Georgia Public Library Service news, Vol. 14, no. 1 (Aug. 2016)

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

volume 14, issue 1 I August 2016

A `wild library' appears
Pokmon Go turns branches into virtual worlds

In the parking lot of Marietta's East
Cobb Library, a fierce battle raged one recent July day. It was an all-ornothing melee, with Teams Red, Yellow and Blue in an epic throwdown. Team Yellow prevailed, but the dust never truly settled, and the team's hold on its vital parcel of territory remained tenuous at best.
This battle -- and many more like it -- are being waged regularly at libraries around Georgia, as well as an exhaustive list of locations nationwide, as Pokmon Go sweeps the country.
"We've been having a lot of fun with Pokmon Go here in Cobb," said Shannon Tyner, virtual librarian for the Cobb County Public Library System.
Pokmon Go is a free, locationbased game that is downloadable to

mobile devices through digital distribution platforms such as Google Play and the App Store. It is an augmented-reality game in which one's view of the real world is altered through the addition of sounds, graphics and other forms of data. Pokmon Go uses a mobile device's camera and GPS to achieve this virtual world.
Like many Pokmon games before it, such as those for Nintendo's line of Game Boys, Go creates a world where players, called Trainers, explore their surroundings to catch wild Pokmon (short for pocket monsters) using Pokballs -- red-and-white balls that also house creatures with names such as Pidgey, Slowpoke, Bulbasaur and Pikachu, the ever-popular mascot of the Pokmon franchise.

Once caught, Trainers tend to their Pokmon using ingame items hoping they will rise in power and evolve into stronger versions of the original
creature. They are then used in battle against other players, most often to take control of a gym for their team, as with the skirmish at East Cobb Library. A gym is a place where teams can train, battle each other, and use as a sort of base.
See Pokmon, page 4

ASCLA honors innovative program at Marshes of Glynn Libraries
The Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library
Agencies (ASCLA) has named the Brunswick-based Marshes of Glynn Libraries (MOGL) as the winner of its 2016 ASCLA Exceptional Service Award. The award recognizes outstanding achievement in the library profession by librarians and libraries for significant achievements, program development and leadership in the profession.

From left: Brunswick-Glynn County Library Manager Lori Hull, Marshes of Glynn Programming Coordinator Karen Larrick and Mullis accept the award from ASCLA President Rhonda Gould.

MOGL earned the award through its implementation of the American Library Association's (ALA) Every Child Ready to Read (ECRR) program at the local jail. This
See ASCLA, page 3

Courtesy of ASCLA

Georgia Center for the Book announces annual lists

The Georgia Center for the Book (GCB) has selected the
works of 24 prize-winning authors and illustrators with Georgia connections for the 2016 lists of the "Books All Georgians Should Read" and "Books All Young Georgians Should Read." The authors and illustrators will be honored Aug. 18 at a free, public event at 7:30 p.m. in the Decatur Library Auditorium.

2016 Books All Georgians Should Read
I The Class Of '65: A Student, a Divided Town and the Long Road to Forgiveness by Jim Auchmutey
I Fallen Land by Taylor Brown I Southern Tufts: The Regional Origins and National Craze for Chenille Fashion by Ashley Callahan

The lists are compiled annually from nominations received throughout the year by the writers, educators, librarians, media representatives and other individuals who comprise the Georgia Center for the Book Advisory Council. This year's ceremony will mark the seventh edition of "Books All Georgians Should Read" and the fourth "Books All Young Georgians Should Read."
"For the Georgia Center for the Book, the `Books All Georgians Should Read' and the `Books All Young Georgians Should Read' lists are a wonderful way to honor the extraordinary talent we have right here in Georgia," said Joe Davich, executive director of the GCB. "We are

