Georgia Public Library Service news, Vol. 12, no. 2 (Oct. 2014)

A newsletter for friends and employees of Georgia's public libraries

volume 12, issue 2 I October 2014

Staff

Houston County first-grader wins $5,529 for college
Lightning might never strike twice in
the same place, but this year's Path2College 529 Plan Summer Reading Program Sweepstakes did.

On Sept. 8 at the Centerville Public Library in Warner Robins, 6-year-old Molly Kate McDevitt was named this year's winner and awarded $5,529 for her college savings. McDevitt follows in the footsteps of fellow Centerville Public Library patron Natalie Brantley, who won the sweepstakes in 2013. Houston County Public Library System, the branch's parent system, also received $1,529 each year to support its children's materials and programming.

"It has become a Saturday ritual that my mother or Molly Kate's aunt take her to the library each week so she can read books there and pick books to borrow and bring home to
See Sweepstakes, page 2

From left: Julie Walker, Georgia state librarian; Larry Thomson, Houston County commissioner; Robin Engle, Houston County Library board member; Nancy Grainger, Centerville branch manager; Penelope Stanescu, Centerville branch library children's services specialist; Pat Yates, Houston County Library board secretary; Sara Paulk, system director, Houston County Public Library System; Molly Kate McDevitt, "Fizz Boom, $ave for College" sweepstakes winner; and Mitch Seabaugh, executive director of Georgia's Path2College 529 Plan.

Georgians selected for Sunshine State Library Leadership Institute

Starting this month, three Georgia public librarians will
be crossing the state line to join more than 30 Florida librarians in the 2014-15 Sunshine State Library Leadership Institute (SSLLI).

After a rigorous process of application, review and selection, Jessica Everingham, director of Okefenokee Regional Library System; Catherine Vanstone, assistant director for technology, training and development at Southwest Georgia Regional Library System; and Natalie

Everingham

Marshall

Marshall, assistant director for library development with Flint River Regional Library, were selected to participate in the 2014-15 SSLLI.

Vanstone

Sponsored by the Florida Department of State's Division of Library and Information Services, the SSLLI assists in preparing library leaders to provide the highest quality of services to their respective communities in the most effective and innovative manners possible.
See Institute, page 4

Sweepstakes
Continued from page 1
read," said her mother, Kelly McDevitt. "Molly has been an avid book lover since before she could even read, as I began reading to her in infancy. Our family is full of bibliophiles, and since we all enjoy reading so much, it was important that she understand the value of books and how reading could open up many new avenues of imagination for her to explore."

about the need to build both a strong academic and financial foundation for children."
In the five years since its inception, the Summer Reading Program Sweepstakes has awarded nearly $33,000 to Georgia children and more than $23,000 to libraries across the state. As in the past, winners for this year's "Fizz Boom, $ave for College" sweepstakes were selected randomly from the state's 63 library systems.

wonderful way to jumpstart their educational journey!"
Sara Paulk, director of Houston County Public Library System, said that the library staff in Centerville is delighted with the funds that will come to their library system as part of this award. The library plans to use the money to purchase early literacy books specifically for starting readers like Molly Kate so she and her classmates will have a wealth of books to borrow on each visit.

Because she loves books so much, Molly Kate tells friends and family that she wants to be an author when she grows up.
"None of Molly Kate's family had college savings growing up, so we had to pay for college the hard way -- by working while in college, as well as borrowing money and depending upon grants and other financial aid," said Kelly McDevitt. "We found that to be a struggle that can distract from the college experience and make learning more difficult, and can even postpone plans for further learning when you have to make enough money to pay for your classes and books."
Mitch Seabaugh, executive director of the Path2College 529 Plan, said that the sweepstakes was designed to encourage children to continue to read throughout the summer and to get parents and grandparents thinking about their children's academic futures and how to plan for their educational needs.
"Continued education after high school is essential for today's kids, and we hope that parents will think about this cost and begin saving early and regularly to help them achieve their goals," he said. "This partnership is designed to get families engaged in their kids' education and to raise awareness

Staff

"Georgia Public Library Service's partnership with the Path2College 529 Plan's Summer Reading Sweepstakes reinforces two of our top goals for students and parents throughout the state: the importance of summer reading and of saving for college," said Julie Walker, state librarian. "As Georgia's public libraries embark on an exciting new initiative to promote early literacy by encouraging children to read 1,000 books before kindergarten, we welcome every opportunity to promote the love of reading. Congratulations to the winners of this year's sweepstakes -- what a
Regional winner Alejandra Cerrn-Palomino of Athens, with her family, Fernn CerrnPalomino and Marina Gomez.

