Georgia Public Library Service news, Vol. 8, no. 3 (Dec. 2010 )

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

volume 8, issue 3 I December 2010

Gene Hainer Staff

GLASS libraries
introduce facilities
for local recording of audiobooks
The Georgia Libraries for Accessible
Statewide Services (GLASS) network will soon be adding an important new service to support citizens with visual or physical impairments that prevent them from using regular, standard-print books.
Two of its member libraries, the Columbus Library for Accessible Services (CLASS) and the Atlanta Metro Library for Accessible Services (AMLAS), will begin operating recording booths that will allow them to record and loan digital audiobooks of local interest that have been requested by patrons and that have not been recorded by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS).

Rebecca Nugent, a library assistant at the Mildred L. Terry branch library in Columbus, practices reading into the microphone during a training session for the new recording studio.
The CLASS recording studio was completed in November, and the nearly identical AMLAS facility is scheduled to begin operations in early 2011. The booth was constructed inside a 16-by-24-foot conference room provided by Chattahoochee Valley Libraries (CVL) at the Columbus Public Library.
See GLASS, page 4

State ParkPass
program set for
2011 expansion
In response to the second straight
year of increasing circulation and demand, Georgia's public libraries will make it easier than ever for patrons to borrow Georgia State Park ParkPasses and Historic Site passes from their local public libraries.
Beginning in January, Georgia Public Library Service and the Parks, Recreation and Historic Sites Division (PRHSD) of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources will make more passes available for use by every public library in the state.
The passes are good for free parking or admission at more than 60 attractions across the state.
See ParkPass, page 5

Veatch elected president of COSLA

Georgia State Librarian Dr. Lamar
Veatch has been elected to serve a two-year term as president of Chief Officers of State Library Associations (COSLA).
"It is a singular professional honor to have been elected to serve in this capacity," said Veatch, whose term began in October and will run through October 2012. "To be selected to lead and represent this distinguished group is a humbling yet exhilarating experience."

The organization, which includes the heads of all state and territorial library administrative agencies, identifies and addresses issues of common concern and national interest in statewide library development and support.
COSLA also furthers state library agency relationships with federal government and national organizations, and it initiates cooperative action for the improvement of library services across the United States. I

Veatch (right) succeeds outgoing COSLA President Susan McVey, director of the Oklahoma Department of Libraries.

Athens Regional receives national leadership grant

The Institute of Museum and Library
Services (IMLS) has awarded the Athens-Clarke County Library a National Leadership Grant of $343,100.
The library will partner with the nearby Lyndon House Arts Center in an innovative collaboration to develop new services and programs for patrons born between 1946 and 1964. The partnership will include local baby boomers as advisers who will help guide the project toward its goal of providing lifelong learning opportunities for and by older, active adults and expanding museum and library services beyond existing walls.
"Our main idea is to enhance our Web pages and those of our partner museum by adding live and archived interviews with authors and

artists from the area," explained Kathryn Ames, director of the Athens Regional Library System (ARLS). "For instance, we plan to film a well-known local potter at his wheel. We're also aiming for some nationally recognized music groups and local authors who have achieved similar notoriety."
As part of the project, the two grant partners will also develop a best-practices model to engage boomers in the work and mission of libraries and museums in Athens and the surrounding communities.
This is the ARLS's second National Leadership Grant, following a 2004 grant for its nationally acclaimed Pinewoods Biblioteca, a specialized library and learning center that provides adult education

including English as a Second Language classes, family literacy activities and after-school tutoring for patrons whose primary language is Spanish.
"We will have much to do to accomplish the goals set forth in this latest grant," Ames said, "and I do want to credit the incredible community I live in for its support. When I called a number of community leaders about this idea, every single person said, `Yes! I will be glad to help.' And I definitely believe this advisory group was the key to our success."
IMLS is the primary source of federal support for the nation's museums and libraries. The ARLS grant is one of 34 National Leadership Grants awarded in 2010. I

Erika Ruthman

Cobb Central Library holds ESL workshop

International students from the ELS
Language Centers at Southern Polytechnic State University visited the Cobb County Public Library System on Oct. 7, during a research workshop that took place at the Central Library in Marietta.
"Coming here opens a window for the students," said Ann Willis, director of ELS Language Center Atlanta. "Even someone in the local community [would] be surprised by how much is here at the library."
English as a Second Language (ESL) courses range from the beginner's level of English for travelers to the master's level for college-bound students and executives. The students received a tutorial on several computer-based research tools including ProQuest, EBSCOhost and NetLibrary databases. They also received a preview on the Gale

