Georgia Public Library Service news, Vol. 3, no. 2 (Fall 2005)

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

vol. 3, issue 2 I Fall 2005

Lisa MacKinney

E-rate plays pivotal role in connecting libraries, citizens to Internet

Since its inception, the E-rate
program has been an undeniable success in connecting schools and libraries to the Internet. To date, approximately 100,000 schools and libraries have participated, with

virtually every public library in Georgia benefiting from the discounts it provides.
"The program has helped local governments across Georgia afford

to offer better services at their libraries," said Richard Brock, E-rate consultant for the Georgia Public Library Service (GPLS). "We wouldn't be able to offer Georgians what we have now without it. We'd have 56K lines instead of the high-speed T1 lines in every facility."

On Aug. 17, public library administrators from Georgia's 10th Congressional District met with Representative Nathan Deal to encourage his support for the Schools and Libraries Universal Service Support Mechanism. Standing are (from left) Jon McDaniel, director of the Forsyth County Public Library in Cumming; Donna Howell, director of the Mountain Regional Library System in Young Harris; Lyn Hopper, director of the Chestatee Regional Library System in Dawsonville; Nick Fogarty, director of the Sequoyah Regional Library in Canton; Dr. Lamar Veatch, state librarian of Georgia; and Adrian Mixson, director of the Hall County Library System in Gainesville. Seated are (from left) Joe Forsee, director of the Northwest Georgia Regional Library System in Dalton; Representative Deal; and Diana Ray Tope, director of the Cherokee Regional Library in LaFayette.

More than 80 percent of Georgia's public libraries also receive phone service discounts, thanks to E-rate. In the program's seven years of existence, Georgia's libraries have received awards resulting in an average annual discount of more than $4.8 million. "That's more than $4.8 million annually in services we can offer citizens that our state and local governments don't have to pay for," said Dr. Lamar Veatch, Georgia's state librarian.
The source of E-rate can be found in the Universal Service Fund, which was established by Congress in 1934 to equalize the cost of
See E-rate, page 4

GPLS distributes $1.2 million in grants to fund repairs, renovations

The Georgia Public Library Service
(GPLS) has announced the first round of recipients in its Major Repair and Renovation (MRR) Grant Program for fiscal year 2006.
The MRR was a legislative initiative late in the General Assembly's budget session earlier this year. It provides $2 million in state appropriations to match local funds earmarked for major

renovations and repairs needed by the state's public libraries. The special budget appropriations received bipartisan support from both House and Senate and from Gov. Sonny Perdue.
In the initial phase of the program, a total of $1,245,099 is being allocated to fund needed repair projects at 17 public libraries across the state.

MRR grants will pay up to 90 percent of approved costs associated with major repairs and renovations of existing library facilities that were impacted by catastrophic events. One such project is the Madison County Library in Danielsville, an entire wing of which was closed when the facility was struck by a tornado spawned by Hurricane Ivan in September 2004.
See Grants, page 8

Deborah Shackelford

Alpha rollout of Evergreen builds excitement

The alpha introduction of Evergreen
will long be remembered as a seminal moment in the history of PINES, Georgia's Public Information Network for Electronic Services. The new open source software, designed specifically to meet the needs of PINES libraries, eventually will become the software on which PINES operates.

Members of the GOLD/GALILEO Advisory Committee donned their Dahlonega Gold Rush-era best to welcome attendees to this year's GOLD/GALILEO Annual Conference. Standing from left are: Cathy Caine of the Cobb County Public Library, Stephanie Middleton of Columbus Technical College Library, Kay Lowry of Darton College Library, Gayla Brewer of Cherokee Regional Library, Carla Beasley of Forsyth County Public Library, Judith Golden of Houston County Public Libraries, Carol Stanley of Athens Technical College Library and Tammy Trammell Henry of Chattahoochee Valley Regional Library. Kneeling in front are Suzanne Lay (left) of the Perry High School Media Center and Susan Morris of the University of Georgia Library. Lauren Fancher of OIIT Services for the University System of Georgia, Tyler Walters of Georgia Tech, Angela Mahaffey of the University of West Georgia and Toni Zimmerman of GPLS also serve on the committee.
Conference reveals hidden values of libraries

The program was designed completely in house by PINES staff members Brad LaJeunesse, Jason Etheridge, Bill Erickson and Mike Rylander. Library Journal earlier this year named LaJeunesse to its class of 2005 "Movers & Shakers" and applauded as "gutsy" the decision by the PINES staff to develop Evergreen.

