Friday, December 13, 2013

Willet Memorial Library in the Spotlight!

By Sybil McNeil

Willet Memorial Library at Wesleyan College is transitioning. A library on a small women's college campus has opportunities for service that larger libraries cannot offer. Librarians pride themselves on their personal service to students, whether it be in the form of supplying coffee and tea or just "listening." More importantly, they offer hours of research assistance.The library even provides the ministrations of a cat named Libris, who is a willing accomplice to its homey atmosphere. Libris is actually known world-wide, as he was a featured cat in a British magazine a few years ago.

Wesleyan College, being the first college in the country chartered to grant degrees to women, is proud of its history and the entire campus is on the Historic Register. Therefore, the Archives and Special Collections, housed in Willet Library, are used by students and researchers all over the country. A point of interest in the library that attracts many visitors each year, as well as various documentaries from countries such as China and Japan, is our Special Collections room we call the China Room.

Madame Chiang Kai-Shek
portrait in the China room
Wesleyan's first Chinese students were the three Soong Sisters who are known by their respective marriages to men important to China and the world, and were instrumental in determining the present history of that country. They were Soong Ai-Ling, married to the wealthiest man in China in the early years of the twentieth century, H. H. Kung; Soong Ching-Ling, revered to the present as the Mother of China having married the Father of the Chinese Revolution in 1912, Sun Yat-Sen; and Soong May-Ling, or Madame Chiang Kai-Shek, in 1943 the first woman to speak before the United States Congress. Current ties with China include the establishment of a Confucius Institute inside the library. The Institute is working with private schools in the Macon-Bibb County area and is teaching classes on the Wesleyan Campus.

Willet Library is transitioning in other ways, evaluating systems and moving forward soon into the Cloud, making every effort to bring the best of modern technology to the students at Wesleyan College
Visit Willet Memorial Library's website for more information about the library.

Monday, November 25, 2013

Registration is open for Georgia Library Association's Annual Mid-Winter Planning Meeting.

Dear GLA Members,

Please mark your calendars and plan to attend the Georgia Library Association's Annual Mid-Winter Planning Meeting on Friday, January 17, 2014 at the Downs Continuing Education Center at Clayton State University in Morrow, Georgia.

This 2014 kick-off meeting is an important event for all GLA members, especially those interested in influencing COMO 2014 which is to be held October 1-3 in Augusta. There are changes in the makeup of COMO for 2014; GLMA has elected to have a separate summer institute rather than partnering with GLA and GAIT for the fall conference. Since GAIT was in charge of the over- all conference for 2013, this year GLA will have the major responsibility in overall planning. We are fortunate to have the Southeastern Library Association (SELA) joining us once again for COMO 2014. So now is the time for GLA to focus, fine tune, and forge ahead to make this a COMO to remember for its excellence! Let's make sure Georgia stands out in a good way – across libraries in our region and nationally!

Before and during the Mid-Winter Planning Meeting, you will have the opportunity to commit to Committees, direct your Divisions and show interest in Interest Groups. January 17 is the perfect opportunity to connect with colleagues and friends from all over Georgia as we launch the year.

Mathew Hauer, who leads the Applied Demography Program in the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia, will be our keynote speaker. His past work experience includes the U.S. Census Bureau and the Atlanta Regional Commission. He will talk with us about changes in Georgia's population, giving us important information that can help us as we plan for Georgia's future libraries--and library services--for all our citizens in every type of library. His dynamic and interesting presentations have been enthusiastically received by conference attendees from Callaway Gardens to South Korea.

The meeting will be held from 9:00am to 2:15pm. There is a registration fee of $35, which will include a continental breakfast and a hot lunch buffet. Registration forms must be received by Friday, January 3, 2014 to confirm your lunch reservation. The breakfast and registration period runs until 9:45am when the business meeting gets under way. Members of the GLA Board will meet from 2:30pm to 3:30pm after the planning meeting concludes. Chairs of committees, division and IG leaders are encouraged to stay for the Board meeting to give brief updates on the day's sessions.

Whether or not you are able to attend, please return your Committee Preference form by January 3rd to tell me how you would like to serve GLA. Although you may miss out on a day of social networking the traditional way, know that your involvement is still much needed and wanted. Committees will meet electronically, and if the need arises will meet again in person to complete tasks, so don't feel like you'll miss out on everything. I look forward to collaborating with you this year. Share your ideas for an even greater GLA!


