Georgia Public Library Service news, 2017 August

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

volume 15, issue 1 I August 2017

Courtesy Athens Regional Library System Staff

Photo finish
Elizabeth Labbe-Webb (left), principal of exhibit co-sponsor Blue Path Group, photographer Ryan Johnson and State Librarian Julie Walker welcome visitors to a June 19 reception at the GLASS Atlanta Talking Book Center. The event also served as a tour kickoff party for Johnson following the five-month run of his "Just Kids" exhibit, which mixes documentary and portraiture style photographs to give viewers a front-row seat to stories of families and their loved ones who have an intellectual or developmental disability. The first GLASS-sponsored exhibit to travel throughout the state, "Just Kids" began its tour in July at the Southwest Georgia Library for Accessible Services at the Decatur County-Gilbert H. Gragg Library in Bainbridge, where it continues through Aug. 13 before moving to the Augusta Public Library Aug. 20Oct. 1. The tour continues through January 2019, with stops at the following library systems: Northeast Georgia Regional, Marshes of Glynn, Oconee Regional, Middle Georgia Regional, Lee County, Chattahoochee Valley, Athens Regional, Conyers-Rockdale, Forsyth County, Cherokee Regional, West Georgia Regional, Sara Hightower Regional and Uncle Remus Regional.

Solar grants ensure sunny days ahead for Athens, Augusta public libraries

Following two recent grant awards,
the future of two Georgia public libraries looks sunnier than ever.
On June 23, EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO) awarded one of two national 2017 EBSCO Solar grants to the Athens-Clarke County Library (ACCL). A few counties away, employees of the Augusta-Richmond County Public Library System (ARCPLS) learned that their system would be one of up to five agencies in the state that will receive a Georgia Solar Program rebate from the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA).

panels that allow buildings to reduce electricity expenditures.
According to Valerie Bell, executive director of the Athens Regional Library System (ARLS), ACCL plans to install a "Sunshine Garden" solar garden, a ground-installed array, on its campus. As part of the grant, the library also plans to partner with local schools to create a solar lab to demonstrate solar energy to children, as well as host a seminar for adults on retrofitting homes with solar panels in conjunction with the library's "Reflecting, Sharing, Learning" programming.

The EBSCO grant will provide ACCL and the Indian Trails Public Library in Wheeling, Illinois, with $100,000 each to pay for the installation of a solar array. The grant offsets the cost of installing solar

"We are absolutely elated to receive the EBSCO Solar grant," Bell said. "From our 2013 LEED-certified building renovation to our electric car charging stations, our library
See Grants, page 2

From left: Henry Hackney Jr., Donald Roalkvam, Executive Director Brian Shepard and Rob Kamm of the Indian Trails Public Library; Youth Services Coordinator Evan Bush and Executive Director Valerie Bell of ARLS; and Molly Moore, library assistant at ARLS's Bogart Library.