Virtual Reference Library, a collection that has thousands of online reference books.
The information is vital, according to Suzanne Kincer-Weaver, head of adult services at the Cobb Central Library, because these tools are key to a starting point for researchers. "Library staff lay the foundation on which the patrons gather information," she said.
Kincer-Weaver added that, once staff show people the tools available at the library and how to get started, the library patrons can build on that base.
Outside of her school, Cobb Central Library is the first public library in the United States that Isabel Lameda, an ELS student from Venezuela, has visited. "It's very good
See Cobb, page 5

Saleh Alqahtani receives an overview of free library research tools from Suzanne KincerWeaver at the Cobb Central Library.

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Georgia Public Library Service News December 2010

Staff

GPLS, Zoo Atlanta team for new library loan program

Zoo Atlanta and Georgia Public Library Service (GPLS)
have partnered to offer a program that will soon allow Georgia families to check out a free day at one of the state's most beloved family destinations.

Beginning in 2011, the Zoo Atlanta Family Pass will be available at more than 300 participating public library branches across the state, including all PINES network libraries. It will allow adults with valid library cards to access the pass for free admission to Zoo Atlanta. The statewide program will operate similarly to one begun two years ago by Zoo Atlanta and the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library (AFPL) System.
"We are very excited about seeing this program expand, not just to broader areas of the Atlanta metro region but to the entire state of Georgia," said Marcus Margerum, vice president of marketing and sales at Zoo Atlanta. "It's an important part of the zoo's mission to extend opportunities for all Georgians to enjoy the many resources and experiences we have to offer, not just for those living within a particular-mile radius."
John Szabo, director of AFPL, is also pleased to see the program expand. "We love being able to offer the Zoo Passes, and it has been very successful," he said. "Our patrons are delighted to learn that we have this unconventional item to check out in addition to all the other wonderful resources we offer. Both our library system and Zoo Atlanta are wonderful learning venues, and it has been a great partnership -- and a great opportunity for us to develop programs around animals, conservation and the environment." Szabo

From left, B.J. Mathis, chair of the Henry County Board of Commissioners; and Karen Wheat's sisters, Susan Burnett and Nancy Papapetrou, welcome visitors to the Fortson Library's dedication ceremony.
New Fortson Library makes debut in Henry County
The Henry County Library System unveiled its new
Fortson Library at a dedication ceremony in Hampton on Sept. 28. The grand opening offered citizens the opportunity to meet local authors and enjoy tours of the facility.
As the first new Henry County library located west of I-75, the new 15,900-square-foot facility will provide better service and easier access for area residents, said Library Director Carolyn Fuller.
Fuller
"The new library replaces a building that was completed in November 1974 and expanded twice between then and the 1990s," Fuller explained. "But at only 5,700 square feet in size, it was not large enough to meet the current and future needs of the community."

The Zoo Atlanta Family Pass will be valid for up to two adults and two children and may be checked out once per year, per card and household. The Family Pass also includes a library loan of the WSB-TV-produced DVD "Animal Explorers," which, in the days prior to their visit, will take viewers on a captivating journey through the zoo's storied past, Margerum said.
Full details of the Zoo Atlanta Family Pass program will be announced in the coming weeks at www.zooatlanta.org and www.georgialibraries.org. I

The building was designed to complement Hampton's train depot, emulating that facility's classic red brick exterior and brown metal roof. The library will house more than 30,000 volumes, with dedicated areas for children, young adults and adults.
"The casual reading room is dedicated in memory of Karen Wheat, who was responsible for the interior design of all five of Henry County's public libraries and for the administrative offices of the library system," Fuller said. I

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December 2010 Georgia Public Library Service News

GLASS

Continued from page 1

"We feel really happy about our ability to offer this

"It's certainly a state-of-the-art sound booth,"

service to the citizens who depend on us, and we are

explained Suzanne Barnes, outreach coordinator for

totally committed to making it a success," she said.