Susan Morris
2014 GLA President
smorris@uga.edu



Thursday, November 21, 2013

AEL Networking Event - Mingle with the Admins V December 19

Mingle with the Admins 5

Thursday, December 19, 2013, 7-9 PM

Manuel's Tavern,
602 N. Highland Ave
Atlanta, GA 30033

Atlanta Emerging Librarians (AEL) invites you to a networking and information session to benefit library students, graduates and new librarians. Mingle with the Admins V is a wonderful opportunity to meet and receive advice from a number of library administrators, representing many different types of libraries, who will offer insights into the nature of their organizations. You'll also be able to network and swap stories with your fellow emerging librarians.

We expect representatives from multiple academic and public libraries in the Metro Atlanta area.

Snacks will be provided. Drinks will be available for purchase.

Register for the event

If you need to cancel your reservation for any reason, please send us an email at atlantaemerginglibrarians@gmail.com

2013 AEL Planning Committee
Benji Barton
Lindsay Cronk
Melissa Perez
Ariel Turner





Friday, November 15, 2013

Georgia Southwestern State University Library in the Spotlight!

By Ru Story Huffman

The James Earl Carter Library, located on the campus of Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus, has been selected as the initial venue for "Victory from Within: The American Prisoner of War Experience." The 1200 square foot traveling exhibit was developed by Andersonville National Historic Site as part of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War celebration. "Victory from Within" is a multimedia project that includes audio-visual interviews and original artifacts and is based on the thematic organization of the National POW Museum – Capture, Prison Life, Those Who Wait, and Freedom.

"Victory from Within" will be at the James E. Carter Library through January 2014. Plans are in the development phase for an opening program to include members of the Friends of Andersonville and the Georgia Southwestern State University community. The display will be available during regular Library hours.

Andersonville National Historic Site and Georgia Southwestern State University cooperate on a number of programs and have an existing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The annual POW Ride Home and POW Convocation is jointly sponsored each September and includes many members of the Rolling Thunder POW organization and the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall. Additionally, GSW students have the opportunity to intern at the Andersonville National Historic Site and the Library has provided display space for the POW Convocation. The Carter Library is home to Prisoner of War Collection, which was developed with assistance from the Andersonville National Historic Site. The POW Collection contains books related to the POW experience, mostly memoirs written by those who were held prisoner and oral histories. The collection is searchable through the Library's catalog, located at http://gilfind.gsw.edu/


For information about the library and the exhibit please visit the library website at http://gsw.edu/Library/ or contact Ru Story Huffman, Dean of Library Services, 229-931-2259.

Monday, November 11, 2013

Engaging and Assessing Learners with iPads: Free Webinar, December 3, 2013

Engaging and Assessing Learners with iPads
Presented by Laurie Griffin
Tuesday, December 3rd, 2013 2:00pm to 3:00pm Eastern Time


REGISTER

The session will present you with a variety of applications that can be used with a single iPad or even a one-to-one environment to assess authentic student learning. Learn new and practical ways to engage even the most reluctant student to participate in the learning process. This session will be applicable to learners of all ages.

Laurie Griffin is currently the school library media specialist for Jones County High School & Maggie Califf Learning Complex. Mrs. Griffin has over 17 years of experience in education ranging from elementary to high school. She believes technology is a tool that media specialists and educators employ, not a replacement for them.

The Carterette Series is an educational webinar series which highlights trends, innovation, and best practices in libraries. The free sessions are open to interested parties from all geographic (and astral) locations. Topics are chosen to be of interest to students and employees from all library types, and each session is approved for one Georgia Continuing Education (CE) contact hour.

Can't make it to the live show? That's okay. The session will be recorded and available on the CSW site for later viewing.

Contact a member of the Carterette Series planning team with questions or suggestions.
Casey Long: clong@agnesscott.edu
Kimberly Boyd: kboyd2@brenau.edu
Sarah Steiner: ssteiner@gsu.edu

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Going Pro: Success Stories - November 2, 2013

Going Pro: Success Stories
November 2, 2013 2-4 pm

Toco Hill-Avis G. Williams Library
(DeKalb County Public Library branch)
1282 McConnell Drive
Decatur, GA 30033

Please join the Atlanta Emerging Librarians for a panel discussion on November 2nd, featuring Eli Arnold, Traci Drummond, Ashley Dupuy, Oscar Gittemeier and Casey Long.