Public libraries distribute free solar eclipse glasses
The first total eclipse to cross the entire U.S. in nearly a
century will have Georgians looking skyward on Monday, Aug. 21. Beginning around 1 p.m. and lasting for about three hours, several northeastern Georgia counties will fall within the 70-mile-wide path of total eclipse, with residents elsewhere in the state enjoying a partial eclipse.
The only safe way to look directly at the fully or partially eclipsed sun is through special-purpose solar filters, such as those contained in eclipse glasses. Thanks to STAR_Net, part of the Space Science Institute's National Center for Interactive Learning (NCIL); the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation; Research Corporation for Science Advancement; and Google, 2 million pairs of eclipse glasses will be distributed free through public libraries this month, helping millions to view the eclipse safely. The Chief Officers of State Library Agencies is also partnering with NCIL and others to promote eclipse-related educational activities at public libraries across the country. Many individual libraries across Georgia plan to offer eclipserelated projects and programs for youth that support the state's STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) curriculum. "Georgia's public libraries are delighted to enhance this much-anticipated event by providing eclipse glasses and learning resources for patrons of all ages," said State Librarian Julie Walker. "The sky is the limit at your public library!"
Georgia library systems that will be distributing free glasses include the following: Athens-Clarke County, AtlantaFulton County, Augusta-Richmond County, Bartow County, Chattahoochee Valley, Chattooga County, Clayton County, Cobb County, Conyers-Rockdale, DeKalb County, Elbert County, Fitzgerald-Ben Hill County, Flint River Regional, Forsyth County, Gwinnett County, Hall County, Henry County, Lee County, Marshes of Glynn, Middle Georgia Regional, Mountain Regional, Newton County, Northeast Georgia, Northwest Georgia, Oconee Regional, Ohoopee Regional, Piedmont Regional, Roddenbery Memorial, Sara Hightower Regional, Screven-Jenkins Regional, Sequoyah Regional, South Georgia Regional, Southwest Georgia Regional, Statesboro Regional, Thomas County, Three Rivers Regional, Twin Lakes, Uncle Remus Regional and West Georgia Regional. Not every branch of each system will be distributing glasses, and systems will begin distribution at different times during the month. A few libraries and Friends groups plan to purchase additional glasses to resell as part of fundraising efforts. Please verify participation, availability and distribution dates of glasses with your local branch library. I
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Georgia Public Library Service News August 2017

Grants
Continued from page 1 strives to be a community leader in environmental sustainability. We can't wait to install our Sunshine Garden! Not only will it offset utility costs, but it will be a very visible, and beautiful, reminder about energy conservation to all."

Bell gives credit for the award to Assistant Library Director Donna Brumby, whose research uncovered the grant opportunity and who wrote the grant proposal. EBSCO, a leading provider of electronic journals and books for libraries, received 90 submissions from 15 countries for this year's grants.

Meanwhile, GEFA's Georgia Solar Program will reimburse ARCPLS for up to $50,000 for materials, design and installation costs incurred from installing 60-kilowatt rooftop solar panels on the Friedman Branch Library in Augusta.

"This is a historic occasion for our system, as this will be the first time in our nearly 60year existence that we will produce some of our own electricity," said ARCPLS Director Mashell Fashion. "By using renewable energy to help power the Friedman Branch, we hope to realize cost savings that we can divert to serving our patrons, which is always our first priority."

ARCPLS applied for

the rebate program in

March and expects to begin installation of the

Fashion

solar panels later this month and to complete

the project by the end of September.

This is not the first time that GEFA has supported energy conservation through public libraries, having secured the initial grant in 2009 that provided Kill-A-Watt meters to every library in the state, a program that has now benefited Georgia residents for eight years by allowing them to check out a meter that helps measure both their energy consumption and the efficiency of the electric appliances in their homes. I

Center for the Book announces annual reading lists

For the eighth time, the Georgia Center for the Book
(GCB) has selected the works of prize-winning authors and illustrators with Georgia connections for its 2017 lists of the "Books All Georgians Should Read" and "Books All Young Georgians Should Read." The authors and illustrators will be honored Aug. 17 at a free, public event to be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Decatur Library Auditorium.
"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 here in Georgia," said Joe Davich, executive director of the GCB. "The lists give us the opportunity to inform readers across our state about the contributions to Georgia's literary heritage, and a platform to celebrate the diverse body of work produced by Georgians.
"Georgia and Georgia's literary landscape are more diverse than ever before. These lists express our diversity and individuality but at the same time show we all are connected by place. The settings, characters and stories in these books are different, but the universal message is the same."

