hickey and Sanders
Chasey stated, “I was honored
to accept the proclamation on behalf
of all the members of our Friends
group. It is always nice to be recognized for our volunteer activities,
and we appreciate this acknowledgment from the commissioners very
much.” 5
April 2015
Georgia Public Library Service News
Staff
GPLS sponsors
sixth business
service summit
Taking in the last bit of cool weather
south Georgia will see for months,
staff from the state’s public libraries
warmed to the opportunity to
participate in GPLS’s 2015 edition of
Business Training for Business
Managers and Directors. Sessions
were held at the Bull Street and
Southwest Chatham branches of Live
Oak Public Libraries from Feb. 23-26.
“It was an impactful three days
of specialized training sessions
geared toward increasing an understanding of business service policies,
terminologies and methodologies,”
said Jessica Everingham, assistant
state librarian for library development
and support.
Christopher Evans, director of
business services and state grants,
spends months organizing and
planning the annual training session,
now in its sixth year. “This conference
is imperative to foster better knowledge, ideas and relationships
among Team Georgia Libraries business
managers and library directors.”
Conceived by Evans, Team
Evans (kneeling, second from right), with this year’s conference attendees
Georgia Libraries is a group of library
directors and business service staff
dedicated to sharing the most up-todate information, training and
management principles regarding
grants, budgeting and accounting.
The Carl Vinson Institute of
Government facilitated two of the
event’s main sessions, touching on
topics such as updates in both
general and governmental accounting practices and on detection and
prevention of fraud within libraries.
The sessions were led by John
Hulsey, MPA, public services assistant for governmental training,
education and development; and
Charles Hall, CPA, CFE, instructor
Libraries, university system to collaborate
University System of Georgia
libraries and Georgia's public
libraries have announced a
collaborative plan to use their
existing courier service for interlibrary loan delivery between
academic libraries and public
library system headquarters.
Prior to going live this summer, a pilot program to test
6
Georgia Public Library Service News
April 2015
procedures, routes and workflows
will begin in April. It will include
the University of Georgia, Georgia
State University, Armstrong State
University, Albany State University,
the Forsyth County Public Library,
the Dougherty County Public
Library, the Cobb County Public
Library System, Live Oak Public
Libraries and the West Georgia
Regional Library. with the Local Finance Officer
Certification Program. The final day’s
session was conducted by U.S.
District Court attorney Marti Minor,
a regular speaker at library-related
meetings and conferences, who
explained the legalities of managing
employee issues or problems.
Evans praised the instructors,
“John, Charles, and Marti are all
dynamic experts, and they helped
make this the best business training
event we’ve had yet.”
Several of this year’s attendees
have earned Library Financial Management certifications. Since 2012,
nearly 200 library staff members have
completed more than 65 hours of
continuing education training at
GPLS’s business services training
programs.
Linda Erkhart, business manager for the Lake Blackshear Regional
Library, was one of this year’s
attendees who has earned her
certification, and she gives the
annual training event high accolades.
“I always come away from it with
great information and resources,”
she said. “We continue to build great
working relationships here, and
when we leave, we no longer feel
like we are working all alone.” Public libraries prepare for summer reading heroics
“There’s a hero if you look inside your heart,” begins the
page of the New York Times and in several anthologies.
popular Mariah Carey song. The sentiment will also hold
true inside Georgia’s public libraries this summer during
the annual Summer Reading Program (SRP). The theme
for this year’s children’s SRP is “Every Hero Has a Story,”
while the teen program theme is “Unmasked!” The
slogan for this year’s adult program is “Escape the
Ordinary!”
Larry Jones, a Baltimore-based artist specializing in
children’s and retro illustration, cartoons, games and
character design, created the artwork for “Escape the
Ordinary.” He has worked with a wide array of corporate
clients, including Target, Random House, National Geographic and Scholastic.
Each year, public libraries use the SRP to spotlight
family literacy and demonstrate to kids and young adults
that reading is fun. Nearly half a million
children and young adults participated in
the 2014 programs, spurring
circulation of materials for
children and youth to top
16.8 million items for the
year.
According to Elaine
Black, director of youth
services for GPLS, studies
have shown that school-age
children who continue to
read throughout their
vacation from school
maintain or improve
writing, vocabulary and
reading skills, while children
who do not read are more
likely to see skills decrease.
“Research shows that
participation in library
programs during the summer can
significantly reduce the ‘summer
slide,’ the time when children
might otherwise lose academic gains made during the
school year,” she said. “Summer Reading allows children
and families to select reading materials that can maintain
the previous year’s gains as well as boost future learning.”
