Georgia Public Library Service news, Vol. 4, no. 5 (Apr. 2007)

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

volume 4, issue 5 I April 2007

Staff

Summer reading program `takes you everywhere'
The theme for Georgia's 2007
Vacation Reading Program (VRP) is "Reading Takes You Everywhere." Its goals are to promote family literacy and to show that reading is fun.

Throughout the summer, Georgia's public libraries will:
I Provide a wide variety of books and reading materials at no cost;
I Feature storytelling hours, puppet shows or music presentations that stimulate children's creativity and help bring literature and language to life; and
I Promote the idea of reading for enjoyment and at one's own pace, often leading children to seek books and other items that explore topics that interest them.

Employees, trustees and friends of the Conyers-Rockdale Library joined their legislators in donning hard hats following lunch. From left are: (front row) Library Director Debbie Manget, Assistant Director Daryl Fletcher, Sen. Ronald Ramsey (D-Decatur), trustee Enid Hanson, Friends President Alma Ruth Byrd, friends Phyllis Turner and Jim Nicoholson; and (back row) youth librarian Ben Carter, Rep. Randal Mangham (D-Decatur) and trustee Jerry Troff.
Georgia Library Day sets attendance record

According to Lyn Hopper, assistant state librarian for Library Development, studies have shown that school-age children who continue to read throughout their vacation from school maintain or improve language, vocabulary and reading skills, while children who do not read are more likely to see decreases in those skills.
"Reading as few as five books over the summer months can help children maintain their reading levels so that when school begins, they are not behind in reading skills but ready to move forward," she said.
See VRP, page 3

Georgians who believe "Libraries
Build Communities" turned out in record numbers to voice their love and support of libraries with state legislators at the annual Georgia Library Day Feb. 13 in Atlanta.
More than 300 supporters and legislators from across the state attended the sold-out event, which was co-sponsored by the Georgia Library Association (GLA), the Georgia Association for Instructional Technology, the Georgia Library Media Association and the Georgia Public Library Service. Attendees received commemorative replica hard hats emblazoned with the day's

theme, "Libraries Build Communities," before hearing about the latest issues facing the state's libraries.
A number of speakers addressed the crowd, including Sen. Jack Hill (D-Reidsville), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee; JoEllen Ostendorf, president of GLA; Jenny McCurdy, president of Friends of Georgia Libraries; and Dr. Lamar Veatch, Georgia's state librarian.
Joe Forsee, director of the Northwest Georgia Regional Library System and member of the Georgia
See Library Day, page 2

All photos this page by GPLS staff

Library Day
Continued from page 1 Council of Public Libraries' Legislative Committee, spoke about the day's theme, "Libraries Build Communities." He urged attendees to thank legislators for supporting the 2007 Buck-for-Books Campaign and to ask legislators for support in retaining that $2 million in the Governor's budget request for 2008.
Forsee also called attention to construction grants for public libraries and encouraged hardhatwearing attendees to ask legislators to secure the annual availability of state capital outlay funding for local library projects that already have matching funds on hand and have met all program requirements.

Following the presentations, attendees visited the state Capitol to speak with elected officials, then returned to the Floyd Building for lunch with the legislators, more than 60 of whom attended the event.
"This is quite possibly the most successful Georgia Library Day we've had yet," concluded Veatch. "The turnout both of library supporters and of legislators --was phenomenal, sending a powerful message that Georgians believe in the value of libraries and the idea that libraries -- and librarians -- are indispensable in building strong communities across the state." I

GLA President JoEllen Ostendorf talks with Rep. Randy Nix (R-LaGrange).

From left, Sen. Bill Cowsert (R-Athens) speaks with a contingent from the Uncle Remus Regional Library System, including Assistant Director Jeff Tomlinson and Miriam Baker.

From left, Susan Roberts, director of Library Grants, Research and Planning for GPLS, chats with Chris Snell and Sarah Trowbridge of the Fayette County Public Library, part of the Flint River Regional Library System.

Mary Lee Davis (left), DeKalb County Public Library board member and Friends of Georgia Libraries President Jenny McCurdy spent time promoting the organization and signing up new members.

A group from the Washington-based Bartram Trail Regional Library (BTRL) enjoyed lunch with their legislators. From left are: Donna Taylor, Kendall Richards, Rep. Sistie Hudson (D-Sparta), Angela Leaphart, Karen Meeks, BTRL Director Lillie Crowe, Betty Slater and Rep. Gerald Greene (D-Cuthbert).
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Georgia Public Library Service News April 2007

From left, Sen. Chip Pearson (R-Dawsonville) meets with Library Director Claudia Gibson, Nel Baierl and Sarah Trowbridge of the Chestatee Regional Library System.