“Going Pro: Success Stories” is the third and final installment of Atlanta Emerging Librarians' 3-part series on becoming a professional librarian.This event will focus on stories from the front with five successful librarians sharing their experiences, insights, and advice. Our panelists include librarians and archivists from academic and public libraries. Come out and be inspired!

Register  for this event at https://www.eventbrite.com/event/8974311407

Two continuing education credits are available for this event.

Panelist Biographies:

Eli Arnold is currently the Information Commons Librarian and Assistant Professor of
Library Science at the Horace W. Sturgis Library at Kennesaw State University. He offers
research assistance in a variety of formats and teaches instructional classes at the
request of the faculty to increase information literary and research skills of KSU’s
undergraduate students.  Eli also supervises the library’s student workforce.

Before earning his MLIS from Valdosta State University in 2012 and joining the Sturgis
Library in 2013, Eli worked for six years for his undergraduate alma mater Oglethorpe
University in the Office of Admission. While in library school, he served as the
president of the Valdosta State University’s Students of Library and Information Science
(SOLIS) student organization.

Traci JoLeigh Drummond, CA, has been archivist for the Southern Labor Archives at Georgia State University in Atlanta since 2007 and is responsible for managing the Archives, making collections accessible, overseeing oral history projects, and performing outreach to the labor movement, University, and labor history communities.

Traci holds a Master’s of Science in Information Studies from the University of Texas at Austin, and her area of study was in archival enterprise. Coursework included arrangement and description; audio reformatting; moving image archives; records management; preservation; grant writing; and digital records theory. She also holds a BA in Art History from Georgia State University.

Ashley Dupuy is currently the Assistant Director for Instructional Services and Assistant Professor of Library Science at the Horace W. Sturgis Library at Kennesaw State University. She manages a team of librarians and paraprofessionals in the newly formed Instructional Services Department. Previously, she served as Coordinator of Undergraduate Library Instruction and taught library instruction classes and coordinated scheduling for all undergraduate classes and individual reference sessions. Before coming to Kennesaw State she worked for two years in the Atlanta-Fulton County Public Library System.

Prior to completing her MLIS at the University of Alabama, Ms. Dupuy worked for 15 years in the marketing and advertising industry. She has extensive experience in business management, project management and account service. She has worked for advertising agencies (most recently Target MarkeTeam), at companies like Delta AirLines, and with many large clients such as the American Diabetes Association, Blimpie International, UPS, American Express, and Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Ms. Dupuy also has a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania.

Oscar Gittemeier currently works as a Youth Services Librarian with the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System (AFPLS) at the East Atlanta Branch. He has a background in Sociology and Women’s Studies and completed his MLIS with Florida State University in August 2012. Oscar has served on several GLA committees, including AEL, NMRT, and PACE, but making the Libraries Are Such a Drag fundraising calendar for the Scholarship Committee was the most fun! In his free time Oscar enjoys sipping Bulleit Bourbon with a good book on his back deck and connecting with radical librarians who are reimagining the profession. If these are a few of your favorite things then please talk with Oscar about his book club.

Casey Long is currently the User Education Librarian at Agnes Scott College, where she is responsible for managing the library's instruction program, online presence, and marketing of library services.  Casey began her career as a Consumer Products Researcher at Booz Allen Hamilton, then moved into academia as a Business Librarian at Georgia State University Library.  She graduated from University of Illinois in December 2000 with a Masters in Library and Information Science and in 2009 Casey was named a Mover and Shaker by Library Journal.  She believes the key factors to success in libraries include: enthusiasm, desire to continually learn, ability to work as part of a team, and respect for library users. In her spare time, Casey likes to fully embody the librarian stereotype by caring for a colony of feral cats, knitting, reading books, and shopping for cardigans to keep her warm in the library.

Friday, October 18, 2013

GLA 2014 Calendars for sale

GLA 2014 Calendars are available for sale now for $15.00 each by check payable to GLA.