The artist for this year’s children’s program is Jarrett
Krosoczka. A two-time winner of the Children's Choice
Book Award, he is the author and/or illustrator of more
than 25 books for young readers. His work includes
several picture books, the Lunch Lady graphic novels and
the Platypus Police Squad middle-grade novel series.
The teen program artist this year is Hope Larson, the
best-selling author of six graphic novels, including her
popular adaptation of Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in
Time. Her short comics have been featured on the Op-Ed
Public libraries across Georgia will support this year’s
SRP effort by offering reading logs, bookmarks and
stickers — and by hosting activities such as
storytimes, puppet shows and other
special events. As with Georgia’s
previous programs, children
receive rewards for
achieving reading goals.
Kids can sign up and get
their reading materials
at public libraries across
the state, beginning in
May.
This is Georgia’s
eighth year as a member
of the nationwide
Collaborative Summer
Library Program (CSLP), a
consortium of all 50 states,
the District of Columbia and
multiple U.S. territories
working together to provide
high-quality summer reading
program materials for children at
the lowest cost possible for their
public libraries.
“Georgia's public libraries have always delivered
wonderful, content-rich summer programs,” Black said,
“and we’re very excited that, with thousands of programs
on tap, families across the state will have so many opportunities to participate in this year’s edition. This summer,
we will also debut the online 1,000 Books B4 Kindergarten reading log and a new Web page for our B4 — birthto-age-four — early literacy program.”
Georgia public libraries’ SRP and B4 initiatives are
made possible by a grant from the U.S. Institute of
Museum and Library Services to Georgia Public Library
Service under the provisions of the Library Services and
Technology Act. Visit www.georgialibraries.org for
additional information. 7
April 2015
Georgia Public Library Service News
A few miles outside Cordele, the fog
rolled across the water toward the
boating docks of the Lake Blackshear
Resort and Golf Club. Arriving with it
were nearly 80 Georgia public
librarians, each of them excited to
attend the first Georgia Accessibility
Conference.
The conference, held March 23–
25, was a passion project for Pat
Herndon, director of Georgia
Libraries for Accessible Statewide
Services, who has envisioned such a
conference for years.
Attendees received an introduction to and participated in discussions of ideas and initiatives for
library services for the blind and
others whose physical abilities
require the use of books and magazines in audio format or in braille.
They returned to their home libraries
with a toolkit, of sorts, to aid in
creating or enhancing services for
qualified patrons. Guest speakers
representing a myriad of outreach
Staff
GPLS’s first accessible services
conference earns rave reviews
organizations, including Georgia
Public Library Service, led three days
of presentations.
Herndon calls it the most
fulfilling experience of her professional career. “I can’t wait until we
are able to host another event like
this,” she said. “We talked about
more than architecture and more
than GLASS services in Georgia; we
talked about programming, resources
and the impact of new technologies
on the ability of libraries to bring
more accessible services to all in their
communities.”
Brian Charlson, president of the
American Council of the Blind’s
(ACB) Library Users of America
division, delivered the conference’s
keynote address. Session leaders
included Judith Dixon, consumer
relations officer for the National
Library Service for the Blind and
Physically Handicapped; Carson
Cochran, program manager for the
Georgia Instructional Materials
Charlson delivers the keynote address.
Staff
Center; Beverly Williams, manager
of the Atlanta Metro Library for
Accessible Services (AMLAS); Kay
McGill, program manager for the
Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation
Agency’s Project Independence
initiative; Ellen Rolader, outreach
coordinator for Georgia Relay; Liz
Persaud, training, outreach and
development coordinator for Tools
for Life; Jessica Beecham, account
manager, and Garrick Scott,
outreach manager, for NFBNEWSLINE®, Georgia’s audible
universal information access service;
and Chad Alexander Smith,
president of Grayson-based CAS
Architecture.
In addition, attendees were
treated to after-dinner entertainment
from AMLAS staff members Vanessa
Meadows, assistant manager, and
Stephanie Irvin, readers advisor.
Williams (far left) leads attendees through a line-dancing routine. From left are Terran McCanna,
PINES program manager; Teresa Totten, programming and services coordinator for the DeKalb County
Public Library; Lisa Rigsby, director of the DeSoto Trail Regional Library; Teresa Jones, children’s
specialist for the West Georgia Regional Library; Pillatzki; and Dawn Dale, PINES helpdesk manager.
8
Georgia Public Library Service News
April 2015
Meadows, who is vision impaired
and, in her free time, gives dance
lessons to both sighted people and
to those with vision impairments, led
a group of attendees through an
after-dinner line dancing routine.
