Winners Announced in Inagural Georgia Libraries Photo Contest

Victoria “Vickie” Horst, has been a photography buff for many years, and her interest paid off in February when her entry was judged the overall “Best Photo” in the inaugural Georgia Libraries Photo Contest. Horst is director of the Tifton-Tift County Public Library, part of the Coastal Plain Regional Library System.

Jointly sponsored by the Georgia Library Association (GLA), Georgia Public Library Service, Georgia Association for Instructional Technology and Georgia Library Media Association, the contest encouraged library supporters to show their love for Georgia's libraries — and win a prize valued at $100 in the process.

More than 70 entrants submitted photos of magical library moments that were captured digitally between Jan. 1 and Feb. 14 of this year. A panel of judges selected the winners and honorable mentions representing each of 10 categories.

From the category winners, judges then selected Horst’s photo as "best overall" and awarded her the grand prize of a library/reading gift basket valued at $100 from GLA and a certificate suitable for framing. First-place winners from the remaining categories received a certificate and a gift bag containing an assortment of library-related gifts, while honorable mentions received certificates.

A series of posters incorporating all winning photos will be displayed during Georgia Library Day at the state Capitol on March 10.

"These photos will make for a wonderful display," said Julie Walker, deputy state librarian. "They certainly will draw the attention of our legislators and help us show them how much Georgians value libraries and library services."

Winning photographs also will be displayed and their creators recognized at the 2010 Georgia Council of Media Organizations (COMO) conference in Athens this fall, and can be viewed online.

The complete list of winning photographers is as follows:
Best photo of an adult or adults reading
1st Place: Debra Marino, Harris County Public Library
Honorable Mention: Rattanaporn Lloyd, Athens Technical College, Athens Campus

Best photo of a student or students reading
1st Place: Rattanaporn Lloyd, Athens Technical College, Athens Campus
Honorable Mention: Christine Tigue, Stone Mountain High School

Best photo of a child or children reading
1st Place: Martha Goodson, Neva Lomason Memorial Library, Carrollton
Honorable Mention: Margery Bouris, Whitesburg Public Library

Best photo of a person using a talking book center
1st Place: David Evans, Northwest Georgia Talking Book Library, Rome
Honorable Mention: Wanda Daniel, Talking Book Center, Dublin

Best photo of a person using a public-access computer in a library
1st Place: Margery Bouris, Whitesburg Public Library
Honorable Mention: Martha Goodson, Neva Lomason Memorial Library, Carrollton

Best photo of a library-sponsored or Friends-sponsored event
1st Place: Victoria Horst, Tift County Public Library, Tifton
Honorable Mention: Margery Bouris,, Whitesburg Public Library

Best photo showing library advocacy/support in action
1st Place: Chuck Anderson, Dr. Lamar Veatch with Member of General Assembly
Honorable Mention: Amanda Kiriakos, Athens Technical College, Elbert County Campus

Best photo of a librarian
1st Place: Martha Goodson, Neva Lomason Memorial Library, Carrollton
Honorable Mention: Chuck Anderson, R.T. Jones Memorial Library, Canton

Best exterior photo of a library
1st Place: David Morris Jr., North Georgia College & State University
Honorable Mention: Kathi Fly, Woodstock Public Library

Best interior photo of a library
1st Place (three-way tie): Elizabeth Bagley, McCain Library, Agnes Scott College, Decatur; Martha Goodson, Neva Lomason Memorial Library, Carrollton; and Jean Wyant, Central Library, Newnan