Almost 300 professionals from
Georgia libraries attended the 16th annual 2005 GOLD/GALILEO Users Group Conference in Athens Aug. 5.
As GALILEO enjoys its 10th anniversary this month and GOLD marks 17 years of resource sharing, Georgia's libraries had good reason to celebrate collaboration. The conference theme, "Thar's GOLD in GALILEO: A Bona Fide Library Bonanza," and its accompanying mining analogy underscored the theme of uncovering hidden values in all types of Georgia libraries.
Nancy Davenport, president of the Council on Library and Information Resources, delivered the conference's keynote address, "Discovering Georgia Libraries: The Value of Connecting People to Information and to Each Other." She concluded that librarians must dedicate themselves to helping

others "see our true value" and remind people that libraries return a 4-to-1 ratio on money invested.
According to Toni Zimmerman, director of Resource Sharing and Interlibrary Cooperation, a celebratory atmosphere infused the conference, especially during a luncheon that highlighted the key activities of both GOLD and GALILEO during the past year.
"The GOLD/GALILEO Advisory Committee is already hard at work to produce web-based conference proceedings for 2005, and we've begun concept planning for the 2006 conference," she said.
The GOLD/GALILEO Users Group Conference was supported in whole or in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provision of the Library Services and Technology Act. I

"We received an overwhelmingly positive reaction to the software," said PINES Program Director Julie Walker. "Several members of the PINES team have demonstrated the alpha release at various library staff development days around the state and at the PINES executive committee meeting in August.
"The library staffs are extremely excited to see that the features they requested have become realities." About a year ago, the PINES staff conducted six focus groups, inviting library staff from around the state to attend and explain what they wanted from the new software. Their comments are the foundation on which the program was built.
Among Evergreen's top features: I Improved spell-checking and
search suggestions; See Evergreen, page 11

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Georgia Public Library Service News Fall 2005

Leslie Boeckel

Vacation reading programs enjoy record popularity
This year's "FUNtastic Reading" programs appear
headed for record-breaking participation across Georgia, with as many as 300,000 children taking part.

"Programs were popular," said Bobbie Morgan, director of Children's Services for GPLS. "We had a wide range of goals for the programs, and based on initial reports, we believe we accomplished them. This year's programs increased family participation and increased the number of children maintaining their reading levels over the summer. The programs brought children and books together in a positive learning environment, and we believe they effectively encouraged children to read for pleasure and to make reading a part of their daily lives."

Martha Goodson

"FUNtastic Reading" was supported in whole or in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provision of the Library Services and Technology Act. The vacation reading program is held in all public libraries in the state. This year, five library systems participated in a pilot program that introduced families to the benefits of incorporating literacy activities into everyday living.

"In addition to reading books, this program allowed children to participate by writing and/or drawing a story about a favorite character," Morgan said. "They could also find a special reading place and read a story to a pet, bug or bird. Families could have a `storytime picnic' where everyone gets to read or tell at least one story, or they could attend a family storytime program at the library. The aim of the pilot program was to stimulate literacy-related activities for children and get entire families involved."
This year, in Cobb and Fulton counties, GPLS joined the Atlanta Thrashers and Atlanta Hawks to challenge young readers to spend more of their free time reading this summer. The Atlanta Thrashers/Atlanta Hawks Check-it-Out Reading Challenge, designed to enhance the "FUNtastic Reading" program, allowed young readers to earn basketball- and hockey-related rewards by reading and participating in other literacy activities.
Team mascots Thrash, Harry and Sky Hawk made several appearances at libraries this summer to promote the program, drawing crowds as large as 125. "This was great fun for our library," said Jennifer Wells, head of youth and media services for Cobb County Public Library. "It was very encouraging as an incentive to our `older'

Animals of all types -- including a popular NHL mascot -- proved big draws at storytime sessions across the state. Children turned out in record numbers for this year's vacation reading programs, including those held at the East Marietta Library (top) and at the West Georgia Regional Library in Carrollton (above).
youth readers in middle and high school," agreed Program Coordinator Patty Latch.
According to Leslie Boeckel, Atlanta Thrashers community development coordinator, the organization expects to award approximately 5,000 Thrashers tickets and another 5,000 Hawks tickets to children and youth who took part in the program. Each participant also received a commemorative certificate and a Thrashers/ Hawks bookmark. "We have had an outstanding response from the libraries and young readers," she said, "and the reading scorecards keep coming in!" I

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Fall 2005 Georgia Public Library Service News