I Twain's End by Lynn Cullen
I Memories of the Mansion: The Story of Georgia's Governor's Mansion by Sandra D. Deal, Jennifer W. Dickey and Catherine M. Lewis
I Where We Want to Live: Reclaiming Infrastructure for a New Generation of Cities by Ryan Gravel
I How I Shed My Skin: Unlearning the Racist Lessons of a Southern Childhood by Jim Grimsley
I Ty Cobb: A Terrible Beauty by Charles Leerhsen
I Bull Mountain by Brian Panowich
I Blue Laws: Selected and Uncollected Poems, 19952015 by Kevin Young

extremely proud of the 2016 lists. They are valuable assets for parents, teachers, librarians and readers of all ages across the state. We believe these lists can help guide readers to some of the finest writing

2016 Books All Young Georgians Should Read
I Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

available."

I The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi

The new list of "Books All Georgians Should Read" includes three works of fiction, six of nonfiction, and a collection of poetry. The list of "Books All Young Georgians Should Read" includes three picture books, three books for middle school readers, three books for young adults and one graphic novel.
The 2016 lists are the result of months of discussions by the Advisory Council, which considered more than 125 books by Georgians or about Georgia, Davich said.

I More-igami by Dori Kleber I Written In the Stars by Aisha Saeed I The Wheels on the Tuk Tuk by Kabir Sehgal and Surishtha Sehgal I Thor Speaks! by Vicky Alvear Shecter I Swan: The Life and Death of Anna Pavlova by Laurel Snyder I The Meaning Of Maggie by Megan Jean Sovern I Last In A Long Line Of Rebels by Lisa Lewis Tyre I

2
Georgia Public Library Service News August 2016

Niche Academy to enhance patron training, access to electronic resources
Niche Academy, an Orem, Utah-
based company that provides patron training for the many electronic resources provided by public libraries, began providing its online instructional tools for use in all of Georgia's public libraries on Aug. 1.

GPLS, through funding provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the Library Services and Technology Act, is working with each public library system in Georgia to launch Niche Academy's suite of services, which includes online courses for patrons, video introductions, staff training resources and social media tools.

"Niche Academy's mission of

providing tutorials for our valuable

electronic resources is just one

reason that we're looking forward to

working with them," said Julia

Huprich, director of training and

continuing

education for

GPLS. "We know

that their services

will highlight and

positively impact

the great work

that's being done

in Georgia's

Huprich

libraries. We anticipate that

our public libraries will see an

increased growth in the usage of

their resources as a result of patrons

and employees having access to

these professional, in-depth training

modules."

For more information on the full suite of tools and services being provided by Niche Academy, visit www.nicheacademy.com. I

Park avenues
Just in time to help you celebrate the National Park Service (NPS) Centennial on Aug. 25, each of Georgia's 63 public library systems will soon be receiving a reference shelf of books about our state's NPS units. In addition, all 400+ branches in the state will receive copies of "America's National Parks: A Photographic Journey Through Nearly 400 National Treasures" and "Happy Birthday to America's National Parks." Many libraries will also be offering children's craft sessions this month to make birthday cards for the NPS, which GPLS will send to the local parks for display. In September, seven Georgia NPS units are set to participate in National Library Card Sign-Up Month.

ASCLA
Continued from page 1 innovative project teaches incarcerated parents and other caregivers how to support the early literacy development of their children. The selection committee cited the project as an exceptional example of how libraries can transform lives and as an excellent example of a program that can be replicated in other libraries around the country.
"We are grateful for the opportunities afforded the inmates in our facility through the ECRR program," said Ronald Corbett, undersheriff for Glynn County. "I believe it has helped the incarcerated parents think more seriously about their children and to see a positive way they could influence and contribute to their child's future.
"When the parents get out of

jail, they will have opportunities to build stronger family bonds through ECRR. There are so many benefits to be gained from this program, but none seem more powerful than building strong family bonds."
Geri Mullis, MOGL director; Lori Hull, Brunswick-Glynn County Library manager; and Karen Larrick, MOGL programming coordinator accepted the award at a ceremony held June 25 at the ALA Annual Conference in Orlando.
"We took ECRR to the Glynn County Detention Center in support of Georgia's B4 initiative," explained Mullis. "This is a short-term facility, where inmates are most often there waiting for trial or are doing short stints in detention. Karen and Lori presented ECRR to multiple men and
See ASCLA, page 6

