Georgia Public Library Service news, Vol. 6, no. 6 (June 2009)

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

volume 6, issue 6 I June 2009

Governor, Legislature approve funds for 18 libraries

On May 13, Gov. Sonny Perdue

has not had a state

officially signed the state of

construction project since

Georgia's $18.6 billion budget for

1994. Tentatively called the

fiscal year 2010. In addition to the

Oakland Library, the 19,500-

11 new library projects that the

square-foot facility will be

governor included in his original

built in Leesburg and will

capital outlay recommendations in

serve as the county's central

January, the approved budget

library and as system

includes seven more critical library

headquarters for its three

design and construction projects

branches. The Lee County Leavy

added by the Legislature in

system long ago outgrew its

recognition of the increasingly

current facility, which was designed

critical importance of public libraries to serve as a branch of the nearby

during tough economic times.

Kinchafoonee Regional Library

System. The state will contribute $2

"Cutting the budget has forced million toward the project's total

a number of difficult decisions, but

cost. An additional $3 million will

we have managed the state in a

come from local funds.

thoughtful, conservative way to

ensure Georgians are receiving value

"This is certainly an exciting time

for their tax dollars," said Gov.

for Lee County," said Eddie

Perdue.

Hinman, chairman of the Lee

County Library board of trustees.

"Georgia's public libraries are

"The new library will offer much-

deeply appreciative to the governor

needed space for enhanced library

and to the Legislature for the

SRJ Architects Inc.

state matching funding for

these 18 library construction

projects," said State Librarian

Dr. Lamar Veatch. "We are

gratified that the state's

leadership recognizes the

continued importance of

public libraries as vital

educational and informational resources in our communities. An artist's rendering of the new Lee County library

Our capital construction

program, which combines state and service as well as needed meeting

local funding, continues to be a

space for community gatherings and

great model of cooperation."

conferences. State and local officials

are proving that they are looking

Among the seven additional

forward to a brighter and more

library projects is a new $5 million

prosperous future for Lee County

central library for Lee County, which and the entire state of Georgia in

their support of these 18 library building projects."
Claire Leavy, director of the Lee County Library System, agrees. "Much appreciation goes to the officials who support and encourage public library use in our state," she said. "Their vision for public libraries, coupled with the economic impact of these 18 new projects, will certainly make Georgia a shining example for the rest of the nation."
The other new library projects, their total costs and the value of their state shares are as follows:
I an addition to the Piedmont Regional Library System's Commerce Public Library in Jackson County ($2,098,036 total; $1,515,000 state, $583,036 local);
I an addition to the Cherokee Regional Library System's Dade County Library in Trenton ($838,333 total; $675,000 state, $163,333 local);
I an addition to and renovation of the Uncle Remus Regional Library System's Greene County Library in Greensboro ($2,815,050 total; $1,810,000 state, $1,005,050 local);
I an addition to and renovation of the West Georgia Regional Library System's Warren P. Sewell Memorial Library ($1,857,000 See Construction, page 5

Georgia, Iowa lead campaign for increased local library funding

On April 14, the Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation announced a $5 million grant to the OCLC library cooperative to develop a public information campaign that will help public library leaders heighten awareness of the needs of local libraries and increase support for the services they provide during these challenging times.
OCLC will pilot the campaign in select areas of Georgia and Iowa starting this summer. Later in the year, OCLC will make available community awareness campaign materials and other guides to assist library leaders throughout the country in their efforts to strengthen support for local libraries.

The current economic crisis has led to dramatic increases in library visitation across the nation, as people rely on libraries for free computer and Internet access to conduct job searches, access government services, learn new work force skills and use other resources they can no longer afford at home.
The tightening economy has also put library funding -- 80 percent of which comes from local sources -- at risk. Many library systems predict deep state and local funding cuts in 2009, a growing burden for the roughly half of all libraries struggling against declining or flat budgets.