"We are so excited that one of our young readers has won this exciting promotion," Paulk said. "Her grandmother's foresight in entering her for the scholarship award and for the library's summer reading program will reap huge benefits now and in the future. The Path2College 529 Plan's partnership with Georgia Public Library Service is another great example of how libraries help to transform people's lives."
Seabaugh noted that "In an effort to reach even more families this year, for the first time, we had regional winners in addition to our grand prize winner. "This was a great way for us to reward children in every region of the state for their summer reading, while also raising awareness about college savings with their parents and grandparents."
Regional winners include Lauren Atkinson of Smyrna, Alejandra Cerron-Palomino of Athens, Maddox Tomlinson of Newnan and Ivan Seasholtz of Lake Park. Each received $1,529 for their college savings plans. The regional winners' respective public library systems -- the Cobb County Public Library System, the Athens Regional Library System, the Coweta County Public Library and the South Georgia Regional Library -- each received $529 for children's materials and
programming. I

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Georgia Public Library Service News October 2014

Georgia Center for the Book announces 2014 Books All Georgians Should Read

The Georgia Center for the Book
has selected the works of 22 prizewinning authors and illustrators with Georgia connections to be named to the 2014 lists of "Books All Georgians Should Read" and "Books All Young Georgians Should Read." Thes lists were revealed to the public on Aug. 21 at a ceremony in the DeKalb County Public Library's main branch in Decatur.

"For the Georgia Center for the

Book, the All

Georgia Reads

lists are a

wonderful way

to honor the

extraordinary

talent we have

right here in

Georgia and an

opportunity to

Davich

reach readers

across our state

with diverse lists of books that

celebrate Georgia's literary

heritage," said Joe Davich,

executive director of the center.

Selected by the writers, educators, librarians and media representatives who serve on the Georgia Center for the Book Advisory Council, the lists represent a compilation of some of the best fiction, nonfiction, poetry and children's literature by Georgia writers and artists.

In 2013, the center's Advisory Council voted to make the compilation of these lists an annual event. This year's ceremony announced the fifth edition of the "Books All Georgians Should Read" and the second list of "Books All Young Georgians Should Read."

Books All Georgians Should Read 2014
I War Like the Thunderbolt: The Battle and Burning of Atlanta by Russell Bonds
I Reign of Madness by Lynn Cullen
I The Starboard Sea by Amber Dermont
I The Complete Poems of James Dickey by James Dickey, edited by Ward Briggs
I Must Win: A Season of Survival for a Town and Its Team by Drew Jubera
I The Many Deaths of the Firefly Brothers by Thomas Mullen
I Eat Drink Delta: A Hungry Traveler's Journey Through the Soul of the South by Susan Puckett
I The World of the Salt Marsh: Appreciating and Protecting the Tidal Marshes of the Southeastern Atlantic Coast by Charles Seabrook
I Thrall: Poems by Natasha Trethewey
I The Grey Album: On the Blackness of Blackness by Kevin Young
Books All Young Georgians Should Read 2014
I Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: A Cuban Folktale by Carmen Agra Deedy, illustrated by Michael Austin
I Cosmo's Moon by Devin Scillian, illustrated by Mark Braught
I Ruth and the Green Book by Calvin Ramsey with Gwen Strauss, illustrated by Floyd Cooper

The 2014 lists are as follows:

See Books, page 4
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October 2014 Georgia Public Library Service News