3
August 2016 Georgia Public Library Service News

Pokmon
Continued from page 1 Notably, gyms are actual public places chosen by game developers due to being socially popular or active, such as public libraries.

with patrons, but also with library employees -- when they aren't on the job, of course.
This has opened up a fresh dynamic in the customer service experience at many branches,

of the library, and employees partake in gameplay during their breaks -- a dynamic that cascades to all age ranges. "The kids we've encountered are really cool and happy and amazed we have the app downloaded and are playing ourselves,"

All 16 branches in the Cobb system are gyms, as are the branches in Chattahoochee Valley Libraries, Middle Georgia Regional Library (MGRL), Okefenokee Regional Library and Sequoyah

including the Statesboro-Bulloch County Library. "A patron who had

said Director Stacy Brown.
Kuehne noticed the same thing: "The younger players really get
a kick out of the fact some of the staff plays," she said.

Regional Library (where according to staff members, the branches are bursting with Pokmon). All of these systems host activities and eagerly welcome players to duke it out or go on the hunt. To keep the mood lively, MGRL's Washington Memorial Library in Macon posts regular updates of what team is in control of its gym.

Staff

One overlooked aspect to Go is that, unlike with most video games, players often get physical exercise as they play. At PokStops, it is possible for a player to stumble upon a Pokmon still in its egg, and the only way to hatch the pocket monster is to log the specific number of steps displayed under the egg.

Nola Brantley Memorial Library, the central branch of Houston County Public Libraries, is another gym that is open and friendly to local players, even going so far as to draw chalk Pokballs in the parking lot, reserving a space for players who can only pop in for a short time.

This game feature opens even more possibilities for libraries to work with some of GPLS's partner organizations, such as Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites, which encourage Georgia Trainers to use the nature trails spread across 44 parks to hatch rare specimens. Fort Yargo State Park, General Coffee State Park, High

Falls State Park, Lake Blackshear

If a Georgia public library is

Resort and Golf Club and others

not a gym, there is a good chance

have events scheduled for

it is a PokStop. A Stop is a real-

budding hikers, naturalists and

world location where Trainers can

xenobiologists.

resupply themselves with extra Pokballs and possibly find rare or special items, such as Lure

Ashley Pearson, youth services assistant at Nancy Guinn Memorial Library, takes a break to battle patron C.J. Hunt.

Pokmon Go provides libraries yet another opportunity

Modules and Razz Berries, to

a fine to pay joked with me about

where they can reach out and

respectively attract and feed wild

how it was too bad she couldn't

connect with patrons in a positive

Pokmon. PokStops include centers trade me one of her extra

and inventive way, said Wendy

for art, monuments and historical

Charmanders to pay it off," laughed Cornelisen, assistant state librarian

markers like the Site of Sam Jones'

Marion Kuehne, circulation

for library innovation and

Tabernacle marker outside the

assistant with the system.

collaboration.

Bartow County Library System's

Cartersville Main Street Library.

Nancy Guinn Memorial Library in

Branches, such as the Powder

Pokmon Go is not just popular

the Conyers-Rockdale Library System has two PokStops directly in front

Springs Library in Cobb County and See Pokmon, page 5

4
Georgia Public Library Service News August 2016

GLASS to offer library of 425,000 accessible e-books

On July 1, the Georgia Libraries for
Accessible Statewide Services (GLASS) network made more than 425,000 accessible e-books available for free to patrons who cannot read traditional print books due to blindness, low vision, dyslexia and other print disabilities. The online library is made possible by Bookshare, a Benetech global literacy initiative. Bookshare is the world's largest online library of accessible e-books for people with print disabilities.
Every Georgian with an eligible print disability now has free access to Bookshare's vast online library including best-sellers, literature, nonfiction, picture books, educational texts, career guides and much more as GLASS patrons.