CLASS and CVL. "The recording studio includes two

computers equipped with low complexity mastering

According to GLASS Director Stella Cone, funding

software, related digital-editing programs and all

for the AMLAS studio was made possible by a grant from

hardware components. Everything meets NLS engineering the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services to

guidelines."

Georgia Public Library Service (GPLS) under the provisions

of the Library Services and Technology Act. Once the

Final installations and setup were completed the

AMLAS facility comes online, the two recording studios

week of Nov. 8, and staff training sessions for Columbus- should produce an average of 150 local titles each year,

and Atlanta-based employees were held that same week. including otherwise unavailable recordings of children's

"Our first project and the

and young adult titles by

Staff

one we're practicing with

Georgia authors.

right now is The First

Georgians by Billy Winn,"

The booths will draw

Barnes said. "We've had

on volunteer vocal talent,

numerous requests for that

including local actors,

one, so it's the perfect place

broadcasters, voice-over

to start."

artists and, when possible,

the authors themselves, she

Additional projects will

said.

go beyond books, she

noted. "We've done a

Once the digital

weekly Columbus Ledger-

recordings are captured and

Enquirer news page on

edited, an audio

cassette for years, and we'll

proofreader will checks for

be converting that over to

misreads, mispronun-

digital. We plan on working

ciations and technical errors

with the new National

so that those can be

Infantry Museum at Fort

corrected before the

Benning to create an audio tour for the visually impaired. The staff at the

Suzanne Barnes works with Eric Willis, a library assistant at the Chattahoochee Valley Libraries' South Columbus branch, during a training session for the new recording studio on Nov. 10.

recordings are finalized and reproduced for patron use. When those procedures

Columbus Museum of Art

have been completed, the

wants to join with us on similar projects to help serve

recordings will be entered into the GLASS database and

patrons who are blind. We're also considering a variety of catalog -- and forwarded to NLS to be considered for

possible projects with the Blinded Veterans Association

entry into the national catalog. GLASS and GPLS staff

and the Columbus chapter of the Georgia Council of the have also begun work to establish a Georgia BARD, short

Blind."

for Braille and Audio Reading Download, service that will

allow qualified patrons to download the locally produced

Funding for the Columbus recording studio came

recordings to their cartridge or flash drive.

from Country's Barbecue Restaurants and its Community

Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley, a foundation

GLASS is not required to pay for recording rights,

that supports the visually impaired through sponsorship

Cone explained, thanks to a 1996 amendment to the

of the annual Midnight Express 5K run, held in Columbus copyright law that allows libraries to create Braille or

each August. Additional community support for the

record audio versions of nondramatic works without

project has been phenomenal, Barnes said. "We have a

having to secure publishing or reproduction rights,

list of more than 40 people who have volunteered to

provided those recordings are made available only in

read, work in the booth as technicians or provide

formats accessible to patrons meeting NLS eligibility

technical support when we need it.

requirements. I

4
Georgia Public Library Service News December 2010

ParkPass

Continued from page 1 A joint initiative of the two
agencies, the public library ParkPass program began in June 2008. In 2009, circulation of the passes increased by nearly 50 percent in comparable months. Based on January to October figures, estimated circulation jumped another 27 percent between 2009 and 2010. "More people are finding out about the program," said State Parks Director Becky Kelley. "They are finding something fun, relaxing and healthy to do closer to home. The natural beauty of our state parks and historic sites makes them wonderful places to explore for a day or a more extended overnight stay."
"Library users throughout our five-county library system love the ParkPass program," said Jim Cooper, director of the West Georgia Regional Library. "We hear families talking about how they often use the passes to visit parks that they have never been to before and that the passes are helpful in planning a `staycation' in Georgia.
"The mother of one family with three small children said they frequently go to a nearby state park for a nice walk and picnic after storytimes at the library -- and they check out books on leaves and bugs so they can look for them and identify them on their walks. The ParkPass program has been a huge success for us in West Georgia."
"We have had many patrons who comment on what a great service this is to their family," added Roni Tewksbury, assistant director/ branch manager at Neva Lomason Memorial Library in Carrollton. Vicki Sizemore, branch manager of Mt. Zion Public Library, agrees. "It seems like all of my patrons love them," she said.