E-rate
Continued from page 1 phone service across the country and guarantee affordable access to those people living in rural areas. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 expanded the Universal Service Fund to assist schools and libraries in acquiring and maintaining telecommunications services and Internet access.
Formally known as the Schools and Libraries Universal Services Support mechanism, this 1996 initiative became known as the education rate program or "E-rate." Funded entirely through fees assessed to telephone customers, E-rate is capped at $2.25 billion annually. Applicants do not receive money directly; instead, they get discounted rates (often more than 80 percent) on telecommunications services and Internet access.
In Georgia's libraries, many computers were purchased with the

help of funds made available through the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), a part of the Museum and Library Services Act, last authorized in 2003.
"That's the beauty of it," explained Veatch. "E-rate provides the high-speed lines, LSTA helps buy the computers, and with state and local money providing staffing, it all comes together to put these services in public libraries for citizens to use."
And Georgians are definitely using the services. According to Donna Howell, director of the Mountain Regional Library System, which encompasses Fannin, Towns and Union counties, the use of Internet computers is growing by 15 percent or more per year there. "Last year, we had 64,367 uses of computers in our system's libraries," she said. "The population of the counties we serve is only about 52,000. That's just amazing to me.

People have earned their college degrees and their real estate licenses online using our computers."
They also apply for and win jobs using library computers, said Joe Forsee, director of the Northwest Georgia Regional Library System in Dalton. "One of our regulars in the computer lab at Dalton-Whitfield was working on her rsum and sending out applications a few months ago," he explained. "She disappeared for a few weeks, and when she came back, we learned she'd gotten a job in local government, and she used our library's computers to get it."
Forsee said many people in the Dalton area come to the library to email family members serving in Iraq. "The local fire department even came over to use our computers to apply for a grant to buy fire protection equipment," he said.
"E-rate is the only way we can guarantee that high-speed lines are available in every public library in the state," Veatch said. "And it's those lines that make PINES and GALILEO possible." PINES is the public library automation and lending network for 252 libraries in 123 Georgia counties. GALILEO, which stands for GeorgiA LIbrary LEarning Online, is an initiative of the University System of Georgia and serves as the state's virtual library. GALILEO provides access to multiple information resources, including secured access to licensed databases and other costly electronic information sources.

Michael Casey

Rockin' the Shelves
High temperatures and high humidity were joined by high enthusiasm at the "Rock the Shelves" concert at the Lawrenceville branch of the Gwinnett County Public Library on July 22. More than 200 teens packed the library to attend the first music concert held in the facility. Three bands -- Obsessive Compulsive Order, Under_Score and Typhoid Mary -- donated their time and talents to perform at the three-hour concert. Introducing the bands is (center, at microphone) Library Associate Jay Turner, who served as emcee for the event.

Equal access to information through public-access computers allows children in rural areas to study and complete homework assignments as easily and as effectively as those in urban areas. It's also a boon
See E-rate, page 7

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Georgia Public Library Service News Fall 2005

A slave's descendant takes up where slave owner's son left off

Susan Lee

by Tom Barton The Savannah Morning News
Some people believe in fate, the
hand of God, predestination, karma or the simple rule that "what goes around comes around."
Others say things happen for no particular reason. They believe in blind luck and coincidences.
I think that some things -- democracy, the birth of the blues, the breakup of Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston -- were meant to be.
And then there's the hiring of Lace Keaton. She's the new deputy director of the Live Oak Public Libraries and the descendant of a Georgia slave.
In a beautifully weird way, she wasn't just made for her job. She was born for it.
The articulate, animated native of Mauldin, S.C., got the library's number-two position in April. She moved here from Ohio, where she held a similar post.
People change jobs and cities all the time. There's nothing odd about it. However, once Keaton started reading the library's history, she found something that sent chills through her bones. Except it's a good chill.
The library system traces its roots to 1903. At that time, city officials and the Georgia Historical Society worked out a deal to turn Hodgson Hall, the society's stately headquarters on the corner of Whitaker and Gaston streets near Forsyth Park, into Savannah's first library.
"I was looking at the names of the first library board," Keaton said,

Keaton
"and one of them caught my eye -- Otis Ashmore. I said to myself, `I know that name.'"
It's the same name on an old letter, typed in 1929, that her family cherishes -- one from Otis Ashmore of Savannah, a son of a Georgia slave owner. It was sent to Lane Ashmore, the son of a Georgia slave. And, Keaton's greatgrandfather.
"I wondered if this was the same Otis Ashmore who started the public library," Keaton said. "So I did some digging."
Her research paid off. She confirmed that her great-great-grandfather, Marsh Ashmore, was indeed owned by the Ashmores in rural Lincoln County, north of Augusta.
And Otis Ashmore, who later moved to Savannah and became superintendent of public schools and a library founder before his death here in 1934 at the age of 81, was