"Georgia is only the second state to offer this program to its eligible readers," explained GLASS Director Pat Herndon, noting that the first such program was begun by the New York Public Library in November 2015.
"Bookshare will be a wonderful complement to our materials from the free national library program administered by the Library of Congress and the National Library Service for the Blind & Physically Handicapped," she said. "We are thrilled to make this valuable new resource available to Georgians with certified print impairments."
With Bookshare e-books, GLASS patrons can customize their reading

experience in ways that work best for their individual needs.
They can choose to listen to words read aloud with high-quality text-to-speech voices; read with enlarged fonts; see and hear as words are highlighted; read in braille; and more. They can also read Bookshare e-books on a wide variety of devices, including tablets, smart phones, computers, assistive technology devices and on MP3 players using a variety of free and purchased apps.
Bookshare offers free apps, including Bookshare Web Reader -- which can be used on any computer and laptop -- and Go Read for Android. I

Staff

Currently, all U.S. students with qualifying disabilities can access Bookshare's library for free under an award from the Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. This new partnership serves eligible Georgia patrons of all ages, whether they are students or not.
Pokmon
Continued from page 4 the Washington Memorial Library, have people who may never have visited before coming through their doors asking about Go or looking for other Pokmon materials.

Acting in true library fashion, Angelica Torres, young adult specialist at Washington Memorial, uses this opportunity to engage new patrons by inviting them to library events and programming with the goal of fostering lifelong learners who will find more reasons than the ability to capture a sleeping Snorlax to visit their local public library. I

Fair territory
Jonathan McKeown (second from left), associate director of branch services for the Cobb County Public Library System, welcomed Katie Gazda, executive director of the GFB Foundation for Agriculture; Debbie Payne, office manager of the Cobb County Farm Bureau (CCFB); and CCFB President Stan Kirk to Marietta's Switzer Public Library on July 27. In support of GPLS's partnership with the Georgia National Fair this summer, Georgia Farm Bureau employees around the state are working with local libraries to offer agricultural-related programming for youth. They're also donating copies of Brandon Wade's children's book Hi, I'm Billy Blueberry: This Is My Story to every public library in the state.
5
August 2016 Georgia Public Library Service News

NEWS IN BRIEF



Staff Staff

The Library of Congress continues its annual celebration of authors and readers, the National Book Festival, for its 16th year on Saturday, Sept. 24, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The festival will feature more than 100 distinguished authors -- led by Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates and Bob Woodward -- across many fields and in all genres of writing, with audiences ranging from young readers to adults. GPLS will once again represent Georgia in the Pavilion of States. All programs are free.

Sue Plaksin

has joined the

GPLS Information

Technology team

as network

program manager.

She will manage

the broadband

network project

for libraries across the state,

Plaksin

including E-rate, vendor and

contract support and reimburse-

ments. Plaksin previously served as IT

services manager/reference librarian

for the Athens Regional Library

System and as project director for the Social Sciences Research Institute at the University of Tennessee (UT) in Knoxville. She holds master's degrees in library and information science and in sociology from UT.

David Teston

is the new PINES

system

administrator for

GPLS. Teston

earned a

Bachelor of

Science degree in

computer science

from Georgia

Teston

College and a

leadership certificate from the

Impact 360 Institute in Pine

Mountain.

State Librarian Julie Walker has been re-elected to serve a second three-year term on the LYRASIS board of directors. The Atlantabased nonprofit organization partners with member libraries, archives and museums to create, access and manage information with an emphasis on digital content, while enhancing library collaboration, operations and technology. I

Puppet man
Lee "That Puppet Guy" Bryan poses with the Boardman family -- 4-year-old Lukas, 6-yearold Liam and 8-year-old Logan -- of Covington at one of the many Summer Reading Program events held this summer at the Conyers-Rockdale Library System's Nancy Guinn Memorial Library.