Irvin followed that with a packedhouse showing of a film that utilizes
See Conference, page 9
Fitzgerald
According to Hester, the centenary celebration featured activities
for all ages. It was held in the
original building, which is now the
Carnegie Center, an art gallery and
events facility that features an
upstairs meeting room gallery as well
as the larger, first floor gallery. The
Fitzgerald-Ben Hill Arts Council
currently staffs the facility and
maintains a rotating calendar of art
and music shows.
For the library’s celebration, staff
members joined a number of special
guests, including Spiderman, the Cat
D.J. Spence
Continued from page 1
The Fitzgerald-Ben Hill County
Library remains the only source of
free Internet and public computer
access in the county, offering 23
computer stations and patron
support. The staff plans to begin
offering reading materials in digital
formats soon.
to this day. Support received from
our local funding agencies, the city
of Fitzgerald and Ben Hill County,
pairs with support from our state and
federal funding agencies to help the
FBHC Library accomplish its mission.
“In the next 100 years, we will
continue to engage our patrons with
enriching activities that enhance the
quality of life for our community. The
possibilities are endless!"
Lifelong library supporter and Friends member
Coota Whitworth provided music for the event.
in the Hat, Thing 1 and Thing 2 and,
in the person of actor Levi Wiggins,
Andrew Carnegie.
“We are extremely grateful for
the amount of support our library
has received through the years,”
Hester said. “It has been strong from
the very beginning, and it continues
Hester noted that many of the
historic displays presented at the
100-year commemoration in March
will be available for viewing at the
current library throughout 2015. The
next event in the celebration will be a
Friends-sponsored reception on April
24 for Fitzgerald native Frances
Mayes, best-selling author of Under
the Tuscan Sun, A Year in the World:
Journeys of a Passionate Traveller
and Under Magnolia: A Southern
Memoir. Staff
Attendees listen intently to Charlson as he talks about the issues facing libraries in the provision of accessible services.
Conference
Continued from page 8
descriptive dialogue—one that adds a second audio track
that tells the audience what characters look like, actions
they are taking or descriptions of a scene’s background
and setting.
The audience of library directors, outreach coordinators and guests gave the conference high marks. Kathy
Pillatzki, assistant director at Henry County Library
System, attended hoping to pick up a few ideas she could
implement upon her return home. “I came away with
about a dozen,” she exclaimed. “The speakers were
engaging and discussions were very enlightening,”
Pillatzki continued. “Also, I am now more aware of
barriers to service that may keep disabled patrons from
fully participating in library services, and will be better
able to train our staff to eliminate those barriers and
address patrons’ needs on an individual basis.”
“This conference has been so helpful; it was a very
eye-opening experience for me,” said Lori Hull, manager
of the Brunswick-Glynn County Library. “Our library used
to have a Talking Book Library within the building so I was
familiar with the program. However, I was completely in
the dark about all of the tech equipment now available. I
have so many new ideas about things we can do in our
library that I can’t wait to get back and share them with
our patrons and staff!” 9
April 2015
Georgia Public Library Service News
NEWS IN BRIEF
The board of trustees of the
Northwest Georgia Regional Library
has selected Darla Chambliss as the
Dalton-based
system’s new
director.
Chambliss
previously served
as director of the
Catoosa County
Library System in
Ringgold and as
assistant director
Chambliss
of the Cherokee
Regional Library
in LaFayette. She holds a master’s
degree in library and information
science from the University of South
Carolina.
The Mountain Regional Library
System board of trustees has announced that Vince Stone is the
new director of the Young Harrisbased system. He earned a bachelor’s
degree in Communications from Lee
University in Cleveland, Tenn., and
master’s degrees in both communications and information science from
the University of Tennessee in
Knoxville. He most recently worked
as a school media specialist in
Cleveland and Chattanooga. Stone is
the author of seven books and brings
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
more than 15 years of experience in
technology and business to the
library system.
Trent Reynolds has returned to
the Waycross-based Okefenokee
Regional Library System as its
director. He previously held the
position from July 2011-Dec. 2012,
following seven years managing
Marine Corps and Army libraries in
North Carolina and Georgia. He most
recently managed
the United States
Air Force base
library in Incirlik,
Turkey.
Gayle
Holloman,
Central Library
administrator for
the AtlantaFulton Public
Library, has been
named interim
director for
library, arts and
culture. She
previously served
as branch group
manager/youth
services coordinator for the
Reynolds
Boot Camp at Unicoi State Park and
Lodge in Helen from April 7-9.
The annual event provides an
array of continuing education
choices and networking
opportunities for technologically
inclined professionals. Library IT
staff, digital librarians and directors
from all corners of the state come
together each year to share and
trade ideas, show off pet projects
and homegrown methods and enjoy
the company of colleagues.
10
Georgia Public Library Service News
April 2015
Jennifer
Lautzenheiser
has been selected
to serve as
interim director
for the Maconbased Middle
Georgia Regional
Library System.