"There has never been a more important time to highlight the importance of and support the services provided by public libraries," said Jill Nishi, deputy director of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's U.S. Libraries effort. "As a longtime partner to libraries, we believe it's critical to help ensure they remain strong during this especially challenging time. But we hope new partners, community leaders and local governments will also continue to recognize the value of libraries and support them accordingly."
OCLC will work with Leo Burnett USA, a Chicago-based marketing communications agency,
See OCLC, page 4

Janet Eberhart

Dalton garden club tour brings outpouring of library support

Joe Forsee, director of the Northwest Georgia Regional
Library, didn't anticipate that a tour of the DaltonWhitfield Library he gave to members of a local garden club would result in an increase in local per capita funding, but it did. It also brought a wave of positive local publicity for the system's headquarters facility.

As Forsee explained, when members of a Dalton-area garden club toured the library in late 2008, they were surprised to learn how dependent the library is on local funding. Club member Joann Williams, an ardent library supporter, began a grassroots movement to increase local library funding by the Dalton City Council and by the Whitfield County Board of Commissioners.
A strong showing of Whitfield County citizens, including members of the garden club, the Friends of the Dalton-Whitfield County Library, library board members and library foundation board members, attended a Dalton City Council meeting to advocate for increased funding for the library. Williams and her husband, Rep. Roger Williams (R-Dalton), addressed the mayor and council, Forsee said, and spoke eloquently on the subject of per capita funding, noting that the county ranks well below the state average in local funding and that the county also ranks among the lowest in the state in college graduates.

Rep. Roger Williams (left) accepts a framed READ poster produced by Northwest Georgia Regional Library from Director Joe Forsee.
Mayor David Pennington invited Mrs. Williams and Forsee to meet with him and then County Commission Chair Brian Anderson to discuss public library funding. Pennington indicated that the City Council considered public library services to be important to its citizens and pledged his support.
As a result, Mayor Pennington's proposed 2009 city budget includes an increase of approximately 14 percent for the operation of the library. In a difficult budget year for the Whitfield County Board of Commissioners, the library also received a one-time increase. It was one of only a few county agencies that did not experience a budget reduction. I

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Georgia Public Library Service News June 2009

GOLD, GALILEO sponsor 20th users group conference

Librarians from across the state are invited to help
celebrate two decades of library collaboration at this year's GOLD/GALILEO Users Group Conference on Friday, July 31.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the beginning of Georgia's interlibrary lending and resource sharing network, GOLD, and the first of its users annual conferences. GOLD's eventual partnership with the statewide virtual library, GALILEO, created the foundation for one of the country's premier resource sharing collaborations and a new name for its signature event.
The goal of the 20th conference is to provide a forum for continuing education and professional development for librarians, paraprofessionals and technical staff from academic libraries, public libraries, schools, technical colleges and special libraries throughout Georgia and the Southeast. It will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the University of Georgia's Center for Continuing Education Conference Center and Hotel in Athens.
According to Toni Zimmerman, director of Resource Sharing and Interlibrary Cooperation for GPLS, Georgia libraries have an important role to play in bringing about economic recovery in 2009 and beyond. "This conference must serve as a celebration of where we have been and also be a constant reminder of what we must do to stay the course," she said. "For this year's theme, we have adopted a familiar abbreviation -- re: -- as our power symbol, because it will always prompt a call to action on the words that follow. "Re:" is used throughout this year's conference theme, "re:invention, re:investment and re:source sharing -- Two decades of collaboration."
The keynote speaker will be Helene Blowers, digital strategy director for the Columbus (Ohio) Metropolitan Library. Her presentation, "Finding the Phoenix -- Feathers,