Thomas Sperling

VRP
Continued from page 1 The "Reading Takes You Every-
where" theme features more than two dozen characters -- human and animal -- that have played parts in Georgia's history. This year's drawings were created by Thomas Sperling, a noted artist who has illustrated more than 40 books.
Sperling has worked primarily in the United Kingdom, where he illustrated a series of revised classics for both the Oxford and Cambridge University presses, including such titles as Aladdin, The Scarlet Letter, Rip Van Winkle, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Hamlet. In the United States, he is best known for his work as creating illustrator for The Land of the Letter People.
Sperling's sure-to-be-popular menagerie for the Vacation Reading Program revolves around pirates, bears, denizens of an enchanted forest and numerous inhabitants of Georgia's coast and marshlands. Kids can pick up bookmarks, stickers and other items featuring the characters at libraries across the state, beginning in late May.

Because teens have different development needs than children, Georgia's libraries also hope to fill many developmental needs of teens this summer. To that end, Georgia will participate in "Lost in Time," a program that encourages teens to read for pleasure at times when they are not in school. The program also gives teens opportunities to engage in constructive activities, such as volunteering at the library or doing charitable work in the community.

"This program encourages teens to be creative and have positive social interactions with their peers and adults, as well as reinforcing the idea that the library can be a cool place for teens," Hopper said.

The Vacation Reading Program 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.

For more information on literacy activities, "Reading Takes You Everywhere" or "Lost in Time," visit www.georgialibraries.org. I

Pirates and bears are among the central characters in Thomas Sperling's artwork for the 2007 Vacation Reading Program. This design will appear on bookmarks.

Evergreen earns international press attention, Canadian partnership

The Evergreen software's popularity is spreading as
rapidly as its namesake's branches. More than 250 PINES public libraries debuted the open-source integrated library system this past September, simultaneously improving service, enhancing security and saving Georgia's taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Positive publicity is now spreading rapidly across the country and internationally, with feature-length articles appearing in a number of published and online journals, including American Libraries, Library Journal, Smart Libraries (formerly Library Systems Newsletter), Library Technology, Quill & Quire (the Canadian equivalent of Publishers Weekly), Panlibus (a quarterly magazine published in Birmingham, England), Computers in Libraries, The Digital Librarian and Linux Librarian.

The Library & Information Technology Association will sponsor a program highlighting Evergreen at this summer's American Library Association Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. "It's exciting to see the attention generated by this project and see how libraries nationally and internationally are eager to explore Evergreen as a new and attractive option for library automation," said Julie Walker, assistant state librarian for Technology Services. "It's also very rewarding to us that leading thinkers in the field of library technology are taking notice and asking us to tell them more about it."
In addition, the University of Windsor in Ontario, Canada, has partnered with GPLS in the development of the acquisitions module, giving the Georgia agency its first international association for the project. I
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April 2007 Georgia Public Library Service News

GLASS, Talking Book centers add touch of KLAS

Patrons of the Georgia Library for
Accessible Services (GLASS) and the state's 13 subregional libraries for the blind and physically handicapped will receive a touch of KLAS this month, and they can look forward to some speedy surprises as a result.
During the week of March 20, each facility migrated to KLAS v7.0, the latest version of the Keystone Library Automation System's library automation system. "Because this software is based on Windows instead of DOS, it will be much faster and more user friendly," explained Stella Cone, director of GLASS. "It will make it easier for our reader advisers to view a patron's records when they are on the phone with the patron, thus helping them provide faster and better service."

Widely adopted by libraries for the blind and other special libraries, the module-based KLAS system complies fully with Federal Acquisition Regulation Section 508. Version 7 is the first to incorporate a graphical interface. Training sessions for library staff were held around the state in February and March. "We have been hosting webinars three days a week for the past three weeks," Cone explained, "and Keystone is providing on-site training. We want the transition to be as smooth as possible."
The benefits the software will bring to library staff are numerous. It uses standard controls and drivers, and it is able to open multiple windows at a time. It reduces switching between screens, is far less

likely to get timed out and is more flexible and responsive when generating reports, Cone said. Patrons will enjoy a variety of new features, including a "Book Club" function, a reader-services navigator and a most-recently-used list. Search results, requests and quick requests will now also show the availability of specific items.
"We're very excited about the enhancements and how they will help us provide better service," Cone said. "This is a major and welcome upgrade for us."
This project is made possible by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services to GPLS under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act. I

GLASS introduces HourGLASS newsletter

The Georgia Library for Accessible
Services has begun publication of a bimonthly newsletter, HourGLASS. The first issue was published in February, joining several other subregional publications in the state.
"When I began my job here, there were several projects that Deputy State Librarian David Singleton, the staff at GLASS, patrons and I agreed would be among my top priorities," said Stella Cone, director of GLASS. "HourGLASS fulfills of one of those goals.
"We've had a very good reaction to the first issue. People like it. There's good information there, and they like being kept informed of what we are doing and about the ways we can keep them in the loop for more and better library services."