indeed the son of a slave owner. Talk about a small world. Or a big coincidence. Or fate.
"I think it's pretty eerie," Keaton said. No kidding. It's also eerie to read what Otis Ashmore wrote about Marsh Ashmore, who worked as a foreman and carriage driver.
"He and I were always good friends and were constantly together," Ashmore wrote. "He was much older than I, but I do not know how much. He was a grown man when I was a little boy. When I was about 10 years old, I taught him how to read after he was a grown man."
Teaching slaves to read was illegal in Georgia. But here was a 10year-old white boy, who would grow up and start Savannah's library, thumbing his nose at a racist law. That's not fate or a coincidence. That's courage.
Keaton pointed to a handwritten message in a corner of the letter. "I love this note more than anything," she said. Lane Ashmore, a slave's son, wrote it for his ancestors. This is what he said:
"I hope this letter from Professor Ashmore will be an inspiration to you all to try to live up to the high standards expected of you from both white and colored. You see it is a family record to be something and do something."
Lane Ashmore and his wife had 12 children, including a daughter who would become Keaton's grandmother. Keaton ran through a quick bio of each of these dozen kids: teachers, business owners, farmer, preacher, physician's wife, college administrator and librarian.
See Keaton, page 11

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Fall 2005 Georgia Public Library Service News

Ann-Laura Parks/Center for the Visually Impaired Mary Beachum

GLASS lends support to book discussion group for the blind

by Empish J. Thomas
Works by bestselling authors such
as Carson McCullers, Bill Clinton, Barbara Kingsolver and Helen Keller are just a few of the various selections being read and talked about at a monthly book discussion group for the blind.
The group meets every first Monday at the Center for the Visually Impaired (CVI), a rehabilitation center in Midtown Atlanta. As it reaches its first anniversary, the group continues to provide members a great opportunity to converse on fiction and nonfiction books.
The discussion group is the brainchild of Beth Sutton, Activities of Daily Living instructor at the center. Sutton was able to secure a grant from the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) to assist with the group's administrative responsibilities and expenses.
"I had been hearing from clients and staff about the need for accessible recreation opportunities," Sutton said. "At the same time, I completed my literacy training at

AFB, and they invited me to write a grant proposal. So the grant seemed a good marriage to fulfill these two needs of sharing ideas and having accessible recreation."

The only major require-

ment to participate in the

group is that members must

be blind or visually impaired. All books are available from the Georgia Library for

From left, members of the book discussion group include: (front) Jackie Colton, Tiffany Forts and Ethel Jones; and (back) Lena Bowen, Empish Thomas and

Accessible Services (GLASS),

Gladys Taylor.

one of the grant's partners.

"Beth Sutton contacted me about

reading books on audiocassette

supporting her idea for a book club and/or Braille.

and I wrote a letter of support for

the grant," said Linda Stetson,

With the support of GLASS, the

formerly the director of GLASS. "CVI book discussion group has been an

and GLASS have had successful

enjoyable and entertaining

partnerships in the past and this is

experience for its participants. "I

another great example of our

joined the group because I love

cooperation."

reading and wanted to learn about

authors that I am not familiar with,"

GLASS staff members take book said group member Lena S. Bowen.

requests from designated group

"Reading has always been important

members, putting those books on

to me, because I get to see it as

reserve so participants will have

another way of traveling to places I

ample copies available. Additionally, might not get a chance to go to."

staff members provide vocabulary

assistance, because accessing

"The group has enlarged my

dictionaries can be difficult when

reading experience; I get to share

and compare ideas," said participant

Gladys Taylor. Another member,

Robert Smith, agreed, adding: "I

have learned more and been

entertained at the same time. It has

expanded my horizons and shown

me how others have different

interpretations of the books."

Burke County unveiling
A public ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house at the new Burke County Library in Waynesboro will be held Sunday, Sept. 18 at 2 p.m. The public is also invited to the formal dedication of the library by Gov. Sonny Perdue on Monday, Sept. 19 at 9 a.m. The 16,000square-foot building will be double the size of the current library. Among its many features are a large children's area, a "Georgia Room" incorportaing up-to-date research technology, a media-equipped meeting room and an expanded collection of books and DVDs. The Burke County Library is part of the East Central Georgia Regional Library System.
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Georgia Public Library Service News Fall 2005

As its primary source of books, GLASS has been instrumental in exposing members of the group to great literature. GLASS provides direct service to almost 4,000 patrons in a 16-county area. It also has the responsibility for providing service to the rest of the state by supporting its 13 subregional libraries. I