Flight & the Future of Libraries," will examine how libraries must creatively evolve to meet customers' needs in a rapidly changing culture. Blowers will also discuss the "re:birth" of new service models that could soon supplement or replace older formats and service delivery designs.
The conference will also include three sets of concurrent programs, along with a rotating GALILEO
training showcase. "Among the many highlights," Zimmerman noted, "will be a session called `Crisis is a Terrible Thing to Waste -- Reinventing Your Library When the Chips are Down.' This session will be led by our current deputy state librarian, Julie Walker, and David Singleton, our former
deputy state librarian who is now director of Library Experience with the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County in North Carolina. They will focus on secrets for thriving during down times. That's a subject many people will be interested in, given today's economy." Other sessions will focus on research methodologies for finding grant opportunities and on recognizing security threats and the protection of people, property and collections.
Conference organizers are holding the line on costs this year, Zimmerman said. Registration will again be $35 per person, with an early-bird discount of $5 prior to Monday, July 20. Links to registration materials and hotel information will be available later this month at www.georgialibraries.org/lib/gold.html. This conference 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

First of DeKalb County's library bond projects reopens to public

May 30 was a day of celebration at
the first of the DeKalb County Public Library System's major construction projects to be completed. DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis, county commissioners, the system's board of trustees and the Northlake-Barbara Loar branch staff invited the public

to the dedication of the enlarged and renovated facility in Tucker.
The branch officially reopens for business on June 1. It will have a larger collection, a new teen area and twice as many public access computers as before.

Money for the expansion came from a 2006 bond referendum approved by voters in unincorporated DeKalb County. The referendum covers 12 additional projects, including the Toco Hills-Avis G. Williams branch, which will hold a dedication ceremony on June 20. I

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June 2009 Georgia Public Library Service News

Surveyed users' satisfaction with PINES tops 92 percent

Enjoying the highest response rate
in the five-year history of its annual survey, Georgia's PINES program has also attained its highest-ever satisfaction ratings this year.
A statewide consortium of more than 280 public libraries and affiliated service outlets in nearly 140 counties, the Public Information Network for Electronic Services -- PINES, for short -- offers citizens a shared catalog of approximately 10 million items, with a single library card that is welcomed in all member libraries.
With a 15 percent increase in respondents from the previous year, the 2009 PINES User Satisfaction Survey drew more than 2,000 participants. This doubles the number of people who responded just two years ago, shortly after the introduction of the open-source Evergreen operating system. Developed in house by Georgia Public Library Service, Evergreen was introduced in September 2006 and one year later won a national award for technology collaboration from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Users entering the PINES online catalog between April 19 and 25, whether at a library workstation or from a remote home or office

computer, could complete the 2009 PINES User Satisfaction Survey. PINES Program Manager Chris Sharp coordinated this year's survey. He pointed out that, in addition to increased use of the service, the 2009 results showed a higher degree
of satisfaction than the already impressive figures from years past.

I It is easy to determine if my library owns a particular item.
I If my local library does not have an item I need, it is easy to find and obtain the item through the PINES system.
I It is easy to renew my materials through the PINES online catalog.
I I am satisfied with the PINES statewide library card system.

Based on

2009 survey

data, Sharp said,

19 out of 20

Sharp

respondents (95.6 percent)

would recommend the PINES system

to friends, with more than four out

of five (82.9 percent) using the

catalog at least weekly to renew

books online, place holds on books,

determine fines or see what items

they have checked out.

An average of 92 percent of respondents -- up from 77 percent prior to Evergreen's introduction -- also agreed or strongly agreed with these statements:
I It is easy to use the PINES online catalog.
I I typically find what I am looking for using the PINES online catalog.

