Georgia Public Library Service news, Vol. 2, no. 3 (Summer 2004)

news Georgia Public Library Service

The quarterly newsletter about Georgia's libraries

vol 2 issue 3 z Summer 2004

Photo by Lynn Dombrowski

Georgia Children "Step to the Beat" with Vacation Reading Program 2004

Public libraries play a major role in
educating children. Throughout the year, children and parents turn to public libraries to complete school assignments and find recreational reading materials. When schools are closed, public libraries fill the gap and continue to provide education opportunities. This year's statewide Vacation Reading Program at public libraries has helped thousands of children and their families continue to read and learn during the summer months.
"While schools teach the fundamentals of reading, public libraries also play a unique role," says Bobbie Morgan, consultant for children, parents and family literacy at the Georgia Public Library Service. "By promoting reading as a fun activity, and by inspiring a love of reading, public libraries prepare children for success in school and success in life."
Libraries link reading to fun. Public libraries throughout Georgia have translated this year's Vacation Reading Program theme, "Step to

Jana and mom Tanya Jones enjoy a quiet moment with a book during Newnan-Coweta
Public Library's "Babytime" component of the Vacation
Reading Program.
the Beat...READ!," into a plethora of fun activities for children of all ages and their families. Libraries across the state are reporting record attendance at these programs.
In the Flint River Regional Library System, the number of Fayetteville children who have read 50 or more books has more than doubled. In Brunswick, in the Three Rivers Regional Library System, the confluence of a librarian who is a drummer, a theme that promotes music and the arts, and a new building has generated so much excitement that 300 children crowd into their new library for the programs. Says Vivian Blythewood, a 12-year-old vacation reading participant at

Brunswick Public Library, "We don't have a lot of books at my house, so I can come here and read."
More than 150 "Kindertales" readers at the Cobb County Public
continued on page 2...

IN THIS ISSUE:

Georgia Literary Festival Arrives

in Columbus, August 13-14

2

C.O.R.A.L. Receives NCLIS Consumer Health

Information Award

3

Athens Regional Library Selected for the

2004 MetLife Reading America Program

3

Library Card Sign-Up Month

3

GOLD/GALILEO Users Group Annual

Conference 2004 is August 20

3

Spotlight on South Georgia Regional Library 3

Photo by Diane Lemaster

MESSAGE FROM THE STATE LIBRARIAN
by Dr. Lamar Veatch
The summer is a busy season for public libraries with the statewide Vacation Reading Program in full swing. The Vacation Reading Program involves the entire community. Libraries organize, families participate and businesses and civic organizations support the program through financial and in-kind donations. Vacation Reading is a time-honored tradition, with records of statewide programs dating back to 1947. As the summer comes to a close, libraries celebrate Library Card Sign-Up Month in September by encouraging Georgians to be ready to go back to school equipped with the smartest card -a library card. This year's theme, "Get it. Use it.," reminds Georgians that the public library is a goldmine of books, magazines, videos, CDs and computer resources. With 2.9 million library card holders, Georgia public libraries stay busy year round. I encourage communities to likewise support their libraries, and the unique programs and resources they offer, throughout the year.

"Step to the Beat...READ!" (cont.)

Library System recently concluded a reading program by quite literally "Stepping to the Beat" across the new Sandy Plains Road pedestrian bridge. Meanwhile, at the Chattahoochee Valley Regional Library System in Columbus, several Vacation Reading participants from the local Boys and Girls Club helped stage a "Readers' Theater" that brought stories dramatically to life. The director of the Boys and Girls Club remarked that he did not realize how much fun children could have "just reading."
Many Vacation Reading activities also involve parents and caregivers. "Ready...Set...Read!," for example, a program at Live Oak Public Libraries, helps parents of 3- and 4year-olds learn how to read with their pre-literate children and how to prepare their children to be successful readers.

Owsley Tanner displays his reading log and his penguin craft at a Vacation Reading Program at the Braselton Library.
By linking reading to fun, the Vacation Reading Program encourages children and families to read and helps students maintain their reading levels over the school recess. The program also helps children and families, who are often from households that have not previously visited the library, discover together that the public library is a welcoming environment with something for everyone - from children's books, to videos, to computers, to parenting resources.