The new list of "Books All Georgians Should Read" includes three works of fiction, four of nonfiction, a cookbook and two collections of poetry. The list of "Books All Young Georgians Should Read" includes three picture books, one early-reader book, one for middle school readers, three for young adults and two graphic novels. Both 2017 lists are the result of months of discussions by the center's Advisory Council, which considered more than 80 books by Georgians, or about Georgia, for inclusion. I
2017 Books All Georgians Should Read
I A Lillian Smith Reader, edited by Lisa Hodgens
I Among the Living: A Novel by Jonathan Rabb
I Blood at the Root: A Racial Cleansing in America by Patrick Phillips
I Blood, Bone and Marrow: A Biography of Harry Crews by Ted Geltner
I Darktown: A Novel by Thomas Mullen
I Drowned: A Mermaid's Manifesto by Theresa Davis
I Inspired Georgia, edited by Judson Mitcham, Michael David Murphy and Karen L. Paty; with photographs by Diane Kirkland

I My Two Souths: Blending the Flavors of India Into a Southern Kitchen by Asha Gomez

I A River of Kings: A Novel by Taylor Brown

I The Underdogs by Melissa Fay Greene

Steve Rapson

2017 Books All Young Georgians Should Read

I Crossing Ebenezer Creek by Tonya Bolden

I Flop to the Top by Eleanor Davis and Drew Weing

I Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit by Jaye Robin Brown

I The Jekyll Island Chronicles (Book One): A Machine Age War by Steve Nedvidek, Ed Crowell and Jack Lowe; J. Moses Nester and S.J. Miller, illustrators

I March, Volume 3 by Rep. John Lewis and Andrew Aydin; Nate Powell, illustrator

I Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder

Space lab
Eight-year-old Madelyn Martin holds up her question for astronaut Jack "2fish" Fischer as part of the NASA Link Live! Program at the Fayette County Public Library in Fayetteville on June 19. More than 650 people from across the area attended the event, which allowed students in grades K-12 to ask questions of an astronaut -- live from the International Space Station through an in-flight education downlink at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

I Seven and a Half Tons of Steel by Janet Nolan; Thomas Gonzalez, illustrator
I The King of Birds by Acree Graham Macam; Natalie Nelson, Illustrator
I The Radius of Us by Marie Marquardt
I The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet by Carmen Agra Deedy

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August 2017 Georgia Public Library Service News

GLASS Atlanta to display local artist's first exhibition

Georgia Libraries for Accessible Statewide Services
(GLASS) will open its latest art exhibition, "I Like...," June 28 at the GLASS Atlanta Talking Book Center on the fourth floor of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System's (AFPL) Central Library at One Margaret Mitchell Square.
"I Like..." is the first public exhibition of the works of Caroline Dempsey, a 20-year-old artist who lives with Down syndrome and bilateral hearing loss.
A graduate of Model High School in Rome, Dempsey will begin Georgia State University's Ideal Program this fall with plans to study graphic art, studio art, film and drama. She is an active advocate for herself and other people with disabilities, serving as a state legislative page where Dempsey she worked for increased support for employment and inclusive postsecondary education. She has also traveled to Washington, D.C., to present at conferences and to meet with Georgia's members of congress to ask them to prioritize funding for employment- and education-related opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Dempsey said she deeply appreciates how the new exhibit of 18 acrylic paintings provides an opportunity to

Courtesy Blue Path Group

tell others her story and enables her to encourage other young people with disabilities to live to their highest and best potential.
"Painting helps me see colors and patterns that I like," Dempsey said, explaining the exhibition's title. "I started taking photographs when I was 4 or 5. I was looking at patterns and colors everywhere, especially on clothing. When I was very young, I also painted but not very seriously. Then in high school, my class invited an artist to meet us, and we all painted together. Later, I met a famous artist, Lois Curtis, who inspired me to paint more. With the help of some state funding, I started taking painting lessons each week. A friend invited me to take my artwork to the Cedar Valley Arts
Festival in Cedartown this past spring, and I sold lots of prints of my artwork there. Many friends keep telling me to keep on painting; I love it!"
"Caroline is very new at this but very deserving of a wider audience," said Elizabeth Labbe-Webb, principal of Blue Path Group, an Atlanta-based consultancy committed to bringing the work of talented artists to wider audiences and putting that work into places that invite conversation and learning. "Caroline's art exudes the joy she finds in painting," she said. "It also has a hint of sophistication that shows her to be a keen observer. I look forward to seeing what she will do next."