"We also received a considerable number of comments that will help us shape the future of PINES," Sharp explained. "Users indicated a strong desire to see full statewide access to materials (up from the currently participating 51 of 61 library systems); enhanced access to GALILEO databases, including metasearches across PINES and GALILEO; and statewide access to electronic and audiovisual materials."
"The figures and suggestions we received this year are outstanding," said Julie Walker, deputy state librarian. "It's truly gratifying to see that Georgia's library users appreciate the benefits and conveniences offered by PINES and that, even in light of the current economic uncertainties, they want to see the system expand to more areas of the state and offer more services." I

OCLC

Continued from page 2 to design and test the community support campaigns using advertising, direct marketing, online engagement, public relations and grassroots community initiatives.
"The value and relevance of libraries are especially clear in a difficult economy; however, few people are aware of how their libraries are funded and of the increasingly fragile state of library funding," said Cathy De Rosa, global vice president of marketing for OCLC. "It is our goal that the campaign model jointly created and piloted with local communities can provide a
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Georgia Public Library Service News June 2009

roadmap for building awareness of the vital services libraries provide and how to convert that awareness into increased support."
"Public library use in Georgia is soaring, and many of our facilities and staff are strained," said State Librarian Dr. Lamar Veatch. "We are very pleased that OCLC and the Gates Foundation have selected Georgia to participate in this important library advocacy program. This work should help refine techniques to enhance the understanding on the part of local funding sources of the vital roles that libraries play in their communities." I

Janice Boling

Construction
Continued from page 1 total; $1,355,000 state, $502,000 local) and an addition to and renovation of its Tallapoosa Public Library ($442,857 total; $400,000 state, $42,857 local), both in Haralson County; and
I an addition to the Mountain Regional Library System's Union County Public Library in Blairsville ($2,530,357 total; $1,665,000 state, $865,357 local).
The 11 original projects recommended by the governor and also now approved are:
I an addition to the Sara Hightower Regional Library System's Rockmart Library in Polk County ($2,669,750 total; $1,895,000 state, $774,750 local);
I a new Central Library Annex for the DeKalb County Library System in Decatur ($8,002,857 total; $2 million state, $6,002,857 local);
I a new Northeast Branch for the Sequoyah Regional Library System in Cherokee County ($5,616,857 total; $2 million state, $3,616,857 local) and an addition to its R. T. Jones Memorial Library in Canton ($1,402,007 total; $1,050,000 state, $352,007 local);
I an addition to the Athens Regional Library System's Athens-Clarke County Library ($10,215,240 total; $2 million state, $8,215,240 local);
I an addition to the Three Rivers Regional Library System's St. Marys Public Library in Camden County ($1,116,683 total; $860,000 state, $256,683 local);
I the Uncle Remus Regional Library System's new Walnut Grove Library in Walton County ($1,700,000 total; $1,250,000 state, $450,000 local) and an addition to its Morgan County Library in Madison ($2,825,147 total; $2 million state, $825,147 local);

The Mountain Regional Library System held a celebration in Blairsville in honor of the Union County Public Library renovation and addition. From left are: Union County Commissioner Lamar Paris, Rep. Stephen Allison (R - Blairsville), Sen. Chip Pearson (R-Dawsonville), Director Donna Howell, Friends of Union County Library President Jeannie Bullock, building program consultant and Director of Northwest Georgia Regional Library System Joe Forsee, Union County Librarian Susie Brendle, State Librarian Dr. Lamar Veatch and architect Jack Bailey.
I the Satilla Regional Library System's new Jeff Davis County Library in Hazelhurst ($3,145,000 total; $1,145,00 state, $2 million local);
I an addition to the Thomas County Library System's Thomasville Library ($3.3 million total; $2 million state, $1.3 million local); and
I a new Forest Park Library for the Clayton County Library System ($4,571,429 total; $2 million state, $2,571,429 local).
"We are very excited about the funding our system's construction projects," said Jeff Tomlinson, director of the Uncle Remus Regional Library System. "Both communities have experienced large population growth, and the demand for materials and services there has exceeded our current spaces. Given that tough economics creates a high demand for library services, these building projects will allow us to serve our communities in ways that we just aren't able to do with our current building constraints. We feel fortunate that both the state and our local communities support this construction effort." I

