news Georgia Public Library Service The quarterly newsletter about Georgia's libraries vol 2 issue 1 z Winter 2004 Georgia Public Library Use at a Record High Public library use in Georgia has climbed steadily over the last 10 years and is at a record high. Visits to Georgia's public libraries have increased 51 percent, from 19.6 million in 1993 to 29.6 million in 2003. Georgians now turn to public libraries for 21st century library services, such as accessing computers and the World Wide Web and learning how to use them. Lianne Keeney is board chair of the Chestatee Regional Library System, where visits have increased by 20 percent from 2002 to 2003. Says Keeney, "Twenty-first century libraries provide more interactive programs, materials and equipment as well as the necessary relevant professional expertise." All Georgia public libraries provide high-speed Internet access. Many have small business or career centers and foreign language collections. Georgians also continue to turn to public libraries for traditional library services, such as checking out Saniah Solomon uses an educational program on a public access computer workstation at the DeKalb County Public Library Briarcliff Branch. Saniah is one of 2.9 million visitors to the DeKalb County Public Library in FY 2003. bestsellers and attending children's storytimes. Lianne Keeney uses many of these traditional services. "I use the library for recreational reading, books on tape for traveling, research and community meetings," says Keeney. "Sometimes I just relax and read periodicals. It's a great `hasslefree escape place!" Georgia public libraries have extended access to both traditional and 21st century services to all Georgians. Statewide programs, such as Georgia Library PINES and GALILEO, ensure that all Georgians have access to the information they need - from how to remodel a home to how to start a business. Climbing library usage statistics illustrate the increasingly important role of public libraries in Georgia communities. IN THIS ISSUE: Georgia Public Libraries Help Georgia's Small Businesses Compete 2 Librarians Learn to "Step to the Beat" at the Children's Services Annual Conference 2 Georgia Librarian Receives National New York Times Librarian Award 3 Georgia Public Library Service Closes Trinity Avenue Office 3 Library Day at the Georgia Capitol 3 Three Georgia Librarians Attend Gates Foundation Workshop 3 Spotlight on Roddenbery Memorial Library 3 MESSAGE FROM THE STATE LIBRARIAN by Dr. Lamar Veatch This time of year, we make resolutions for the months ahead. Many Georgians turn to public libraries for information to achieve their goals for the new year - to look for information on healthy diets, to use computers to search online for new jobs or update their rsums, or to bring books home to read with their children for more quality time. Georgians rely on public libraries to help meet their goals. They also rely on a solid foundation of local and state funding to help keep Georgia's public libraries open, accessible and relevant to the information needs of today's changing communities. That solid foundation of funding may be smaller this year. With state and local cuts, Georgia's public libraries will be struggling to provide the same level of quality library services with far less funding. Please take time to add "Supporting My Public Library" to your list of resolutions. Vacation Reading 2004 artwork by Peter Catalanotto features penguins reading while stepping to various beats, from doo-wop, to country to conga music. Georgia Public Libraries Help Georgia's Small Businesses Compete in an Information Economy Georgia small businesses depend on public libraries. Public libraries connect small businesses to business journals and books, online research and business-related software. A great example, Live Oak Public Library System's Business Resource Center has helped many Savannah area businesses start and grow. Madeleine DeLong used the Business Resource Center to start her gift basket company, Elegant Gifts. Says DeLong, "Jim Hicks [business librarian] found business plans from other similar businesses for me to use as a guide while creating my own. He located articles about businesses like mine that discussed what worked and what didn't." Jim Hicks, librarian at Live Oak Public Library System's Business Resource Center, helps a user find information on starting a business. Another user, Marjorie Young, president of CarriageTrade PR Marketing, reflects,"Over the past eight years, I have used the library for market research, online research and stock market information." Georgia public libraries give small businesses access to critical information, extending economic opportunities for many Georgians. Librarians Learn to "Step to the Beat" at the Children's Services Annual Conference 2004 This annual statewide conference organized by the Georgia Public Library Service brings Georgia's children's library professionals together to plan for the Vacation Reading Program, to learn about the latest research on child and family literacy, and to share best practices. This year's conference takes place at the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry. Learning and sharing opportunities relate to the Vacation Reading Program 2004 theme, "Step to the Beat... READ!" Participants will learn about linking music, storytelling and literacy. Other topics include young adult programming, teaching children to be readers for life and outreach techniques. The creator of the artwork for the Vacation Reading Program 2004, children's author and illustrator Peter Catalanotto, will also speak. "This conference provides continued education for Georgia's library professionals who, in turn, help educate Georgia's children," says Bobbie Morgan, consultant for child, parent and family literacy. 