The newsletter will be available in large print, Braille and online at www.georgialibraries.org. Those wishing to subscribe should contact GLASS at 1-800-248-6701 to
request the newsletter in Braille or electronically. Plans also call for the newsletter
to be available on cassette in the near future.
"I hope that our readers will continue to find HourGLASS
informative and enjoyable," Cone said. "We are looking forward to providing it as an additional service for all our friends and patrons."
This project is made possible by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services to GPLS under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act. I

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Georgia Public Library Service News April 2007

Fitzgerald-Ben Hill wins Libri Foundation grant
The Fitzgerald-Ben Hill County
Library has received a "Books for Children" grant from the Libri Foundation. The grant matches a $350 contribution from the local Friends group on a 2-to-1 basis, allowing the library to receive more than $1,000 worth of children's books.
"Our library is fortunate in that it receives wonderful support from the city of Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County and the state of Georgia," said Library Director Sandy Hester. "But supplemental monies like this are always helpful. With this grant, our library was able to add 65 new children's books, providing more opportunities for area children and families to read, learn and grow." I

More than 440 Children's Services professionals attend CSAC `07

The highest number of attendees in
history turned out for the 2007 Children's Services Annual Conference (CSAC), held Feb. 9 at the Macon Centreplex. The goal of CSAC is twofold: to provide information-packed programs for children's services librarians in public libraries, school media specialists and teachers and to kick off Georgia's annual Vacation Reading Program.
"We had 444 attendees," said Lyn Hopper, assistant state librarian for Library Development, "and the comments we received in person and on the evaluation forms indicate it was a great success."
In conjunction with the advisory Children's Services Quadrant Council, Georgia Public Library Service staff developed the slate of workshops and panel discussions that were offered to help improve services and programming for Georgia's children, teens and parents. Presenters covered more than a dozen topics, including: "From Acorn to Oak: Creating a Family of Readers"; "Put the Book Down! A Beginner's Guide to Storytelling in the Library"; "Web Journey: Using Web Pages To Promote Children's Services"; and "Salsa Storytime: Spanish Storytimes for non-Spanish Speakers."

Carmen Agra Deedy, an internationally known author of children's literature, storyteller and radio contributor, was the conference's keynote speaker. Her presentation, "Love in the Library," drew on her childhood library memories as she grew up in Decatur. Her vivid descriptions of the library staff, her sister and her mother proved a conference highlight.
As a special feature of this year's CSAC, librarians across the state were invited to create stories and online scavenger hunts based on Thomas Sperling's original artwork for the 2007 Vacation Reading Program, "Reading Takes You Everywhere." A panel of judges, led by Deputy State Librarian David Singleton and members of the Quadrant Council, reviewed a variety of original stories, plays, flannelboard stories, finger plays and radio programs, then chose five stories and three scavenger hunts to include in the summer reading program. Judging criteria included originality, adherence to theme, age-appropriate content, adaptability for use in story times and universal appeal.
The winning stories included: I The Adventures of a Bear, a Turtle,
and a Book! by Catherine Michaud of the Chattahoochee

Valley Regional Library System;
I Bears Go Everywhere: A Directional Rhyme by Kelly Roth of the Bartow County Public Library;
I The Best Fish Catcher in Appalachia by Tracy Walker of the Chestatee Regional Library System;
I A Swamp Tale: A Fable for the Okefenokee by Wayne Damon of the Cobb County Public Library System; and
I The Pirates in Grandpa's Den by Joseph Pilkonis of the West Georgia Regional Library System.
Winning scavenger hunts included: I Follow the Trail to Georgia by
Lynn Dombrowski of the TroupHarris-Coweta Regional Library;
I Reading Takes You Everywhere/ Anywhere You Want To Go! by Lindy Moore of the West Georgia Regional Library; and
I Reading on My Mind: Online Scavenger Hunt by Ginger Nelms and Martha Powers of the Ohoopee Regional Library System.
CSAC 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. I

Hall County Library System employees pursuing degrees in library science are (from left): Leslie James, Ronda Sanders, John McConnell and Vonda Henderson.