Lautzenheiser is
Lautzenheiser
the system’s head
of public services, and she previously
worked in the Henry County and
Houston County Library Systems.
Stephen Whigham has been
named interim director of the
Catoosa County Library System.
Publisher at the Eastman-based MM
John Welda BookHouse, Whigham
retired as director of the Ocmulgee
Regional Library System in 2012.
Holloman
Technology boot camp set for April 7-9
GPLS will host its sixth Technology
system, providing leadership, management and direction to the 32
branches.Holloman received a
bachelor’s degree in journalism from
Georgia State University and earned
a master’s degree in library and
information studies from Clark
Atlanta University. She has been with
the system since 1994.
According to Emily Almond,
director of IT, the Tech Boot Camp
continues to improve upon its
successes every year, bringing
together more and more technical
professionals who are dedicated to
improving library service statewide.
“The amount of technical
innovation taking place in Georgia’s
libraries continues to expand and
impress,” she said, “and this is the
perfect opportunity to showcase
new and exciting developments in
an immersive environment.” Julia Huprich
has been named
director of continuing education for
GPLS. She will
provide training
and consulting
services to public
libraries across the
state and will
Huprich
create and
coordinate the agency’s online
training programs. Huprich has more
than a decade of library experience,
most recently serving as digital
services and communications manager for the Cobb County Public
Library System, where she has
See News, page 11
Continued from page 10
worked since 2008. She earned a
bachelor’s degree from Georgia
College and State University and a
master’s degree in library and
information sciences from Valdosta
State University.
Courtesy Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System
News
La Trenda Tyler-Jones has
joined the Harris County Public
Library as branch manager. The
library is part of the LaGrange-based
Troup-Harris Regional Library. TylerJones has more than 17 years of
experience as executive director of
various nonprofit organizations
throughout the state.
More than 400 people attended the grand opening celebration of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library
System’s new 15,000-square-foot East Roswell Library on Feb. 20. The library’s design, using large
expanses of glass and natural materials such as stone and wood, and its location, within a canopy
of trees, caused many attendees to compare it to a giant treehouse. Far left (in bow tie) is Roswell
Mayor Jere Wood; fifth from left is Stephanie Moody, chair of the library board of trustees; to
Moody’s left are John Eaves, chairman, and Liz Hausmann, vice chairman, of the Fulton County
Board of Commissioners.
Staff
Keith Schuermann, director of
the Troup-Harris Regional Library;
Geri Mullis, director of the Marshes
of Glynn Libraries in Brunswick; and
Delana Knight, director of the
Northeast Georgia Regional Library
System in Clarkesville, will represent
Georgia public library systems and
the Friends of Georgia’s Public
Libraries at the American Library
Association’s 41st annual National
Library Legislative Day. The two-day
advocacy event, to be held May 4-5
in Washington, D.C., provides library
supporters, leaders and patrons the
opportunity to discuss key library
issues with members of Congress.
East Roswell ribbon cutting
Roni Tewksbury, director of the
Carrollton-based West Georgia
Regional Library, has been elected by
her peers to serve on the Regents
Public Library Advisory Council
(RPLAC), representing urban multicounty library systems.
The national Collaborative
Summer Library Program has selected
Georgia to serve as a pilot market for
a new partnership project that
provides free marketing materials to
help public libraries work with local
schools to promote summer reading
programs. Silver screen showcase
Cuban-born artist Julian Terron (left) talks with Thomas County Public Library System Director
Nancy Tillinghast (center) and Circulation Manager Kathryn Sawyer on March 10 during the
installation of his exhibit “Images of Old Hollywood” at the Thomasville library. Terron and his
family escaped from communist Cuba in 1971, settling in Miami, where he studied under notable
Cuban artists Felix Ramos and Felix D’Cossio. He now lives and works in south Georgia. Terron’s
works, which include portraits of such luminaries as Lucille Ball, Bette Davis and Orson Welles, will
be on view at the library through April.
11
April 2015
Georgia Public Library Service News
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PERMIT NO. 213
1800 Century Place, Suite 150
Atlanta, GA 30345-4304
A Unit of the University System of Georgia
Georgia Public Library Service
1800 Century Place, Suite 150
Atlanta, GA 30345-4304
404.235.7200
404.235.7201 fax
www.georgialibraries.org
Julie Walker, state librarian
David Baker, editor
Dustin Landrum, assistant
Hope Larson/Collaborative Summer Library Program
CONTACT US
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
Teen reading revealed
Georgia’s public libraries will again offer the annual Summer Reading Program in 2015.
Hope Larson designed the artwork for this year’s teen program, “Unmasked!” For the full
story on summer reading, turn to page 7.