Books
Continued from page 3
I Just One Bite by Lola Schaefer, illustrated by Geoff Waring
I It Jes' Happened: When Bill Taylor Started to Draw by Don Tate, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie
I The Dagger Quick by Brian Eames I The Shifter by Janice Hardy I Sweetly by Jackson Pearce I Cleopatra's Moon by Vicky Alvear Shecter I Henry Franks by Peter Adam Salomon
"The depth and diversity of work being produced by Georgians are astounding," Davich said. "We have every right to be as proud of our homegrown authors and have every right to claim a good portion of the literary landscape just as folks in other cities do." I
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Georgia Public Library Service News October 2014

Institute
Continued from page 1 "We are so pleased that our colleagues in Florida
opened the door and extended an invitation for Georgia librarians to participate in this highly regarded professional institute," said Georgia State Librarian Julie Walker. "In 2008, Georgia's PINNACLE program successfully graduated 20 emerging library leaders who have assumed leadership roles in our library systems, and we look forward to similar success stories from this new opportunity. Our participants are all impressive library professionals who will make significant contributions to this program and then use what they learn to excel here in Georgia."
Everingham echoed those sentiments as she described her goals for the SSLLI. "I hope to learn new ideas and concepts that will help me be a better leader for the communities I serve, as well as for Georgia as a whole," she said.
All three attendees expressed high levels of excitement for having the opportunity to participate. "I'm thrilled about being accepted into the institute," said Marshall. Vanstone agreed, adding, "This is a wonderful opportunity for Georgia librarians to grow their skills and learn from our neighbors."
The SSLLI curriculum was designed by Jill Canono and DeEtta Jones, each of whom continues to serve as faculty for it. Combined, Canono and Jones have more than 40 years of experience designing and facilitating initiatives for developing the next generation of leaders across multiple fields of expertise. The pair started the SSLLI in 2004. In its 2013-2014 program, the institute graduated 38 librarians.
According to its designers, the program is broken into four parts, or foundations, that focus on different aspects of a leader's role within their organization: core competencies, shared learning, practical application and formal mentoring. These foundations put participants on a track toward developing skills where they compete and provide expertise from the local to the national level.
For one day per month, from October to July, Everingham, Marshall and Vanstone will make the trek to Chipola College in Marianna, Fla., to take part in handson instruction. Additional course work will be completed independently or in a structured online environment. As with Georgia's PINNACLE program, an important aspect of the SSLLI is formal mentoring, with each student paired
See Institute, page 5

Courtesy Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System Lisa Cleary/Cobb County Public Library

More than 350 attend opening of Atlanta's Wolf Creek Library
The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System's (AFPLS) Sept. 8
grand opening event for its new Wolf Creek Library welcomed more than 350 members of the community.

The 25,000-square-foot facility is the first library to open as part of Phase I of the AFPLS Library Building Program. It is located in the southwestern corner of the city, in an area not previously served by a library.

Its striking copper-colored, metal-paneled exterior and stacked stone details give the library unique visual interest that reflects its community, explained AFPLS's interim director, Anne Haimes. Large floor-to-ceiling windows provide an expansive view of the building's natural setting and allow a tremendous amount of natural light into the building, which features a large meeting room area, study rooms, a music room and separate spaces for teens and for children.
The opening event included speeches by Fulton County commissioners, a musical selection by singer David Rector and a reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance by kindergartners from nearby Angels Academy. After the ribbon was cut, guests enjoyed tours of the new library, and children visited with Rocky the Reading Raccoon, the AFPLS mascot; a face-painting expert; and a balloon artist.

Fulton County Commissioner William "Bill" Edwards (right) presided over the Wolf Creek Library's grand opening ceremonies.
Resolution, 1 percent of each building project budget goes toward the creation of public art. For the Wolf Creek Library opening, artist Lynn Marshall-Linnemeier was there to talk to visitors about her soaring tree sculpture, "Strength of Heart: A Journey Project for the Community at Wolf Creek," which graces the area by the library's windows opposite its entrance. Several framed quilted works are also on display throughout the library.
Haimes noted that green building design and sustainability are priorities for AFPLS and that the system has applied for silver certification for Wolf Creek from the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program. I

Through the Fulton County Art in Public Places

Institute
Continued from page 4 one-on-one with a personal mentor. Participants are tasked with developing a professional relationship with their mentor, whose primary role is to serve as an adviser, confidant, teacher, resource, sponsor and cheerleader. Over the course of the training, student and mentor work closely to refine leadership skills, knowledge and abilities with the overall idea being this relationship will continue into their professional lives.