Hall County wins national PLA grant

The Hall County Library System has been named one of nine

winners in the Public Library Association's (PLA) "Grow Your Own

@ Your Library" institutional scholarship pilot program. "We could

not be more excited," said System Director Adrian Mixson. "We

currently have more than 10 percent of our staff enrolled in a

library science program, and this grant will help offset some of

what it costs them for textbooks and tuition." The program was

developed to address the educational needs of public library staff.

This year, PLA awarded $8,000 grants to one library in each of

nine Public Library Data Service population categories. Hall County

took the prize for library systems with a service population

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between 100,000-249,999. I

Lisa MacKinney

April 2007 Georgia Public Library Service News

NEWS IN BRIEF



The board of trustees of the LaFayettebased Cherokee Regional Library System has appointed Lecia Eubanks as director. Eubanks previously served as assistant and interim director for the system. She replaces Diana Tope, who retired in March.

GOLD/GALILEO libraries elect 11 to advisory committee
In early March, participating libraries across the state
elected 11 new representatives to the GOLD/GALILEO Users Group Advisory Committee.

Catherine Vanstone, librarian at the Southwest Georgia Regional Library's Eubanks Decatur County-Gilbert H. Gragg Library, has been named by editors of Library Journal as one of 50 "movers and shakers" from across the United States and Canada.
The Thomasville-Thomas County Chamber of Commerce has honored Nancy Tillinghast, director of the Thomas County Public Library System, as its 2007 Woman of the Year. Tillinghast received a 2006 New York Times Librarian of the Year Award this past December.
The Association for Library Service to Children has selected Charmette Kuhn-Kendrick as the 2007 recipient of the Louise Seaman Bechtel Fellowship. She is children's librarian at Chattahoochee Valley Regional Library System's North Columbus Branch Library.
Karen Odom, librarian at the Houston County Public Libraries' Centerville branch, has been named a winner of a $1,000 Book Wholesalers Inc./Young Adult Library Services Association Collection Development Grant.
The Magnolia Coastlands Area Health Education Center has awarded the Three Rivers Regional Library System's Wayne County Library a $3,000 grant for library materials on the topic of HIV/AIDS. The grant was made possible by the National Library of Medicine.
Christie Paulk has been named youth services librarian at the Valdosta-Lowndes County Library.
Sharon Cleveland of the Sara Hightower Regional Library's Cedartown branch and Martha Powers from Ohoopee Regional Library's Vidalia-Toombs County Library have been elected to the Children's Services Quadrant Council.

"The members of this committee have excellent -- and well-earned -- reputations for the work they do," said Toni Zimmerman, director of Resource Sharing & Interlibrary Cooperation for GPLS. "Participation represents one of the best professional opportunities to effect positive change among member libraries, to enhance resource sharing and to provide better services for their communities across the state."
Selected to represent large academic libraries are Mary Jane Rootes, instruction librarian at the University of West Georgia, and Tammy Sugarman, interim associate university librarian at Georgia State University. They will join incumbent Charles Skewis, head of Collection and Resources Development at Georgia Southern University. Elected to represent small/medium academic libraries are Joan Taylor, reference librarian at Clayton State University Library; Leigh Hall, systems librarian at Chattahoochee Technical College; and Ann Fuller, head of Circulation and Interlibrary Loans at Armstrong Atlantic State University's Lane Library.
Chosen to represent large public libraries are David Tucker, collection management coordinator at the DeKalb County Public Library, and Holly Bowden, technical services librarian for the Athens Regional Library System. They will join incumbent Susan Lemme, reference librarian at Middle Georgia Regional Library. Picked to represent small/medium public libraries are Susan Stephens, director of the Chattooga County Library System, and Bonnie Boatright, assistant director of the Jefferson County Library System. They will join incumbent Leslie St. John, assistant director of the Newton County Library System.
Selected to represent special libraries/K-12 are Alice Harvard, information services librarian at Americus Sumter County High School, and Camille Walkinshaw, program librarian at the Fort Benning Sayers Memorial Library.