The ParkPass program enables any patron who holds a valid library card from a participating library system -- including PINES -- to check out a ParkPass folder for up to five days.
Folders include an annual ParkPass that exempts visitors from paying the daily parking fee at state parks; an annual Historic Site pass good for free admission for one visitor to any of Georgia's state historic sites; and a copy of the Guide to Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites, featuring descriptions, photos, directions and a map of all locations.
"It's proved to be a great way to bring people into the parks, and we are pleased to be able to expand the program for 2011," explained Sally Winchester, marketing and communications manager for PRHSD. "We have gotten great
Cobb
Continued from page 2 because we have a lot of options for research and because the people here want to help us," Lameda said. "I like the fact that we can access the Net so we can get the information quickly."
While the ELS Language Center staff usually use the university library to introduce the availability of research materials to the students, they were required to look for an alternative this fall.
"It occurred to us that the Cobb Central Library would be a possible means of doing the same thing," Willis wrote in an e-mail. "The extent of research, resources and the outstanding support we received when we approached the Cobb

feedback from park visitors and a significant amount of online and press coverage for the program. We believe that, once people visit the parks, they will want to come back more often, visit parks that are new to them and even join the Friends of Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites."
PRHSD manages 63 properties that preserve the state's environment and history. Included are 45 state parks, three state historic parks and 15 historic sites, stretching from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Colonial Coast. Together, the sites offer a variety of resources, including mountains, canyons, forests, fields, marshes, waterfalls, lakes, swamps, rivers, battlefields, historic homes and Native American artifacts.
To see a list of parks and historic sites covered by the passes, visit www.GeorgiaStateParks.org. I
Central Library came as a wonderful surprise to us."
Saleh Alqahtani, an ELS student from Saudi Arabia, said the library tour was a helpful experience. "This part of class helps to improve our skills, and it taught me how to research," Alqahtani said. "The next step for me is college."
Willis added, "Not only were we able to offer our students an alternative place to do research, but [the tour] showed them how much is available from a county library system. We plan to make regular visits [to the Central Library] to show each new group of our international students what a wonderful resource it is to residents and visitors alike." I
-- Erika Ruthman

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December 2010 Georgia Public Library Service News

NEWS IN BRIEF



Walt Floyd

The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System has moved into the first phase of its $275 million Library Building Program with the approval of a Project Management contract and the issuance of $167 million in bonds. Phase I will consist of the new construction of eight branch libraries, including locations in Alpharetta, Palmetto, East Roswell, Milton, Northwest Atlanta, Southeast Atlanta, Stewart-Lakewood and Wolf Creek. Phase I also includes two major expansions of the Auburn Avenue Research Library and South Fulton Library.
The King County Library System in Seattle has begun using the Evergreen open source library software that was developed by Georgia Public Library Service.
Trolling the library
Bartow County artist and graphic designer Walt Floyd puts the finishing touches on the hair of a troll depicted in the new youth area mural at the Bartow County Library System's central branch in Cartersville.

The Coastal

Plain Regional

Library System

has named

Kathy Griffis its

new director. She

has been em-

ployed by the

system for more

than 25 years,

Griffis

serving in a

variety of positions during that time.

Alan Harkness has joined Georgia Public Library Service as assistant state librarian for library development. He has more than 20 years of public library experience, Harkness most recently serving as director of the Piedmont Regional Library System.

Will Smith has joined Georgia Libraries for Accessible Statewide Services (GLASS) as circulation clerk. Smith earned his Library and Information Science Certificate from Perimeter College and has been a volunteer at GLASS for two years.

Pat Carterette, director of Continuing Education for GPLS, has been elected second vice president of the Georgia Library Association.

John Szabo, director of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System, was honored in November with the University of Michigan's School of Information 2010 Alumni Achievement Award. The honor recognizes alumni with at least 15 years of service in the information professions who have made noteworthy contributions to the field.