The calendar contains all the pictures that were contributed to the 2013 GLA Photo Contest. We were able to use almost all of the pictures so every month shows wonderful library activities from libraries throughout Georgia.

All proceeds made from this sale will be used to support GLA activities such as the Annual Picnic, Mid-Winter Conference, and continuing education opportunities.

Please contact Diana Very at dvery@georgialibraries.org for more information.

Georgia Highlands College Libraries in the Spotlight!

by Elijah Scott

Georgia Highlands College has undergone substantial changes in recent years, and our libraries have grown and evolved as well. GHC has locations in Rome, Cartersville, Marietta, Douglasville, and Dallas, Georgia. We have libraries at Rome, Cartersville, and Dallas, and we have an excellent cooperative arrangement with the Southern Polytechnic Library for our students at the GHC Marietta campus, with a GHC librarian housed at the SPSU library.

Ga Highlands College: Rome Library
The GHC Floyd Campus in Rome is considered to be the main campus. The Floyd Campus Library underwent a major renovation in 2011, and now houses approximately 60,000 print books, 100 periodical subscriptions, two computer labs and an open computer area, a tutorial center, testing center, four group study rooms, and a conference room. At the Cartersville Campus, the library was opened in 2006 as part of a new academic building. The Cartersville Campus Library houses approximately 11,000 books, a computer lab and an open computer area, a tutorial center, four study rooms, a conference room, and a massive stone fireplace. The library at the GHC Paulding Campus in Dallas was opened in March 2013 in newly-renovated space in the Historic Paulding Courthouse, and houses approximately 4,000 books, an open computer area, two study rooms, and a conference room.

Since GHC is a commuter college with multiple physical locations, our libraries make use of electronic resources and services to best meet the needs of our students, faculty, and staff. We currently provide access to over 90,000 ebooks and 32,000 digital videos, and we are available to our students, faculty, and staff by live chat, text message, email, Facebook, and even Twitter, all via our virtual reference site at http://ask.highlands.edu.

The Cartersville Campus Library
Our libraries work closely with faculty to insure that our collections meet the changing needs of our students. For instance, in 2011, the college became a limited-mission, four-year state college, and now offers its first bachelor's degree, the RN to BSN completion program. Our library collections, both print and online, were enhanced to support this new program. To help support the college's global initiative, the library applied for and received the Muslim Journeys Bookshelf in 2012. To ensure that our students have access to the most current technology, the library has purchased a 3D printer and a 3D scanner, which will be available not only to students, faculty, and staff, but also to members of the community. We were fortunate to receive a financial contribution from a local company, Brugg Wire Rope, LLC, to help with the purchase of this technology.

Our libraries are incredibly busy, and our library faculty and staff are the ones who make it all happen! During FY 2012-2013, we:
  • Won the GHC Department of the Year Award!
  • Circulated 7,275 items
  • Loaned 834 items to other libraries and received 465 (GIL Express & ILL) items from other libraries
  • Recorded approximately 173,107 visits:
    • Rome – 56,915
    • Cartersville – 106,986
    • Paulding – 9,206
  • Answered 9,435 questions
  • Taught 229 research training classes for 4959 students
More information about Georgia Highlands College Libraries can be found at https://www.highlands.edu/site/library.




Wednesday, October 9, 2013

GLA 2014 Election Results

The GLA Executive Board Officers for 2014 are:
President: Susan Morris, University of Georgia
1st Vice President/President Elect: Lace Keaton, Newton County Library System
2nd Vice President/Membership Chair: Jay Turner, Georgia Public Library Service
Secretary: Sandra E. Riggs, University of Georgia
Treasurer: Ashley Dupuy, Kennesaw State University

The GLA Academic Division Officers for 2014 are:
Chair: Rhonda McCoy, Paine College
Vice Chair/Chair-Elect: Angela Megaw, University of North Georgia
Secretary: Stacy L. Brown, Georgia Highlands State College
ACRL Chapters Council Representative: Sarah Steiner, Georgia State University

Friday, September 27, 2013

Librarians Build Communities In Macon


Georgia’s second Librarians Build Communities project will take place in Macon October 9-11 during the annual conference of the Georgia Council of Media Organizations. Food and donations will be collected for Loaves and Fishes, a local non-profit organization that assists community members  with food, clothing, and other necessities.