Con games
Burr Osoinach (left), Julia Huprich and Stephen Brock of the Cobb County Public Library System were among the library staff members from around the state who represented Georgia's public libraries at the 28th annual Dragon*Con in Atlanta during Labor Day weekend. More than 50,000 people attended this year's event, billed as the world's largest multimedia, popular culture convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music and film. Richard Sanders, director of the Hart County Library, coordinated the display table on behalf of all the state's public libraries.

"I'm greatly looking forward to working with these instructors and with the other attendees, because they represent a wide cross section of library experience and knowledge," noted Marshall.
Vanstone said, "I believe it will help each of us develop a network of colleagues to learn from and who will be excellent resources in the future."
The SSLLI is funded in part by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the federal Library Services and Technology Act. I

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October 2014 Georgia Public Library Service News

Rebekah Chavez

NEWS IN BRIEF



Staff

The Three Rivers Public Library board of trustees has named Jane Hildebrand as the system's interim director. Hildebrand, who served in several capacities with Three Rivers system for 39 years prior to her retirement in 2008, will guide the system while a permanent director is recruited and hired.

Stacy Brown has joined the

Conyers-Rockdale

Library System as

its new assistant

director. She will

coordinate and

supervise the

system's four

public service

departments:

Brown

adult services, circulation, the

computer center and youth services.

Stephanie Irvin and Jason Phillips have joined the Atlanta Metro Library for Accessible Services

Irvin

Phillips

(AMLAS) as readers advisers. Irvin was previously a library associate at the Gwinnett County Public Library. Phillips comes to AMLAS from the Center for the Visually Impaired.

Jill Joplin is the new executive director of the DeKalb Library Foundation, the nonprofit organization supporting the DeKalb County Public Library. I Joplin

Dough nuts
Christopher Evans, director of business services and state grants, and Elaine Black, director of youth services, count the proceeds raised by the successful bake sale they organized for GPLS in Atlanta on Sept. 15. The event raised more than $400 in behalf of the 2015 State Charitable Contributions Program Annual Campaign.

Jody Martin

Sign of the times
On Sept. 3, two state senators, two state representatives and three Paulding County commissioners joined West Georgia Regional Library (WGRL) staff, board members and Friends to celebrate National Library Card Sign-Up Month at the New Georgia Public Library in Dallas. Front row (from left) are Commissioner Todd Pownall; Friends of the Crossroads Public Library Larami Floyd and Lauren McCollum; Paulding County Library Coordinator Cherry Waddell; Rep. Howard Maxwell (RDallas); Maude P. Ragsdale (Hiram) Branch Manager Ora Stuckey;
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Georgia Public Library Service News October 2014

Crossroads Public Library (Acworth) Branch Manager Kristen Milton; and Friends of the New Georgia Public Library President Barbara Cohran. Back row (from left) are library patron Trevard Lindley; Sen. Mike Dugan (R-Carrollton); Sen. Bill Heath (R-Bremen); Rep. Micah Gravley (RDouglasville); WGRL Marketing Librarian Mack Freeman; Dallas Public Library Branch Manager Kendra Winters; New Georgia Public Library Branch Manager Justin Nobles; Paulding County Commission Chairman David Austin; and Paulding County Commissioner Dave Carmicheal.

Georgia Download Destination tops 1 million site visits

On July 25, Georgia Download Destination (GADD) held
its first annual training workshop at the Nancy Guinn Memorial Library in Conyers. Representatives of the 30plus library systems participating in the statewide downloadable e-book and audiobook consortium discussed trends in the digital marketplace, exchanged tips on using GADD products and reviewed analytical data regarding patron use and purchasing patterns.