Beyond books on travel: Libraries serving as passport agencies

Libraries are often destinations for people looking for
books about travel, but two Georgia libraries are taking things to the next level.
The Athens-Clarke County Library and the VidaliaToombs County Library now accept passport applications as part of the regular services they provide their respective communities.
For many Georgians in the two communities, what was once an inconvenient trip to an out-of-the-way post office or courthouse is now conveniently located in their public library.
"We became an official passport office in June 2004," explained Dusty Gres, director for the Ohoopee Regional Library System in Vidalia. "We had been an official agency for 26 hours when the first person came in. They had seen our name on the U.S. Department of State Web site (http:// travel.state.gov)."
Before people realized the service was available, Gres said, the initial response in Vidalia was slow. "In the first six months, we did six passports," she said. "But business is stepping up with the new regulations. During the last six months, we've been processing an average of more than one each week."
Since receiving its designation as a passport office in October 2004, the Athens-Clarke County Library has processed more than 600 passport applications,

according to Tammy Gerson, passport coordinator for the library.
"Applicants seem to appreciate the helpfulness of our staff and their knowledge of passport procedures," Gerson said.
Kathryn Ames, director of the Athens Regional Library System, said the biggest challenge of the passport
program has been training staff in the intricacies of the application process.
"We wanted to be sure that we could offer the service during all the hours we are open, so we needed to have all our
reference staff trained," she said.
Gerson noted that, based on patron comments, those training efforts have paid off. "Our patrons have remarked
favorably on the extended evening and weekend hours for the service. It eliminates their need to take children out of school or take time off from work."
Gres, Gerson and Ames agree that taking passport applications is a great way for libraries to demonstrate value by providing a beneficial community service.
"Particularly in our area," Gres said, "there are not many places people can go for this service. They often call us to find out where they can get a passport, and of course, that gives us the opportunity to bring them into the library." I

E-rate
Continued from page 4 to small-business owners, who often use public-access computers to develop business plans and conduct research about potential clients. "A large percentage of them use our computers to contact the Georgia Small Business Development Center for online banking and even for email contacts with their customers," Howell said.
"We want to keep these library programs healthy and make sure that Georgia's delegation in

Washington hears about how important E-rate and LSTA funding are to public libraries," Veatch explained. To that end, GPLS is arranging for public library administrators to meet with their congressional representatives to keep them apprised of the services public libraries offer and keep them informed about the cooperative nature of public library funding.
The American Library Association has launched a national campaign to raise awareness about

the pivotal role E-rate plays in connecting schools and libraries to the Internet. The organization estimates that more than 95 percent of our nation's libraries now offer Internet access to the public, compared to only 28 percent in 1996.
More information about GPLS, PINES and GALILEO may be found at www.georgialibraries.org. PINES and GALILEO may be accessed at http://pines.public.lib.ga.us and http://galileo.usg.edu. I
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Fall 2005 Georgia Public Library Service News

Grants

Continued from page 1
Part of the Athens Regional Library System, the Madison County Library will receive up to $350,000 to repair the storm's damage.
"The library put an addition on the building in 1992, and the entire wing was wiped out by the tornado," explained Kathryn Ames, director of the Athens Regional Library System. "Fortunately, the branch manager had corralled people into a safe area, so no people were in there at the time. Our staff was wonderful. As soon as the storm ended, they took the disaster kit we keep in each branch, and they protected the collection.
"That wing was where we kept the entire adult collection, which is now crowded into the former browsing section and a multipurpose room. We had to put some books into storage, as well as 19 of our 25 public-service computers.
"Having these funds will enable us to get back to full service in Danielsville," Ames said. "This is a really important grant for the people of Madison County. It will mean huge improvements in the services we will be able to offer them."
Also among libraries receiving funds in the first round of the program is the L.C. Anderson Memorial Library in Metter. Part of the Statesboro Regional Library System, it will receive up to $450,000 to repair serious structural and floor damage caused by water migration into the facility's crawl space. The building is currently closed, with temporary public library service being provided in a former elementary school cafeteria.
"Our library was closed September 24, 2004, when it was

determined to be structurally unsound," explained Lois Roberts, director of Statesboro Regional Library. "Our reaction to this catastrophic event was like going through the stages of grief -- first we were shocked, then in denial, then angry and upset. People wanted to know how this had happened.
"It was unbelievable," she said. "From the exterior, the Kennedy Street Building looked solid and inviting, but in truth, the floor was giving way after years of gradual deterioration from excess water, moisture and rot."
While there is local support for Metter's library on an annual basis ($8.89 per capita in FY2004), with so many needs for tax dollars and the state of the local economy, the community could not recover the loss alone. The library's board of trustees recently appointed a renovation committee, and together with representatives from the building's owners (the City of Metter and Candler County), they hope to put the project on the road to recovery.
"Our community is very anxious to have its library back," Roberts said. "We are ever grateful to the state of Georgia, particularly for the support and assistance from Senator Jack Hill, who encouraged the legislature to fund the MRR grant for public libraries across the state. With matching funds from our local government and the grant from the state, we have renewed optimism about the future of our library. Patrons and staff are truly excited. It will be like coming home again!"
Also receiving funds for facilities closed due to catastrophic events is the Dade County Library in Trenton. Part of the Cherokee Regional Library System, it will receive up to