Friends of Georgia Libraries will hold its annual general meeting April 20 at the new Columbus Library. As a part of the program, a rare-book dealer will be on hand to help teach attendees how to recognize and price rare books. For information, vist www.georgia-friends.org. I

"Each of these elected representatives and all of the nominees have received my heartfelt thanks for their willingness to serve, and we are looking forward to a very creative year," said Zimmerman. I

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Georgia Public Library Service News April 2007

Atlanta-Fulton Public Library Foundation awards 2007 minigrants

The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library
Foundation has found a simple way to give away the money it raises: a minigrant program to fund libraryrelated projects that fall outside the scope of the county budget.
Founded in 1988, the nonprofit organization exists solely to raise money in support of the AtlantaFulton Public Library (AFPL) system. Its internal grant program allows any library employee to submit a request for up to $5,000 to support a variety of projects throughout the system.
According to its board president, Betty Edge, the foundation encourages staff members to seek support for new ideas and innovations, for the expansion of existing programs and for reinstatement of programs previously cut from the budget.

"The request for proposals generates a flurry of activity," said Sherry Siclair, foundation board member and library development director for AFPL. "These projects demonstrate the creativity and commitment of our system's staff. Proposal reviewers see a wide range of projects, designed to serve a variety of patrons and interests throughout the library system."
With more than $25,000 in grants awarded, the 2006 program was a tremendous success, Siclair noted. "In fact, the response was so great it prompted the foundation to increase this year's total to $30,000."
The 2007 grant recipients include: Janice White Sikes Rogers for a traveling exhibit to promote primary and secondary collections;

Edwin Simmons for a Web design studio for teens; Michael Salpeter for cases to display special exhibits; Celeste Gibson for a laptop computer learning lab; Andrea Akiti for a reading skills development program; Emmanuel Enujioke for a multicultural DVD collection; Angela Pope Margerum for a familyoriented functional literacy program; Morris Gardner for middle-school math and science competency workshops; Derek Wilson for the creation of a teen space at the East Point Branch; and James Overbeck for a valuation of the rare books collection.
"We understand that library staff people know what is best for their work," said Edge. "This program makes our investment in the library system so easy." I

Stacey Overstreet

GPLS sponsors second series of workshops for rural libraries
Following the success of eight 2006 workshops designed
to help rural libraries meet the challenges of sustaining public access computing, GPLS co-sponsored additional workshops in February and March as part of the Rural Library Sustainability Project (RLS), funded through a grant from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in collaboration with online community WebJunction.

As she did in 2006, Susan White, assistant director of operations for Sequoyah Regional Library, served as facilitator for the 2007 series. "Comments we received from participants attending both the 2006 and 2007 workshops were outstanding," White said. "We believe people left each session with a lot of valuable information, ideas, resources and action plans."
The goal of each workshop was to highlight the issues and challenges that rural library employees typically identify as obstacles in sustaining public access computing. "This relates primarily to facilitating connections for rural library staff, providing additional resources and support for rural library staff, creating additional avenues to which rural library staff may turn to WebJunction and encouraging rural library staff to take

Miguel Vicente, Jan Burroughs, Camilla Bailey, Nanette Kicker and Alan Harkness listen as Susan White conducts an RLS workshop in Athens.
practical action on sustainability issues within their community," White said. The Gates Foundation's aim, she noted, is to have at least one attendee from each library that serves 25,000 or fewer patrons. The 2007 workshops were held in Macon, Rome and Athens.
Deputy State Librarian David Singleton said: "For many people, the public library is the connection to the Internet; these workshops ensure that rural library staff have the skills needed to create first-class technology for their patrons and access to tools that will help ensure long-term sustainability of that technology." I

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April 2007 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 404.235.7200 404.235.7201 fax www.georgialibraries.org
Lamar Veatch, state librarian
David Baker, editor
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

PINES Annual Conference set for May

The PINES Annual Conference
will be held May 16-17 at the Warner Robins campus of Macon State University.
PINES (Public Information Network for Electronic Services) is the public library automation and lending network for 265 libraries in 127 counties. The South Georgia Regional Library and the Thomas County Regional Library System are the newest members, having joined in January.
According to Julie Walker, assistant state librarian for Technology Services, the first day of the annual meeting will provide a full slate of training activities, with an emphasis on

the new PINES reporting user interface. "Our new Evergreen software offers a powerful reporting engine," she said, "and a redesign of the end-user reporting tool will make it easier and faster for users to create
and manipulate statistical reports." Other topics of the opening day training sessions are circulation and cataloging.
The PINES annual membership meeting and Executive Committee meeting will take place on the conference's second day. Highlights will include election results for three new Executive Committee members and the appointments of new members for all PINES subcommittees. I

1800 Century Place, Suite 150 Atlanta, GA 30345-4304
A Unit of the University System of Georgia