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

volume 14, issue 6 I June 2017

Thomas Brooks/CCPLS Staff

Atlanta Hawks star Howard encourages children to read
In addition to his role as center for his hometown
basketball team, the Atlanta Hawks' Dwight Howard plays a lesser-known role in another important local arena championing literacy for the state's youngest kids.

Last fall, Howard's literacy efforts resulted in a meeting with Jeff Kinney, author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series, when Kinney was in town shooting the latest film adaptation from the book series, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul." Kinney invited the eight-time NBA All-Star to visit the set, and a friendship formed. Howard asked to host the film's Atlanta debut, as a reward and incentive for Atlanta's young readers, including past participants of the Atlanta Hawks' Check It Out Reading Challenge (CIORC) at Georgia's public libraries.

Howard joins Kayleigh Stargell, Demetrius Longmire, Sam and Charlie Capretta, and Laila Byrd on the READ carpet, who were among the winners of the D12 Foundation's video contest to promote reading.

On May 14, Howard and Kinney hosted an exclusive screening of the film and invited a number of lucky young readers to join them, cast members and other
See Hawks, page 2

Dream comes true for retired librarian

For years, 94-year-old Lillian Taylor
has dreamed of returning to work at a Georgia public library. Thanks to the Cobb County Public Library System (CCPLS) and Second Wind Dreams, a Roswell-based nonprofit, Taylor's dream became a reality on June 2.
A retired librarian now living in Marietta, Taylor served on the staff of the Griffin-Spalding County Library, now part of the Flint River Regional Library System (FRRLS), for 28 years. Natalie Marshall, executive director of FRRLS, said her colleagues at the central library in Griffin remember

Taylor, who retired 25 years ago, as highly accurate in her work and as a charming, impeccably dressed woman known for her willingness to share recipes -- including her famous peach cobbler.
Library Branch Manager Patricia Ball and the rest of the staff of CCPLS's Stratton Library received that same charm and kindness from Taylor, who recalled the early days of computers in the library workplace as she examined some of the latest technology available at Georgia's public libraries.
See Retiree, page 2

Taylor admires a 3-D printed Yoda figurine.

Retiree

Continued from page 1

catalog is now online. She also enjoyed sitting at the

When library automation began in Griffin, Taylor and reference desk and watching and listening to the

former co-worker Yvonne Brooks made a pact that if

interactions between library staff and the public once

anything went wrong,

again. She seemed right

Thomas Brooks/CCPLS

they were going to

at home."

protect each other by

blaming it on the new

Taylor was

computers. "I had to

accompanied at the

learn to work on a

library by her son

computer," Taylor said

Edward Taylor and

with a laugh, "and I

daughter-in-law Lois

nearly lost my mind

James, and by June

during that!"

Rondinone,

community relations

She was thrilled,

coordinator for Second

however, with her

Wind Dreams.

second chance to serve

as a librarian. "I liked

"It was great to see

the people that came

Miss Lillian smile, to

in," she noted. As part

listen to her share some

of her day at the

of her experiences as a

Stratton Library, she

librarian and to watch

especially enjoyed

her be amazed by all

watching as a 3-D

the advances and new

printer created a Yoda

technologies," said

figurine whose color

Rondinone.

matched the sweater she was wearing.

Ball welcomes Taylor and her family to the Stratton Library.

Founded in 1997

by geriatric specialist

"Miss Lillian was very gracious to us," said Ball, "and P.K. Beville, Second Wind Dreams (www.secondwind.org)

she was very much consuming all the information we

is the first U.S. organization to focus on enhancing the

gave her about how libraries have changed. She was

quality of life for elders and changing society's perception

impressed with our 3-D prints and by seeing how the

of aging by making elder dreams come true. I

Hawks

Continued from page 1 athletes and artists to walk "The READ Carpet" and share what they plan to read this summer or loved reading as a child.
The event served as the official launch of this year's CIORC, for which Howard is serving as chair. In partnership with Georgia Public Library Service, the CIORC encourages kids to use their local library to enhance summer learning, achieve their reading goals and earn a ticket for a future Hawks game. Presented by Philips, the program is enjoying its 13th year.