Staff

GLASS Director Pat Herndon said she believes "I Like..." will be a fitting exhibition for GLASS Atlanta. "Caroline's paintings are so colorful and cheerful that they'll brighten the day of everyone who sees them."

Snake eyes
A wary Wesley Shevchenko of Cartersville looks on as Zoo Atlanta instructor Anne Birnkammer talks to the crowd of children about Nyoka, a ball python, during a Zoo Atlanta Animal Encounter at the Bartow County Library System's central library in Cartersville on June 12. The nonvenomous Nyoka is one of the zoo's more popular traveling animals. Since it began in June 2011, the Zoo Atlanta Family Pass program at Georgia public libraries has enjoyed more than 160,000 circulations, saving residents nearly $10 million.

A division of Georgia Public Library Service, GLASS provides eligible Georgians with access to free audio materials and books and magazines in braille through the Library of Congress and the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. Every public library system in the state is a GLASS affiliate.
GLASS Atlanta welcomes the public to view "I Like..." from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with extended Thursday evening hours until 8 p.m. The exhibit continues through early November. GPLS's strategic partnership programs are supported in part by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the Library Services and Technology Act. I

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Georgia Public Library Service News August 2017

Tom Brooks

Staff

Cobb program gives budding architects chances to create

The Cobb County Public Library
System partnered with the Atlanta Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA Atlanta) and Kennesaw State University's Department of Architecture to present a series of one-day workshops for school-age children at four libraries during the 2017 Summer Reading Program, which centered on the theme "Build a Better World."

Eleni Witte created the "Spiral Oak Hammock Shop" architectural model during a "Discover ARCHITECTURE: Library Edition" workshop at the Switzer Library in Marietta.

Discover ARCHITECTURE: Library Edition gave students on summer break before entering grades four-eight a chance to meet design professionals and create architectural models based on Cobb County landmarks.
An adaptation of Discover ARCHITECTURE, the after-school program offered in Atlanta Public Schools since 2010 by AIA Atlanta, the Cobb programs lasted four hours each on Saturday afternoons in June and July. Volunteers from Atlanta-area architectural firms and the faculty of

Kennesaw State University's Department of Architecture participated in the sessions.
Cobb County Youth Services Librarian Amanda Densmore of the Vinings Library and Communications Specialist Tom Brooks coordinated the program in collaboration with library youth services staff colleagues; Discover ARCHITECTURE co-founder, architect Melody Harclerode, a past AIA Atlanta president; and Kennesaw State Architecture Department Chair Dr. Tony Rizzuto. I

GPLS staff impress
at ALA conference
State Librarian Julie Walker joined
Adam Eisgrau of the American Library Association's (ALA) Washington office; Kent Oliver, director of the Nashville (Tenn.) Public Library; and Lisa Varga, executive director of the Virginia Library Association to present "Make Some Noise: A How-to Guide to Effective Federal Advocacy in Challenging Times" at the ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition, held in Chicago June 22-27.
Together with Walt McBride, senior public service associate for the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, and Wendy Cornelisen, assistant state librarian for library innovation and collaboration, Walker also presented "PINNACLE: The Next Generation of Library Leadership," addressing the need for innovative leaders to implement and manage the transformation of libraries into 21st century institutions.
Along with Sue Hall from Minnesota-based Library Strategies, Cornelisen also led the session "New Strategies for Strategic Planning," about the development of a two-day workshop to teach Rapid Results Planning (RRP) to 14 Georgia librarians who then conducted RRP strategic planning at numerous pilot library systems across the state.

Scrap mettle
Branch Manager Julia Simpson (left) strikes her Wonder Woman pose as she prepares to join library assistants Darby Drew (above left) and Jennifer Bagwell in demolishing a wall at the Winder Library. The Piedmont Regional Library System held a demolition party June 20, when it began repurposing the former central library's administrative offices into more useful space for patrons. Funding for the project is being provided by a state major repair and renovation grant that is administered by GPLS.