2. Georgia Public Library Service News Winter 2004 Georgia Public Library Service Closes Trinity Avenue Office The state library collection was recently relocated due to the closure of the Trinity Ave. building by the Georgia Building Authority. The Georgia history collection is now located at the Middle Georgia Regional Library System, and the library professional collection is now temporarily housed at the Georgia Public Library Service administrative headquarters at Century Place. The Georgia Public Library Service is exploring options to integrate all administrative, professional collection and GLASS services into one facility. Library Day at the Georgia Capitol Approximately 300 library advocates are expected to convene at the Georgia Capitol on February 12 to draw attention to the support needed from the legislature to help meet the growing demands for library services in Georgia communities. The event is sponsored by GLA, GAIT and GLMA. Georgia Librarian Receives National New York Times Librarian Award Sylvia Bunn, manager of the Mildred L. Terry Branch Library in the Chattahoochee Valley Regional Library System, received one of 27 New York Times Librarian Awards for 2003. Bunn received $2,500 and a commemorative plaque at a reception in New York on December 16. Three Georgia Librarians Attend Gates Foundation Workshop The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation awarded grants to three Georgia librarians to attend a "Sustaining Public Access Computing in Rural Libraries" Gates Foundation workshop in Seattle in February. The librarians are Dusty Gres, director of the Ohoopee Regional Library System; Frances Messer, director of the Kinchafoonee Regional Library System; and Lecia Eubanks, assistant director of the Cherokee Regional Library System. News in Brief The Clayton County Library System broke ground in November on the new 12,000 sq. foot Lovejoy Branch. Using a LSTA Family Literacy Grant, the Conyers-Rockdale Library System recently added 300 items to its Spanish language collection and sent nine staff members to receive training in "command Spanish." In September, East Central Georgia Regional Library broke ground for a 50,000 sq. foot library and performing arts center complex in Evans County. The Hall County Library System recently converted the Gainesville branch to a wireless Internet facility using a LSTA Technology Grant. Sequoyah Regional Library System broke ground on 8.22 acres of donated land in November for the new 22,000 sq. foot Woodstock Public Library. SPOTLIGHT The Cancer Awareness Resource Environment, or CARE Center, at Grady County's Roddenbery Memorial Library is a place where community members diagnosed with cancer can find the information they need to make informed choices about their treatment options. The Center provides books, tapes, videos, information in Spanish and a dedicated computer for online research. "When you get a cancer diagnosis, you want to get all the information you can get. You want to know even more than the doctors," says Brenda Darsey, cancer survivor and CARE center user. "The CARE center is a great source of that information in a wonderful environment." The center also offers information on cancer prevention and early detection. It has become a resource for teachers and advocates to educate the community about cancer prevention and organize fundraising and awareness campaigns. "It's more than I ever imagined," says Cathy Rieger, CARE Center director. Roddenbery Memorial Library's CARE Center is funded by a grant from the American Cancer Society, as well as private donations and ?memorial gifts. DID YOU KNOW? While only 24 percent of Georgia's households have Internet access at home, 100 percent of Georgia's public libraries provide free high-speed Internet access to the public. Source: The Children's Partnership Youth and Technology Fact Sheet and Georgia Public Library Statistics Fiscal Year 2003 Draft Report Winter 2004 Georgia Public Library Service News 3. PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID ATLANTA, GA PERMIT NO. 213 CALENDAR January 2004 1/9 - 1/14 American Library Association Midwinter Conference- San Diego, CA www.ala.org February 2004 2/1 - 2/28 Black History Month 2/12 Georgia Library Day at the Capitol www.library.gsu.edu/gla 2/16 Children's Services Annual Conference www.georgialibraries.org March 2004 3/2 Read Across America Day www.nea.org/readacross For more information about Georgia's library and literary events or to post an event, visit the online events calendar at www.georgialibraries.org. 1800 Century Place, Suite 150 Atlanta, Georgia 30345-4304 www.georgialibraries.org A Unit of the University System of Georgia CONTACT US Georgia Public Library Service 1800 Century Place, Suite 150 Atlanta, GA 30345-4304 404.982.3560 404.982.3563, fax www.georgialibraries.org Lamar Veatch, State Librarian Jennifer Watson, Editor Shannon Singleton, Managing Editor For editorial or subscription information about this publication, please call 404.982.3531 or e-mail info@georgialibraries.org. Georgia Public Library Service News (ISSN 1546-511X) is a quarterly newsletter about Georgia's public libraries. It is published by the Georgia Public Library Service, the state agency that supports public libraries statewide. The Georgia Public Library Service works with public libraries to improve the quality and variety of library services available to Georgia citizens of all ages. This publication is supported in whole or in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act. Information presented in this newsletter will be provided in alternative formats on request.