Howard said he was excited to see the film, spot some Atlanta sights in the scenery, and share the READ Carpet with the movie's cast members and young Georgia readers.
"The Wimpy Kid books are fun for kids to read and, really, if a kid enjoys reading, that makes learning everything easier," he said. "I hope kids see the film and think about reading the next book and the next one. A kid who likes reading is a kid who'll be successful."
This month ESPN named Howard

to its annual ranking of the biggest names in sports, the World Fame 100. He is founder and president of the D12 Foundation, which focuses on facilitating positive change in the lives of youth and seeks to strategically and effectively help close critical community gaps in key areas, including early childhood education and literacy.
The 2017 CIORC runs through Aug. 26 at all Georgia public libraries.
For more info or to sign up, visit www.checkitoutreading.com. I

2
Georgia Public Library Service News June 2017

Staff

Staff members
earn financial
certifications
During a May 18 ceremony at the
state library directors meeting at the Columbus Public Library, 37 library staff from around the state were honored for completing the Certified Library Financial Manager Program.

The program provides detailed instruction on general financial management topics such as introductory accounting and payroll administration. As the training progresses so does the level of detail with participants delving deeply into topics such as long-term planning, internal controls, purchasing, budgeting for revenues and expenditures, and financial statements.
Part of an educational training partnership between GPLS and the Carl Vinson Institute of Government (CVIOG), the certification program is conducted by faculty from CVIOG. To earn their certificates, participants in this year's class completed seven days of intensive training and testing over the course of three months.
Completing the program this year were Vicki Adkison, assistant director of the Chestatee Regional Library System; Cordelia Alderman, administrative assistant with the Pine Mountain Regional Library System; Cameron Asbell, director of the Ohoopee Regional Library System; Valerie Bell, director of the Athens Regional Library System; Marcia Brown, bookkeeper at the Roddenbery Memorial Library; Stacy Brown, director of the ConyersRockdale Library System; Jan Burroughs, director of Elbert County Public Library; Ben Carter, director of the Uncle Remus Regional Library System; Allison Clark,

Members of this year's Certified Library Financial Manager class receive their awards and certificates.

strategic account consultant with Clark Outsource; Leslie Clarke, director of the Chestatee Regional Library System; Pam Clarke, finance officer with the Middle Georgia Regional Library; Coty Dees, assistant director at the DeSoto Trail Regional Library; Jennifer Durham, director of Statesboro Regional Public Libraries; Janet Eberhart, assistant director at Northwest Georgia Regional Library; and Christopher Evans, GPLS director of business services and state grants.
Also: Cynthia Kilby, director of the Pine Mountain Regional Library System; Annette Maier, financial and administrative assistant at the Northwest Georgia Regional Library; Mary Lin Maner, director of Greater Clarks Hill Regional Libraries; Natalie Marshall, executive director of the Flint River Regional Library System; Beth McIntyre, director of the Piedmont Regional Library System; Gary McNeely, director of the Kinchafoonee Regional Library; Helen Mitchell, business manager with the South Georgia Regional Library; Debra Morris, business

manager at the Henry County Library System; Holly Phillips, director of the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library System; Martha Powers-Jones, director of Fitzgerald-Ben Hill County Library; Tracie Price, finance manager at Chattahoochee Valley Libraries; Trent Reynolds, director of Okefenokee Regional Library; Alison Solomon, business services manager at States-boro Regional Public Libraries; Kim Spencer, accounting technician for Lee County Library; Cynthia Spratling, business manager at the Houston County Public Library System; Andrew Vickers, branch manager with Mountain Regional Library System; Miguel Vicente, director of South Georgia Regional Library; Tonya Wallace, accounting assistant at the Forsyth County Public Library; Alison Weissinger, director of the DeKalb County Public Library; Elizabeth White, assistant director of the Oconee Regional Library System; Trashan Wolfe, office manager with Newton County Library System; and Kathryn Youles, director of the ScrevenJenkins Regional Library System. I

3
June 2017 Georgia Public Library Service News

Libraries challenge readers to `Build a Better World'

Georgia's public libraries will encourage children, teens
and adults to "Build a Better World" during the 2017 Summer Reading Program (SRP).
Each year, public libraries across the country use the SRP to promote family literacy and demonstrate to kids and young adults that reading is fun. Georgia's program enjoyed attendance of 543,715 last year. Circulation of children's materials again topped 16 million items in 2016, and nearly 1.7 million children and young adults attended one of the 51,246 programs offered to them by the state's public libraries.
According to Elaine Black, director of youth services for GPLS, indicators in communities that have measured results of summer reading show those students who read during the summer months return to school with far fewer -- or no -- learning losses in reading scores.
"The research shows that when children continue to read and engage in learning during the summer, they thwart the summer slide and return to school in the fall ready to learn without having repeat to lessons from the previous grade," she said.