GPLS IT Director Emily Almond was part of the Library IT Association's Top Almond Tech Trends Panel at ALA, where she led discussions on distance wireless charging and cloud computing. I

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August 2017 Georgia Public Library Service News

NEWS IN BRIEF



Lindsay Stegmann

Angela Glowcheski is the new assistant director for the Sequoyah Regional Library System in Canton. She previously served as the system's public services librarian. Glowcheski has 12 years of library experience and earned her Master of Science degree in information technology from Glowcheski the University of Tennessee. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy and religion from Queens University in Charlotte, North Carolina. She is a member of the 2016-2017 class of PINNACLE, GPLS's comprehensive leadership program, which will conclude in October.

Leslie Partridge has been

named assistant director of the

Dawson-based Kinchafoonee

Regional Library System. She holds a

Bachelor of

Business

Administration

degree in

marketing from

West Georgia

College and a

Master of Science

in library and

Partridge

information studies from

Florida State University. She has more

than 20 years of library experience,

most recently serving as assistant

director of the Lee County Library.

Partridge is a graduate of the 2015-

2016 PINNACLE class.

Dustin Landrum has been named manager of strategic partnerships for GPLS. He has been with GPLS since 2011, most recently serving as library associate. Landrum

will manage the agency's array of

programs with local businesses and

organizations, such as Zoo Atlanta,

Georgia State

Parks & Historic

Sites and the

Atlanta Hawks,

that provide free

materials and

programming for

public libraries and

Georgia residents.

He holds a

Landrum

bachelor's degree

in professional

writing from York College of

Pennsylvania.

Wendy Cornelisen, assistant state librarian for library innovation and collaboration, has been selected to present "The Future of Georgia's Public Libraries" at Atlanta's 33rd PechaKucha Night on Aug. 27. PechaKucha Nights are informal gatherings where creative people get together to share ideas, works, thoughts and photos. The events are now held in more than 900 cities around the world. PechaKucha's 20x20 format requires presenters to speak while showing 20 images, each for 20 seconds.

Courtesy Georgia National Fair

Hail, Maximus!
Two-year-old Rylind Mema, with mom Kelly, waves to Maximus the Lion, the Atlanta Gladiators' mascot, at the Switzer Library in Marietta on July 21. The team's "Hat Trick for Reading" Challenge continues through Sept. 22 at 19 metro Atlanta-area library systems, encouraging children to read books and rewarding their efforts with the chance to attend an exciting Gladiators game this fall. Students K-12 can read three books and then have their parents register them online at www.atlantagladiators.com/hattrick.

Public library employees from around the state will again serve as volunteers for the Georgia Public Libraries table at the 31st annual DragonCon, to be held Labor Day weekend in Atlanta. Approximately 77,000 people attended last 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, will again coordinate the display table on behalf of public libraries. I

Bear pause
Children from the Middle Georgia Regional Library's Oglethorpe branch pause for a photo with Fair Bear, the Georgia National Fair's popular mascot, on July 7. For the second year, the Georgia Agriculture Exposition Authority, the GFB (Georgia Farm Bureau) Foundation and GPLS are teaming up to encourage children to participate in the 2017 Summer Reading Program. As part of the partnership, each of the state's 400-plus public libraries will receive a family four-pack of tickets to the Georgia National Fair to reward a winning reader between the ages of 5 and 12. This year's fair will be held Oct. 5-15 in Perry.