ASCLA
Continued from page 3 women over the course of several days.

Cutting crew
On June 30, staff members of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System, the library board of trustees and the Fulton County Board of Commissioners welcomed hundreds of residents to the new 15,000-square-foot Southeast Atlanta Library.
6
Georgia Public Library Service News August 2016

"One thing we loved about it was that, after every program, all the participants got to pick out a book for their child. After making their selection, the book went home with them, giving them a reminder of what they learned -- and a present to give to their child when they arrived." I

Staff

Library systems offer online job help to displaced Sports Authority workers
In the wake of the Sports Authority closing all its stores
and distribution centers, including one in McDonough, Henry County Library Director Carolyn Fuller and Assistant Director Kathy Pillatzki spent a day in June teaching former Sports Authority employees how to use Learning Express Library, a free online service offered through GALILEO, to write resumes and cover letters, search for jobs and submit online applications.

"When we heard all those employees would be losing their jobs, we called the company and offered to work with those who needed help applying for work in the electronic age," Fuller explained. "Many of the employees had worked at Sports Authority for more than 20 years and had no experience in applying for jobs online."

The library system also allowed them to come in to any of the branches and, if they presented their Sports Authority identification cards, print as many copies of resumes, letters and other job-search-related pages as they needed. When Natalie Marshall, executive director of the nearby Flint River Regional Library System (FRRLS), based in Griffin, learned of the project and the plight of those who lost their jobs, FRRLS extended the same offer of help and printing for former Sports Authority employees. I
Virtual event draws big audience
In celebration of this year's National Library Week this
spring, GPLS and the Georgia Library Association's Professional and Continuing Education Interest Group co-sponsored the state's first Virtual Staff Development Day for library professionals.

Signing off with a smile
On June 14, a crowd of about 60 people attended the retirement party for GPLS's Stella Cone (center) at the Georgia Library for Accessible Statewide Services (GLASS) in downtown Atlanta. Stephen Prine (left), assistant chief of the NLS Network Division, flew in from Washington, D.C., for the day to award Cone with a plaque of appreciation from the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped for her 25-plus years of work on behalf of those with visual impairments. Cone served Georgia for more than a decade, most of that as GLASS director. State Librarian Julie Walker (right) was among several representatives of Georgia organizations who spoke at the event and thanked Cone for her tireless efforts and presented her with gifts of appreciation.

Aimee Copeland

Nearly 1,400 people attended at least one of the five webinars that formed the heart of the event, according to Julia Huprich, director of continuing education for GPLS. "I counted attendees from 40 different library systems, nine academic libraries, and one municipal library," she said with a smile, "but I might have missed one or two."

Attendees earned continuing education credits for each session, all of which have also been archived for future viewing. "I really got a lot out of every session," said Stephen Kight, assistant director for public services with the Forsyth County Public Library. "It was a fantastic day." Huprich said that plans already are in the works for a 2017 edition of the event. I

Homer's a hit
Much fun was had at the Vinings branch library on June 30, as Homer the mascot and other guests joined dozens of Cobb County children to celebrate this year's Home Run Readers program and play "H-O-M-E-R" bingo games.Home Run Readers runs through the end of August.
7
August 2016 Georgia Public Library Service News

1800 Century Place, Suite 150 Atlanta, GA 30345-4304
A Unit of the University System of Georgia

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE
PAID ATLANTA, GA PERMIT NO. 213

Staff

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

Words of encouragement
State School Superintendent Richard Woods reads to children and their caregivers at the Dalton-Whitfield County Library's Summer Reading Program kickoff event on June 15. He later joined State Librarian Julie Walker and volunteers from the Superintendent's Student Advisory Council, a group of 120 middle and high school students from across the state, to hand out free books to the dozens of families who attended. "Literacy is a top priority for my administration and a core focus in our agency's strategic plan," Woods said. "Summer reading is critically important for maintaining and growing reading abilities, so we strongly urge every Georgia student to read this summer."