This is Georgia's 10th 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 highquality summer reading program materials for children at
the lowest cost possible for their public libraries.
Newbery Medalist, poet, educator, and New York Times best-selling
author Kwame Alexander is serving as the 2017 National Summer Reading Champion for the CSLP. "Serving as Summer Reading Champion gives me the opportunity to reach more teachers, more librarians and more parents and share what I feel is one of the secrets to the success of the future: The mind of an adult begins with the imagination of a child," Alexander said. "Books open up doors of possibility and potential and purpose -- and
allow children to imagine a better world for themselves and for us."
The artist for "Build a Better World" is David Macaulay, best known for the award-winning international best-seller The Way Things Work. Macaulay's detailed illustrations and sly humor have earned him fans of all ages. His books have sold more than 3 million copies in the United States alone, and his work has been translated into a dozen languages.

Trent Reynolds

'Con game
Regular visitors to the Waycross-Ware County Public Library might have been surprised at what awaited them there on May 6, when the library held its second annual OkeCon (short for "Okefenokee Convention"). Held in conjunction with National Free Comic Book Day, this year's OkeCon received hundreds of visitors, many dressed as their favorite comic book characters. Participants were treated to free comic books and could enter drawings for T-shirts, posters, books and gift certificates.
4
Georgia Public Library Service News June 2017

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 such as arts-andcrafts programs, magic shows and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) projects. "Once again, this year's theme offers something for everyone," Black said.
Georgia public libraries' SRP is 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. Readers can visit any branch of Georgia's 63 public library systems to register for Summer Reading. Visit www.georgialibraries.org for additional information. I

Gladiators, GPLS announce summer reading partnership

The Atlanta Gladiators have
announced a new regional partnership with Georgia Public Library Service with the unveiling of the team's revamped and expanded Hat Trick for Reading Challenge. The summer reading program has been a staple of the organization's 14-year history in the community, furthering the team's goal of enriching the lives of youth in Georgia.

Courtesy Atlanta Gladiators

Beginning Sept. 29, parents will be encouraged to watch for an email containing instructions on how to obtain each participant's free ticket, which is available with the purchase of one adult discounted premium level ticket. The Gladiators will offer tickets to three games from which families may choose during fall and early winter. Dates will be determined after the season schedule is finalized.

By encouraging children to read books and rewarding their efforts with the chance to attend an exciting ice hockey game, the program provides the opportunity for both book- and experience-based learning. The new partnership with GPLS will expand the previous program to a total of 19 metro Atlanta-area library systems covering 42 counties.
Systems that will participate in the program this summer include Athens Regional Library System; Atlanta-Fulton Public Library; Bartow County Library System; Chestatee Regional Library System; Clayton County Library System; Cobb County Public Library System; ConyersRockdale Library System; Coweta County Library System; DeKalb County Public Library; Flint River Regional Library; Forsyth County Public Library; Gwinnett County Public Library; Hall County Library System; Henry County Library System; Newton County Library System; Piedmont Regional Library System; Sequoyah Regional Library System; Uncle Remus Regional Library System; and West Georgia Regional Library.

Staff

Gladiators mascot, Maximus the Lion
young adults access to the happy place that is found in books. The Hat Trick for Reading Challenge will be another great incentive for our kids to keep up their reading skills this summer and then enjoy an exciting Gladiators game this fall!"
The program begins June 1 and continues through Sept. 22. To participate, students in grades K-12 must read three books, then have their parents register them securely online at www.atlantagladiators.com/ hattrick. Each family may register up to four children.