The group, led by Keith Schuermann, who serves as

both GADD chairman and regional director of the Troup-

Harris Library System, learned from

OverDrive representative Fritz Schanz

that the consortium's website received

1,041,224 visits in FY2014. In

addition, Schanz revealed, GADD

realized a 33 percent increase in

circulation and a 20 percent increase

in unique users that year, clearly

indicating the growing public demand

for downloadable media. OverDrive is

the digital distributor of e-books,

Schuermann

audiobooks, music and video titles

that provides the platform for GADD service.

Schuermann explained that two major challenges facing the future of GADD -- the issues of content ownership and funding support for these increasingly popular formats -- were important discussion points at this workshop. "To the issue of ownership, GADD members now have a clearer idea about how we might position ourselves, as the digital market evolves," Schuermann stated.

all manner of readers, whether they favor print, digital or, like most library users, enjoy a combination of the two. To do this effectively, however, we must seek other venues of influence."

One solution libraries in other states have undertaken is to seek legislative support for enhanced digital content for public library users. These have ranged in style from having a centralized collection for statewide resource sharing, as seen in Kansas and Connecticut, to large-scale purchasing of e-content directly from publishers for wide
area use, as the Colorado Library Consortium is planning to launch soon for its 400-plus member libraries.

Lecia Eubanks, president of the

Georgia Council of Public Libraries and

director of the Cherokee Regional

Library System, has signaled the

council's intent to lobby for expanded

Eubanks

materials support. "Our library users tell us every day how the electronic

book fits their mobile lifestyle," she

said, "and their next comment is always about the lack of

availability of e-books in most public libraries.

"We would love to be able to tell them, `Why choose? We have both!' In order for that to happen, however, the Georgia Council of Public Libraries believes a statewide initiative that expands on the concepts and principles of GADD is the most cost-effective way to achieve this. This group has made the commitment to determinedly pursue this initiative whose time has come."

"Publishers are still very reluctant to sell their digital content directly to public libraries, which forces us to sublease e-books and audio downloads from leasing vendors such as OverDrive, 3M, and so on. This extra layer naturally adds extra expense, which presents a major challenge as we attempt to build a comprehensive collection for our users."
Creative approaches to purchasing, including the purchase of titles on a limited-circulation, metered basis, and tailoring purchasing more closely to peak periods of patron use are two strategies that will assist GADD member libraries to gain the highest possible return on their digital investments, he said. "The true challenge for GADD's future is how we go about meeting an increased demand for digital content in the face of the materials budget shortfalls we've experienced over the past several years. We will continue to attempt to meet the needs of

According to Forrester, an independent technology and market research company, the projected number of e-book readers will increase exponentially from 3.7 million adults in 2009 to a predicted 59.6 million in 2015. At the same time, e-book spending will reach a record high of nearly 3 billion dollars.
"Providing technological services and fostering literacy have served as the linchpins of Georgia public libraries since the onset of our digital age," Schuermann concluded. "These findings truly indicate the urgency to support digital content initiatives throughout the state."
Since its formation as a small collective in 2008, GADD has grown to include 34 library systems that serve nearly 3 million Georgians. To date, it has circulated more than 900,000 items. To view GADD offerings, visit the consortium's website at http://gadd.lib.overdrive.com. I
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October 2014 Georgia Public Library Service News

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CONTACT US

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

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

Healthy minds, healthy bodies
Karen Boling (left), library manager at the West Georgia Regional Library System's Tallapoosa City Library, and her great-nephew Joseph Williams welcomed Georgia's first lady Sandra Deal and library system Director Roni Tewksbury to the branch's concluding event for its 2014 Summer Food Service Program. Georgia's public libraries, Bright from the Start: Georgia's Department of Early Care and Learning, the Georgia Department of Education and Georgia's Campaign for Grade-Level Reading joined forces to offer the program in 20 Georgia counties this year. The partnership matched local sponsors to provide meals and/or healthy snacks to children ages 18 and younger at their local public libraries.