As part of the Woolfolk Alliance

Group in Fort Valley, Gilda Stanbery, director of Peach Public Libraries, has received the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Excellence in Community Involvement Award. This award is presented annually to an individual or a community group working with an EPA Superfund team for outstanding achievements in the field of environmental protection. The EPA commended the Woolfolk Alliance Group for its dedication to the cleanup and redevelopment of the old Woolfolk Chemical Works site. Construction of the new Thomas Public Library on the formerly contaminated property provided frequent opportunities to show how remediation and redevelopment can be combined to protect human health and the environment and improve the local quality of life.
The Georgia chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council recognized the Gwinnett County Public Library's Hamilton Mill branch with an Honorable Mention for Excellence in Sustainability designation at its 2010 Awards for Excellence ceremony, held in Savannah on Oct. 2.
Numerous Georgia public library systems are helping the U.S. Department of the Treasury promote its Go Direct campaign and the use of its Direct Express card. The two initiatives promote the use of electronic payments for individuals who receive Social Security Administration and Supplemental Security Income benefits, eliminating the risk of lost or stolen checks and helping to protect against financial crimes. Free information and materials to help people switch from paper checks to direct deposit for federal benefits are now available at many of the state's public library branches and at www.GoDirect.org. I

6
Georgia Public Library Service News December 2010

Courtesy of Overdrive

Digital Bookmobile tour includes Atlanta-Fulton, DeKalb libraries

The Digital Bookmobile National Tour, showcasing free
e-book and audiobook download services, visited three Atlanta libraries in late October. At the free events, readers of all ages learned how to download digital books from libraries through interactive demonstrations and high-definition instructional videos.

The Digital Bookmobile is housed inside an 18-wheel tractor-trailer. The 74-foot-long community outreach vehicle is a high-tech update of the traditional bookmobile that has served communities for decades. The vehicle is equipped with broadband Internet-connected PCs, highdefinition monitors, premium sound systems and a variety of portable devices, all of which help visitors explore the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System's (AFPLS) and DeKalb County Public Library's download services. Interactive learning stations give visitors an opportunity to search the libraries' digital media collection, use supported mobile devices, sample digital books and more.
Patrons can take advantage of the download service when they visit the libraries' websites, where they can browse the growing collection of best-selling, new release and classic titles and check out a digital title with a valid library card. Once downloaded, digital titles can be

Patrons sign up for the Friends-sponsored e-reader raffle at the Southwest Branch Library event. More than 200 Fulton County citizens learned about e-books and audiobook downloads during the Digital Bookmobile's stop in Atlanta.
enjoyed on a computer or transferred to supported portable devices. At the end of the lending period, titles automatically expire and are returned to the digital collection. There are never late fees or damaged items.
The bookmobile visited AFPLS's Ocee and Southwest branch libraries on Oct. 26 and 27 and the DeKalb system's Dunwoody Library Oct. 28. I

Thomas Shalin

Bartow County system honors Hollingsworth

The Bartow County Public Library
System honored former Youth Services Library Assistant Dianne Hollingsworth by dedicating the Youth Services Program Room in her name and adding a statue in her honor in the Youth Services Courtyard. The life-size statue of a boy reading a book on a bench, with a dog in his lap, is in the library's Youth Services Courtyard. Hollingsworth, who passed away May 9 at the age of 64, had worked for the library for a decade when she retired a month after being diagnosed with cancer.
"Dianne liked to connect people with books, whatever their reading interest was," Library Director Carmen Sims said. "If she was on her way out of the door, had on her

coat, her keys in hand, her giant bag filled with books in hand, she'd put everything down to stop and help someone find something. This held true for adults as well."
Sims estimated that more than 70 people attended the dedication. Among the attendees were members of Hollingsworth's family, including her husband, J.C. Hollingsworth, who said, "She loved the children and the people who came to the library. She made all kinds of friends of people who would bring kids, and she'd come home talking to me about them like I knew them all.
"The people she worked with and the ones that came in the library regularly became like family to her,"

From left, standing, are Hollingsworth's son-inlaw Carl Rutherford, husband J.C., sister-in-law Faye and brother-in-law Rex. Sitting with the memorial statue are daughter Dianne Rutherford and Hollingsworth's son, Hunter.
he added. Hollingsworth said he appreciated the library community honoring his wife, "This was a very touching event, and it was a special honor for her." I
-- Jon Gargis The Daily Tribune News

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December 2010 Georgia Public Library Service News

Courtesy Barrow County News

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

Crafting an ideal space for children
The Piedmont Regional Library System's Winder Library held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its enhanced children's area Oct. 25. The event honored Lucy Craft, the system's bookmobile librarian in the 1970s. Craft passed away earlier this year and bequeathed the library $75,000 for the children's area and collection. From left are Board Chair Daniel Yearwood Jr., Jackson Gannon, Nicole Volk and Winder Mayor George Thompson III.

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