"We are honored and excited to partner with GPLS," offered Clyde Patterson, director of community and youth hockey relations for the Gladiators. "We hope that this will fuel the students' passion for continuing their education over the summer, while giving children and their families an opportunity to be a part of our `Glads Nation' family."
An affiliate of the Boston Bruins, the Gladiators are members of the ECHL, one of only two minor leagues recognized by the National Hockey League. All home games are played in Duluth at the 11,355-seat Infinite Energy Arena. I

"Georgia's public libraries are delighted to welcome the Atlanta Gladiators as a partner in promoting the value and joy of reading and learning," said State Librarian Julie Walker. "Summer reading plays a vital role in continuing the learning process and in providing children and

Checks and balances
At the state library directors meeting in Columbus on May 18, State Librarian Julie Walker joined Nathan Rall, director of library planning and construction, to present ceremonial checks to the system directors of the four library capital projects included in the state's FY2018 budget, as approved by Gov. Nathan Deal on May 1. From left are Geri Mullis of Brunswick's Marshes of Glynn Libraries; Rall; Pam Grigg of Cairo's Roddenbery Memorial Library; Jennifer Lautzenheiser of the Macon-based Middle Georgia Regional Library; Walker; and Holly Phillips of the MoultrieColquitt County Library.

5
June 2017 Georgia Public Library Service News

NEWS IN BRIEF



Staff

Mary Jean Harrison has joined

the Conyers-Rockdale Library System

as its assistant director for public

services. In her

new position,

Harrison will

coordinate and

support the adult

services, circula-

tion, computer

center, outreach,

and youth services

Harrison

departments. Harrison holds a

master's degree in library and

information science from the

University of Alabama.

The Gwinnett County Public Library (GCPL) has been named a NASA@ My Library Partner. NASA@ My Library will increase and enhance STEM learning opportunities for library patrons throughout the nation, including geographic areas and populations currently underserved in STEM education. GCPL will

participate in the 18-month project with the opportunity to extend for an additional two-year period. The project is made possible through the support of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Science Mission Directorate as part of its STEM Activation program.
Thanks to the IMLS National Leadership Grants for Libraries program and in partnership with Peer2Peer University, the Kansas City Public Library will scale up its Learning Circles model, a communitybased blended learning program, extending it in five additional public library systems across the nation, including the Milledgeville-based Twin Lakes Library System.
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation has awarded 2017 summer reading grants to the Elbert County Public Library and to the Waycross-based Okefenokee Regional Library System. I

Staff

Mural dedication
Students (and library lovers) at the Spruill Center for the Arts have spent their spring class time creating three 3-by-5-foot mosaic murals that will be installed this summer by one of the entrances of the Dunwoody Branch of the DeKalb County Public Library. From left are Lisa Kosarka, Teri Vashi, Maryellen Pienta, Ann Eagle and instructor Janice Schmidt.

Alyson Nesnick

Savannah smiles

Breaking new ground
On March 21, more than 100 officials and citizens joined library staff in celebrating the groundbreaking for a new Harris County Library in Hamilton. The 15,000-square-foot library will represent a 300 percent increase in space over the current library. From left are trustee Jim Trott; Harris County Commissioners Martha Chewning, Susan Andrews, Becky Langston, Jim Woods and Harry Lange; trustee Maurine Avery; Harris County Manager Randy Dowling; trustees Charlotte Zuerner, Elaine Beall and Bob Patterson; Assistant State Librarian Wendy Cornelisen; Troup-Harris Library System Director Keith Schuermann; Harris County Library Manager Stephanie Green; lead architect Lee Martin of 2WR+Partners; Kevin Wiley and Jayson Johnson of the Harris County Chamber of Commerce; and trustee Laura Seavers.

At a public ceremony on April 27, friends, staff and employees of Live Oak Public Libraries celebrated the designation of its Carnegie branch as one of Georgia's 10 most beautiful libraries. From left are Dean Horstman, chair of the Chatham County Library board of trustees; Jack Kaster, life member of Live Oak Public Libraries Foundation; Jacquelyn Hinton, library assistant; Stephen Whigham, interim executive director; Cassie Jones, branch manager; Helen Washington, community volunteer; Brenda Poku, area coordinator; Jason Broughton, director of public services; Dr. Modibo Kadalie of the Liberty County Library board of trustees; Julie Walker, state librarian; and Nathan Rall, director of library planning and construction for GPLS.