$185,670 to repair mold damage and improve air quality in the interior environment.
"We are very pleased to find out that we will get this grant," said Diana Ray Tope, director of the Cherokee Regional Library System. "The money is so badly needed. We have been operating out of a temporary site in Trenton, but the services we can offer are necessarily limited by the space available. This grant will allow us to proceed immediately with the necessary repairs and remediation so that we can reopen the main library as soon as possible.
"We really appreciate the funds provided for library repairs by the governor and the General Assembly," Tope said. "Without these resources, it would be much longer before we could fix all these problems and reopen. We are very much looking forward to offering our full range of library services to the people of Dade County."
Phase one MRR grants also cover structural and roofing repairs, which have the greatest impact on the physical integrity of the buildings, as well as on the protection of their contents. Grants will pay 50 percent of approved costs associated with roof and structural repairs of existing library facilities.
Receiving grants to repair structural damage are:
I The Uncle Remus Regional Library System (up to $14,575 for the Eatonton-Putnam County Library);
I The Jefferson County Library (up to $8,960 for the McCollum Public Library in Wrens);
I The Southwest Georgia Regional Library (up to $4,480 for the See Grants, page 9

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Georgia Public Library Service News Fall 2005

GALILEO marks 10th anniversary with statewide celebrations

GALILEO, Georgia's Virtual Library,
will celebrate its 10th anniversary on Sept. 21, with a reception for invited guests at the Sloppy Floyd Building in Atlanta.
In addition, the GALILEO staff encourages libraries across the state to hold their own celebrations between now and Nov. 30. Prizes will be awarded to the most creative and wide-reaching celebrations. (For details, visit the "Announcements" page in "About GALILEO" at http:// galileo.usg.edu.)
"Thanks to GALILEO, all Georgia citizens have universal access to a core level of materials and information resources, regardless of geographic location or local community funding," explained Merryll Penson, executive director, Library Services with the Office of Information and Instructional Technology for the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. "GALILEO was the impetus for providing Internet connections to many libraries and media centers and for improving bandwidth for existing connections."
The University System launched GALILEO using special initiative funding from the governor and General Assembly of Georgia. Within 150 days of funding, GALILEO (which stands for GeorgiA LIbrary LEarning Online) was available at the University System's 34 colleges and universities. Shortly thereafter, access was broadened to include private academic libraries, technical colleges, public libraries and public schools. GALILEO is currently available through 2,500 institutions.
"We're very proud that GALILEO is no longer available just to libraries throughout the state but to citizens

in their homes," Penson said, noting that a password, obtained from the public or school library, is required for secured access databases.
Users now have access to more than 100 authoritative databases for study and lifelong learning.
One of GALILEO's most important offerings, established in collaboration with the University of Georgia Libraries, is the Digital Library of Georgia (DLG), a gateway to far-reaching resources on the state's history and culture. With a single search through DLG, visitors can locate items from across 60 different digitized collections from
Grants
Continued from page 8 Decatur County-Gilbert H. Gragg Library in Bainbridge); and
I The Brooks County Public Library (up to $2,750 for its headquarters in Quitman).
Receiving grants for roof repair and replacement are:
I The Cobb County Public Library System (up to $83,435 for the Merchant's Walk Library in Marietta);
I The Northeast Georgia Regional Library (up to $66,000 for the Rabun County Public Library in Clayton);
I The Chestatee Regional Library System (up to $16,150 for the Lumpkin County Library in Dahlonega);
I The Lee County Public Library (up to $16,126 for its headquarters in Leesburg);
I The Northwest Georgia Regional Library (up to $13,750 for the Dalton-Whitfield County Public Library in Dalton);

more than 40 libraries, archives and museums -- and from 80 agencies of state government.
Use of GALILEO has climbed nearly tenfold in 10 years, Penson said, from approximately 5 million transactions (searches, full text articles displayed, etc.) in 1996 to almost 50 million in 2005.
GALILEO's collaborative approach is cost-effective and provides access at less cost than would be provided were libraries to purchase its resources individually, she said, noting that additional databases and features will continue
to be added in the future. I
I The Coastal Plain Regional Library (up to $11,517 for its headquarters in Tifton);
I The Southwest Georgia Regional Library (up to $7,494 for the James W. Merritt Jr. Memorial Library in Colquitt);
I The Ocmulgee Regional Library System (up to $7,090 for the M.E. Roden Memorial Library in Hawkinsville);
I The Mountain Regional Library System (up to $3,910 for its headquarters in Young Harris); and
I The Jefferson County Library (up to $3,600 for the Wadley Public Library).
Funds will be provided on a reimbursement basis and will be based on actual construction and repair costs.
The announced first phase awards include applications from both the first and second round of grant applications. A third and final round is due Oct. 15. I