Okefenokee Regional breaks ground for improved Pierce County library

The Pierce County Library's and
Okefenokee Regional Library System's boards of trustees welcomed more than 80 guests to a ground-breaking ceremony for their new facility in Blackshear on April 17.
Margie Wallace, Pierce County Library board chair, welcomed the crowd and introduced the slate of speakers, which included Rep. Mark Williams (R-Jesup), Sen. Greg Goggins (R-Douglas), Rep. Tommy Smith (R-Nicholls), former Rep. Hinson Mosley and State Librarian

Dr. Lamar Veatch. Members of the Pierce County Commission also addressed the crowd, as did former board member Mattie Daniels.
"It was a great day," said Lace Keaton, system director. "Everyone had nice things to say about the project, and we are all thrilled to break ground for this much-needed facility."
The current Pierce County facility is the only public library in Georgia that is owned by a private civic

organization. But the county's population has outgrown the 45year-old building. The new, 11,000square-foot facility will be part of a community center campus based around a building that is a registered historic landmark. The design of the two new buildings will complement the historic character of the older one. The library will feature a centralized circulation desk, reading areas for children and adults, a historical collections room and a conference room. Its interior details will reflect a train depot theme. I

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June 2009 Georgia Public Library Service News

NEWS IN BRIEF



Roy Ganga

Peggy Johnson will retire June

30 as director of the Elbert County

Public Library. She has worked for

the system more

than three

decades, serving

as its director for

the past six years;

Assistant Director

Anne Grace has

been named the

system's new

director, effective

July 1.

Johnson

Helen Poyer has been named director of the Cobb County Public Library System. Poyer was previously associate director for branch services. She will Poyer take the helm of the library system on June 1. The previous director, Tamara George, retired May 31 after more than 30 years of service to the system.

The four-branch Innisfil Public Library in Ontario has launched its

iteration of Evergreen, the opensource, consortial-quality ILS that was developed by Georgia Public Library Service. The new system is called Tsuga in honor of the Tsuga Canadensis (Canadian Hemlock) trees found in the forests of Ontario.
Liz Camp, chair of the Coweta County Library board of trustees, was elected to a three-year term on the Friends of Georgia Libraries board. Bede Mitchell, dean and university librarian at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, was re-elected to a second term. FOGL President Wally Eberhard of Athens will also continue to serve on the board as ex officio past president once his term expires later this year.
The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System, the South Georgia Regional Library System, the Thomas County Public Library System and the Three Rivers Regional Library System's St. Simons Island branch are among 200 recipients of a grant from the American Library Association and the Toyota Motor Corporation. The grant provides a shelf of 50 popular, translated Japanese fiction and nonfiction works in a variety of genres.

Toast of the town
Christeen Snell (left), manager of the Fayette County Public Library in Fayetteville, accepts the 2009 Georgia Toastmasters Communication and Leadership Award from Toastmasters' District 14 Governor Cindy Cannon at a banquet in Atlanta on April 25. The award is presented annually to a non-Toastmaster who exemplifies outstanding communication and leadership skills. Snell was selected for this year's award based on her exemplary customer service and for enthusiastically encouraging more than 100 local, regional and national authors to appear at programs at her library.

Dusty Gres William Ricks Courtesy Rainmakers Associates

Art for art's sake

Onion-sweet victory

Mahalo nui loa
Friends of the Braselton-West Jackson Library hosted its second annual fundraiser, "Luau for the Library," to support materials and programs. Approximately 115 people attended, helping the Friends raise $7,000. From left are Friends members Judy Aldridge, Gail Zeeb, Diane Lemaster and Robyn Matthews.

Sen. Jack Hill (R-Reidsville) was among the nearly 200 guests who attended the April 18 opening of the Oconee Regional Library System's Treutlen County Library's "Be Creative at Your Library" art show. Visitors had the opportunity to meet several well-known local artists, including Billy Jack Morgan and Frenasee Daughety, who judged the children's division of the show. From left are Mary Jane Smith, library manager, and her husband, Al Smith; Hill and his wife, Ruth Ann.