6
Georgia Public Library Service News June 2017

Pinewoods' young readers surprised with new bicycles

Thirty children who attended an April 27 after-school

The bicycle giveaway coincided with the annual

program at the Athens Regional Library System's

Athens Twilight Criterium, a local cycling race renowned

Pinewoods Library were thrilled when they were surprised for the speed of its participants. As this year's organizers

with new bicycles from a local sporting goods store.

sought sponsors, the Jaycees were looking for way to get

involved with the race and

Aida Quiones

Thanks to collaboration

learned that BikeAthens had

between Academy Sports +

scheduled a bike safety

Outdoors, the Athens Jaycees

program for the Pinewoods

and local alternative

Poku

neighborhood at the library.

transportation advocacy group

From there, the pieces fell into

BikeAthens, each student

place for the bike giveaways.

received a new bicycle and

safety helmet during a brief

In addition to

ceremony at the library.

representatives from the

sponsor organizations, officers

The Pinewoods Library,

from the Athens-Clarke County

located in a residential mobile

Police Department were also on

home park, serves a neighbor-

hand for the presentations,

hood of approximately 1,000

The Pinewoods Library's new bike owners

people, mostly immigrants from

along with members of the Novo Nordisk cycling team,

Mexico and other Latin American countries. Children in

who talked to the new bike owners about riding safely.

the community are encouraged to participate in the

library's after-school program each year with the promise

Originally funded through an Institute of Museum

of an end-of-the-school-year surprise, according to

and Library Services grant in 2006, the award-winning

Branch Manager Aida Quiones. "This year's bicycle

Pinewoods Library began operations in a 1,680-square-

surprise is a little bigger than normal," she said. "For

foot trailer, where it operated for a decade before

some of the children, it's their very first bicycle."

expanding to a 2,592-square-foot trailer this year. I

Staff Staff

Harlem renaissance
Sen. Jesse Stone (R-Waynesboro), Rep. Barry Fleming (R-Harlem), Harlem Mayor Bobby Culpepper and Columbia County Commissioner Bill Morris were among those who joined Mary Lin Maner, director of the Greater Clarks Hill Regional Library System, on May 31 to welcome more than 100 residents to the grand opening of the nearly 14,000square-foot Harlem library. The $3.3 million project was funded through a state capital projects grant and a special purpose local option sales tax. From left are City Councilman/Mayor Pro Tem John Thigpen, Commissioner Gary Richardson, Commission Chair Ron Cross, Morris, Culpepper, Commissioner Doug Duncan, Maner, Commissioner Trey Allen, Jennifer Bennett, Danny Bellavance, Fleming and Stone.

On the fast track
Another National Library Legislative Day is in the books. "It was a great success for Georgia's delegation," said State Librarian Julie Walker of the annual two-day advocacy event that took place May 7-8 in Washington, D.C. "Our officials were impressed by the many ways we use our LSTA funding in statewide efforts to benefit all Georgians. We heard several compliments on how far we stretch our dollars!" Making the trip with Walker this year were Dan Aldridge, Judy Aldridge, Jeannie Blakely, Tom Brooks, Stacy Brown, Darla Chambliss, Wendy Cornelisen, Susan Del Rosario, Alan Harkness, Sherrie Harrington, Pat Herndon, Stephen Houser, Jo Lahmon, Jennifer Lautzenheiser, Anna Lyle, Elizabeth McKinney, Brenda Poku, Margaret Quinlin and Angela Stanley.

7
June 2017 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
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Sarah Collier

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

Book share
State School Superintendent Richard Woods joined numerous guests at Savannah's Bull Street Library on June 8 to read to local children and help celebrate the start of Live Oak Public Libraries' summer reading program. The event was the first of four Georgia Department of Education and GPLS Summer Reading events designed to keep students reading and active all summer. The superintendent has again teamed with Change 4 Georgia and Better World Books to donate thousands of books to Georgia community libraries this year. Similar events are scheduled this month in Hiawassee, Dacula and Tifton.