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Georgia Public Library Service News August 2017

DLG launches website for Georgia's historic newspapers

The Digital Library of Georgia (DLG)
has announced the launch of Georgia Historic Newspapers (GHN), a brandnew website featuring historic newspaper titles from around the state. Since 2007, the DLG has been providing access to the state's historic newspapers through multiple online city and regional newspaper archives. GHN continues that tradition by bringing together new and existing resources into a single, consolidated website, which is available at gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu.
"Historic newspapers provide a unique look at our state over time," said DLG Director Sheila McAlister. "They are invaluable to scholars and the public alike as they provide indepth coverage of Georgia counties and cities, report on the activities of

state and local government, and reflect the social and cultural values of the time that they were created. By far, they are DLG's most popular resources. We're grateful for the assistance of our partners as we continue to add new content and improve how our users interact with these important historic documents."
The GHN includes some of the state's earliest newspapers; AfricanAmerican, Roman Catholic and Cherokee newspapers; and issues from Augusta, Atlanta, Columbus, Fayetteville, Houston County, Louisville, Thomson, Sandersville, Waycross and Waynesboro. The GHN provides newspaper issues that are full-text searchable and can be browsed by date and title. The latest additions bring the number of pages available through the DLG to more than 825,000.

use of plug-ins or additional software downloads.
All previously digitized newspapers are scheduled to be incorporated into the new GHN platform. Until that time, users may continue to access the existing regional and city sites (North, South, West Georgia, Athens, Macon, Milledgeville and Savannah). Milledgeville and the South Georgia historic newspapers are slated to be integrated into GHN next. Digitization of the newspapers found in the initial launch of GHN was made possible through partnerships with Flint Energies Foundation, Georgia HomePLACE/Georgia Public Library Service, Houston County Public Library System, R.J. Taylor, Jr. Foundation, Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah and the Taylor County Historical-Genealogical Society.

Courtesy Gwinnett County Public Library Matt Jones

Greenlighted
The Coastal Plain Regional Library (CPRL) system's Big Green Reading Machine, a 1988 Winnebago Superchief that is being repurposed into what is being billed "bookmobile on steroids" made an appearance at the last of four Summer Reading events co-sponsored with the Georgia Department of Education. The event was held June 28 at the Tifton-Tift County Public Library (TTCPL). From left are William Kelley, regional board chair and vicechair of the TTCPL board; Mickey Weldon, curriculum director for the Tift County Board of Education, which helped to fund the new bookmobile; Sandy Hester, assistant director of CPRL; Kathy Griffis, director of CPRL; Victoria Horst, branch manager of TTCPL; Richard Woods, state school superintendent; Jessica Everingham, assistant state librarian for library development and support; and Elaine Black, GPLS's director of youth services.

Features of the new site include essays about the publishing history of various newspaper titles and the ability to browse by region or broad types, including community papers, papers-of-record, African-American papers, religious papers, school papers or Native American papers. The site is compatible with all current browsers, and the newspaper page images can be viewed without the

To celebrate the launch of the GHN and the inclusion of its papers in the initial release, the Houston County Public Library System is hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its Perry Branch Library Aug. 2. Georgia HomePLACE will offer a free webinar introducing library staff to the GHN interface Sept. 28 at 2 p.m. Online registration is now open at www.georgialibraries.org/homeplace. I

Rotary reinforcement
Charles Pace (center), director of the Gwinnett County Public Library, accepted a check for $50,000 from the Rotary Club of Duluth at a presentation ceremony at the 1818 Club on July 18. The donation will be directed toward the new Duluth Branch Library, where it will provide additional furnishings, technology and other enhancements to the children's space.

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August 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
PAID ATLANTA, GA PERMIT NO. 213

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

Courtesy Sequoyah Regional Library

Brave new world
In celebration of this year's fifth edition of the Atlanta Braves Home Run Readers program, former outfielder Brian Jordan stopped by the Sequoyah Regional Library's R.T. Jones Memorial Library in Canton on July 11. Jordan, who also played safety for the Atlanta Falcons, read his semiautobiographical children's book I Told You I Can Play! to what seemed like a sports field full of young fans, then joined them to play a number of baseball-related games. Home Run Readers continues statewide through Aug. 20. To sign up, visit www.braves.com/reading.