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Fall 2005 Georgia Public Library Service News

NEWS IN BRIEF



On July 9, the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System opened its new East Atlanta branch at 400 Flat Shoals Avenue in Southeast Atlanta. Kenneth Thompson is the branch manager.
The Gwinnett County Public Library System broke ground for its Grayson Branch Library on July 28.
Donna Howell has been named director of Mountain Regional Library System in Young Harris. Teresa Haymore, outgoing director, was honored with a reception hosted by the system's board of trustees, staff and Friends of the Libraries groups in Towns, Union and Fannin counties. Haymore is stepping down after 17 years to resume her position as Fannin County librarian.
Nick Fogarty is the new director of the Sequoyah Regional Library in Canton, succeeding Joan Adam, who has retired after more than 19 years of service.
Joan Anderson was appointed interim director of the Middle

Susan Roberts

Georgia Regional Library in Macon, replacing Charles Schmidt, who is retiring, having served as director for 35 years.
Sandy Hester has been named director of the FitzgeraldBen Hill County Library.
The American Institute of Hester Architects has announced that The Georgia Archives in Morrow is among the recipients of the 2005 AIA/ALA Library Building Awards, honoring the finest examples of library design by architects across the United States.
Jean Turn has been elected to the "Academic Wall of Fame" in her hometown of East Stroudsburg, Pa. She is the Clay County librarian in Fort Gaines.
The American Library Association and the Association for Library Trustees and Advocates have named Lianne Keeney of

Dahlonega an "Extraordinary Library Advocate of the past five years." Keeney is currently vice president of Friends of Georgia Libraries.
Eugenia West and Charlotte Stargell, librarians at the Fayette County Public Library, were the subjects of a six-page cover story in Fayette Woman Magazine.
Library Journal published the article "Digital Dawn," written by Alan Kaye, director of the Roddenbery Memorial Library.
Public Libraries, the official journal of the Public Library Association, has published "Assessing the True Nature of Information Transactions at a Suburban Library" by Rhonda Boyd. Boyd is division director of Planning, Research and Development at the Gwinnett County Public Library.
The Louisville Public Library has won an autographed, firstedition copy of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling from Scholastic, the children's publishing and media company. I

Katherine Gregory

Russian evolution
Eight librarians from Russia visited Atlanta on July 7 as part of the three-week learning program, "Library Services for Youth: Promoting Tolerance and Mutual Understanding." The librarians toured the DeKalb County Public Library and GPLS headquarters, meeting with GPLS staff to discuss children's services and vacation reading programs, PINES, GALILEO and other topics. The visit was coordinated by the Georgia Council for International Visitors. Participants from Russia included Natalya Bochkareva, Galina Braga, Olga Kosareva, Nadezhda Loginova, Irina Proskurina, Yuliya Samodova, Nadezhda Tatarinova and
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Georgia Public Library Service News Fall 2005

Irina Zhgileva. Georgia's hosts included Kathryn Ames, director of Athens Regional Library System; Sharon Deeds, children's services librarian for Dekalb County Public Library; Katherine Gregory, PINES public services coordinator; Doris Jackson, children's services librarian for Atlanta-Fulton Public Library; Karen Minton, virtual services librarian for GALILEO; Bobbie Morgan, director of Children's Services; David Singleton, deputy state librarian; Linda Stetson, director of Georgia Library For Accessible Services; and Toni Zimmerman, director of Resource Sharing and Interlibrary Cooperation.