Lois Roberts (left), director of the Statesboro Regional Library; Pat Carterette (center), director of continuing education for GPLS; and Elizabeth McKinney, PINES program director, each finished first in their respective age brackets at the 32nd annual Vidalia Onion Run on April 25. The three are also the founders and charter members of the Georgia BiblioRunners, a statewide organization for librarians and library staff who enjoy running, jogging and racing.

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Georgia Public Library Service News June 2009

Staff

Move downtown improves accessibility

for Atlanta Metro talking book center

The Atlanta Metro Subregional
Talking Book Library is moving to a more accessible address.
In late summer or early fall, the facility will relocate from the warehouse-style building it shares with the Georgia Library for Accessible Services (GLASS) distribution center in south Atlanta to the fourth floor of the Atlanta-Fulton County Public Library System's central branch at One Margaret Mitchell Square. The new location is directly across the street from the Peachtree Center MARTA station.
"We have signed the lease and are working with the Board of Regents to select an architect for the remodeling of the existing area," explained GLASS Director Stella Cone. "Once work is complete, we'll have a walk-in library and resource center complete with the latest adaptive technology. For the first time, we will also have the capacity to offer a full array of services for

children with print impairments."
After relocating to the downtown Atlanta library, the subregional plans to add a recording booth that will be used to create professional-quality recordings of books and magazines about Georgia and of books by Georgia authors. These materials will then be shared with the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), which can then offer the materials to patrons nationwide.
One of 12 subregional talking book centers that provide services for the state, the Atlanta Metro Subregional serves residents in 16 counties. Library users who are not able to visit it or one of the other libraries in the network may obtain talking books and other materials through the mail free of charge.
For more information and a downloadable application, visit www.georgialibraries.org/glass. I

Congressionally speaking
On May 11 and 12, librarians and library advocates from around the country came to Washington, D.C., for the American Library Association's 35th National Library Legislative Day. State Librarian Dr. Lamar Veatch (center) led the Georgia contingent, which included Dr. Elaine Yontz (right), a professor in the Master of Library & Information Science Program at Valdosta State University, and Mariclaire LaForte, a student in that program.

Courtesy Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System

Erika Ruthman/CCPLS

Atlanta volunteers

Information proclamation
Cobb County Commissioner Bob Ott (far left) presented the Cobb County Public Library System's staff with a National Library Worker Day proclamation on April 14. Front row, from left are Director Tamara George, Mary Holt, Colleen Moses, Shelly Zhang, Yogini Desai and Jau Ling Holbrook. Back row, from left are Dinah Bonesteel, Donna Espy, Helen Poyer, Maryellen Baker, Janice Gillpatrick, Patty Latch, Thelma Glover, Deborah McLaughlin, Ila Linley and George Cornish.

Top: At the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System's 2009 Volunteer Recognition Program, Director John Szabo presented President's Volunteer Service Awards for Young Adults to Sabrina Henry (left), volunteer with the central library's Teen Center; Richard Woodley IV, volunteer with the Bankhead Courts branch; and Linda Ubani-Ukoma, volunteer with the Auburn Avenue Research Library. Above: Szabo also presented awards recognizing (from left) Friends of the Alpharetta Library Ben and Linda Statham and Kathleen Smith, each of whom volunteered more than 1,000 hours in one year.

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June 2009 Georgia Public Library Service News

Staff

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

Branching out with Evergreen
Jessamyn West, the Vermont-based librarian and technology advocate, delivers the closing keynote address at the first Evergreen International Conference on May 22 at the Georgia Classic Center in Athens. Sponsored by GPLS, Equinox Software and SOLINET, the conference brought together approximately 150 Evergreen developers, administrators, users and supporters, along with numerous advocates of open-source software. Initially developed to support Georgia's PINES network, the Evergreen opensource library software is now in use at hundreds of libraries in several states, Canada and other countries.

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