Sixth Annual Georgia Literary Festival Arrives in Columbus August 13-14

The Georgia Literary Festival is a two-day celebration of the state's rich literary heritage.
This year's festival spotlights the work of four Columbus natives: Shay Youngblood, Carson McCullers, Augusta Evans Wilson and Nunnally Johnson.
Youngblood, a prize-winning AfricanAmerican author, poet and playwright, will present the inaugural opening night lecture on Friday in the Springer Opera House in downtown Columbus. On

Saturday, noted experts will talk about the work of each of the featured authors, and a film of McCullers' The Member of the Wedding will be shown Saturday night.
The event will also feature a book fair, book signings, children's programs, tours of historic literary sites, a sidewalk art show, "ghost tours" of the Springer Opera House, and an outdoor jazz concert.
The event is sponsored by the Georgia Center for the Book. For more information, call 404-370-8450, ext. 2225 or visit www.georgialiteraryfestival.org.

2.

Georgia Public Library Service News Summer 2004

C.O.R.A.L. Receives Consumer Health Information Award
The awards, sponsored by the National Commission on Library and Information Science, recognize libraries that increase awareness of healthy lifestyles. The Coalition of Regional & Academic Libraries (C.O.R.A.L.) is comprised of Statesboro Regional Library, the Magnolia Coastlands Area Health Education Center and Zach S. Henderson Library of Georgia Southern University. C.O.R.A.L.'s Health Education Network combined public and private funding to expand consumer health collections, develop training and create a consumer health information Web site.
Athens Regional Library Selected for 2004 MetLife Reading America
Reading America is a national librarybased book and film discussion program for teens and adults that fosters intergenerational understanding and

communication, especially in new immigrant families. Reading America also aims to increase use of public libraries in communities experiencing significant demographic change. The Athens-Clarke County Library used the grant to host book and film discussions for Latino youth focused on themes of living in two cultures.
Library Card Sign-Up Month
This September, get the smartest card -a library card. Visit your public library.
GOLD/GALILEO Users Group Annual Conference 2004 is August 20
The conference takes place at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education in Athens. The conference provides continuing education and professional development activities related to Georgia's resource sharing network, GOLD, and the statewide virtual library, GALILEO. To register, call 1-800-884-1381 or visit www.georgiabraries.org/lib/gold.html.

News in Brief
Steve Kight recently joined the staff of South Georgia Regional Library as senior librarian of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Library.
The Cobb County Public Library System will have a groundbreaking ceremony in October for a new 20,000 sq. ft. South Cobb Regional Library in historic Mableton.
Jarvis J. Sims recently joined the Hall County Library System as the new technology services manager.
The Sequoyah Regional Library System received a Best In Show award for "Best Calendar of Events" at the American Library Association's Annual Conference in June.
On July 9, the Bartow County Library System broke ground for the renovation and expansion of their headquarters library in Cartersville.

SPOTLIGHT

Motivating teens to read for fun requires a fresh approach. Most teens would not be caught dead at a storyhour, sing-a-long, or arts and crafts program. "It takes a different approach to reach teens," says Tara Moffett, a circulation aide for South Georgia Regional Library and the coordinator of ValdostaLowndes County Library's new teen caf. "Teens are in many ways our most tuned in, most curious generation yet."

After attending a presenta-

tion on teen programming

at the Childrens Services

Annual Conference in February, Moffett decided to organize a

Teens read, socialize and listen to a local teen band at the library's teen caf.

teen caf to attract teens to the library. Every

Thursday night this summer, the library's

Folsom Room was transformed into a caf for

teens, complete with a cappuccino machine

and an open mic. Teens listened to and

played live acoustic music, participated in

poetry readings, applied henna tattoos,

learned Feng Shui, and explored medieval cul-

ture through classics such as J.R.R. Tolkien's

The Lord of the Rings books, The Midwife's

Apprentice, and the novels of T.A. Barron.

The programs proved popular; 50 to 70 teens

attended each week.

"I love the teen caf because we get to have fun, with a safe place to enjoy it. You also get to read and review books," reported 15-yearold participant Kayla Butts.

?DID YOU KNOW?
Of fourth grade students scoring in the 90th percentile in reading ability and literacy practices, 60 percent read for fun
daily or almost daily.
NAEP, 1996, U.S. Department of Education

Summer 2004 Georgia Public Library Service News

3.

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

CALENDAR

July 2004
7/15

National Summer Learning Day www.summerlearning.org

August 2004
8/13 - 8/14

The Georgia Literary Festival www.georgialiteraryfestival.org

8/20

GOLD/GALILEO Users Group

Annual Conference

www.georgialibraries.org/lib/gold.html

September 2004

9/1 - 9/30

Library Card Sign-Up Month

9/8

International Literacy Day

http://www.reading.org/meetings/ild/

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.