Evergreen
Continued from page 2
I Added content in the form of book reviews, jacket photos and tables of content;
I Customizable receipt printing for check out and check in;
I Detailed tracking of items through transit and into patrons' hands;
I Ability for users to place a single hold on multiple formats of the same work;
Keaton
Continued from page 5 Keaton's own branch of the
family tree has held up well, too. Her lone sibling, an older brother, was graduated from Stanford University and the University of Virginia Law School. He's a family practice physician in Charlotte.
Her first cousin is Hill Harper. He's not a doctor, but he plays one on TV -- Dr. Sheldon Hawkes, a reclusive coroner on the CBS series "CSI: NY." In real life, he's a graduate of Brown University and Harvard University Law School.
"In my family, going to school and reading were just a normal part of life," said Keaton, who has a master's degree in library science from Clark Atlanta University. "It was never a question of whether we'd go to college, but where."
And maybe it was never a question of where Lace Keaton would land a job.
What goes around comes around. There's beauty in the symmetry. I
The author is the editorial page editor of the Savannah Morning News, where this article originally appeared on July 2. Reprinted with permission.

I Expansion of local libraries' control to manage closed dates, staff logins and online public access catalog (OPAC) defaults; and
I Easier handling of batch edits and rotating collections.
"I love the functionality of Evergreen," said Sarah McGhee, youth services coordinator for the Chestatee Regional Library System in Dawsonville. "It is so much easier to navigate, and it has all the features I have coveted in other library catalogs. I think Evergreen will make the awesome resource we know as PINES to be even more relevant and usable for patrons and library staff."
"The ability to search by ISBN and ISSN in Evergreen will be a welcome addition, particularly for those of us who work with those numbers constantly as part of our collection management responsibilities," said Russell Liner, information/adult materials librarian at the Augusta-Richmond County Public Library.
According to LaJeunesse , one of the top features of Evergreen is the

section called "MyOPAC." Here, patrons can change their login name; change their PIN; place, cancel, and view holds; modify how they would like to be alerted of available holds; view fines; and view and edit address information. "We're planning for even more functionality in this area," LaJeunesse said. "In future releases, we will provide for custom search criteria and more customization of the OPAC itself."
Evergreen's beta release is scheduled for sometime in late February or early March, with complete migration to the new software planned for fall 2006. I
COMO XVII set for October
The Georgia Council of Media Organizations' 2005 Conference (COMO XVII) will be held Oct. 12-14 at the historic Ironworks Convention and Trade Center in Columbus.
The event is co-sponsored by the Georgia Library Association. Additional information and online registration is now available at http://gla.georgialibraries.org. I

NEH awards "Freedom Bookshelf" to Georgia libraries

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) announced that an additional six public libraries in Georgia will receive the We the People Bookshelf. The latest recipients include the Neva Lomason Memorial Library in Carrollton, the Columbus Public Library, the Newton County Library System, the Randolph County Library in Cuthbert, the Wayne County Library in Jesup and the Nola Brantley Memorial Library in Warner Robins.
The first round of recipients was announced in March. The awards are part of the endowment's We the People initiative, which supports projects that strengthen the teaching, study and understanding of American history and culture. Each library will receive a set of 15 books (four of them also offered in Spanish), along with posters, bookmarks and other promotional materials. I
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Fall 2005 Georgia Public Library Service News

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 404.982.3560 404.982.3563 fax www.georgialibraries.org
Lamar Veatch, state librarian
David Baker, editor
Georgia Public Library Service News (ISSN 1546-511X) is published quarterly 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 supported in whole or in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provision 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.

Georgia Center for the Book unveils Top 25
The Georgia Center for the Book has unveiled its 2005 "Top 25 List"
of notable books by Georgia authors. The list is composed of books either set in Georgia or written by a resident or former resident.
The complete list of books is as follows: The Last Radio Baby by Raymond Andrews; Ugly Ways by Tina McElroy Ansa; Going to Ground: Simple Life on a Georgia Pond by Amy Blackmarr; Wrapped in Rainbows: The Life of Zora Neale Hurston by Valerie Boyd; The Latin Deli by Judith Ortiz Cofer; The Water is Wide by Pat Conroy; A Childhood: The Biography of a Place by Harry Crews; Wit by Margaret Edson; The Temple Bombing by Melissa Fay Greene; Trouble No More by Tony Grooms; Leaving Birmingham: Notes of a Native Son by Paul Hemphill; Daughter of My People by James Kilgo; Woman of Color, Daughter of Privilege by Kent Leslie; The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers; Lamb in His Bosom by Caroline Miller; Sabbath Creek by Judson Mitcham; Everything That Rises Must Converge by Flannery O'Connor; And the Dead Shall Rise by Steve Oney; Where Peachtree Meets Sweet Auburn by Gary Pomerantz; Wild Ginger by Bettie Sellers; The Celestine Sibley Sampler by Celestine Sibley; Freedom: Georgia's Anti-Slavery Heritage 1733-1865 by Michael Thurmond; Driving Miss Daisy by Alfred Uhry; Mama Makes Up Her Mind by Bailey White; and A Distant Flame by Philip Lee Williams. I

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