Libraries Build Communities began at ALA’s Annual Conference in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.That year librarians from all over the United States volunteered to help build new homes, remove damaged areas from existing homes, and restore libraries of all types. In 2011, a group of Emerging Leaders developed plans for state and regional associations to conduct similar projects under the new name Librarians Build Communities. 

Visit GaCOMO 2013 website for more information.

Friday, September 20, 2013

Cobb County School District and Cobb County Public Library Collaborative Summer Reading Programs in the Spotlight!



by Janell McClure


Knowing the power in partnerships between school systems and public libraries, as well as the impact of summer reading programs on avoiding the “summer slide,” Janell McClure, Library Media Education Supervisor for the Cobb County School District (CCSD), contacted Patty Latch, Manager of the Youth and Media Department at the Cobb County Main Branch, Switzer Library, and Jonathan McKeown, Associate Director for Central & Outreach Services, and proposed a collaborative effort.  Patty and Jonathan enthusiastically agreed, and in May 2013, for the first time ever, the two entities created complementary summer reading programs. 

The two groups chose to adopt the same program “theme” in an effort to maintain a consistent message among school and library patrons.  The schools then shared the suggested reading list with the public library staff so they could cross-reference their branch collections and ensure availability. Meanwhile, a team of CCSD media specialists created a summer reading program that asked students to choose from a list of “response-to-reading” activities, some of which involved the public library. For example, one option read, “Going on a trip? Visit your public library for fiction and nonfiction books about the location you are visiting or the communities on the way.  Read the book and create a travel brochure that includes details from the book that describe your destination, daily expenses you incurred while away, and miles traveled round trip.”  Others included checking out audio books or participating in local branch events.

Each spring, children’s lit representatives from the public library would visit CCSD elementary schools to talk about the summer reading programs offered at each branch. The public library staff continued that practice, only this year, librarians promoted the CCSD program in conjunction with the public library events.  In return, the school district promoted the public library summer program through the local schools as well as on the websites for the school district and the Library Media Education department. School media specialists informed students that all books read for one program would receive credit for the other program while the public library gave reading logs to the elementary school children with the understanding that students could turn the same log in to their school and receive equal credit.  Finally, Patty, Jonathan, and Janell created a one-minute video, which appeared at the beginning of the CCSD summer reading promotional video, describing their collaborative efforts.

These efforts improved participation in the public library program overall.  One public librarian stated, “…There has been a greater interest in both the school and library summer reading programs.”  Another commented that her branch had received the summer reading program requests faster than in year’s past and attributed this to the collaborative efforts of these two organizations. The proof, though, was in the numbers.  This summer saw a 24% increase in the number of CCSD students who participated in the public library program!  With this obvious impact, the two groups are brainstorming additional collaborative opportunities.

More information about Cobb County School Media programs can be found at http://www.cobbk12.org/librarymedia/.

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Leveraging Visual Literacy for Communication: Free Webinar, October 3, 2013

The Georgia Library Association is pleased to announce the October 2013 session of the Carterette Series Webinars.

Leveraging Visual Literacy for Communication
Presented by Nicole Brown
Thursday, October 3rd, 2013 2:00pm to 3:00pm Eastern Time
REGISTER

The ability to critically engage with and communicate through visual materials is becoming a core competency for participation in today’s highly visual culture. This presentation will share successful techniques for using images in libraries. Visual learning objects will show how images can frame an instruction session by capturing learners’ attention and preparing them to delve into conceptual content. Pedagogical considerations of using images in the classroom will also be discussed, with special attention to active learning. Attendees will take away concrete ways to integrate visual literacy into existing content.

Nicole Brown is the Multidisciplinary Instruction Librarian at NYU, where she teaches research workshops to a variety of user groups and works to expand and strengthen the teaching role of librarians. Her first teaching position was at the American University in Cairo, where she spent three years teaching a required information literacy course. She also worked as the Instruction Coordinator at Emerson College, where she partnered with the Center for Teaching to create an Information Literacy Learning Community. She has given presentations, workshops, and led professional development training on four continents and has written articles for Library Journal and Internet Reference Service Quarterly. Her research interests include innovative teaching practices and incorporating new literacies into teaching and learning environments. As a member of the ACRL Visual Literacy Task Force, she works to promote the integration of visual literacy into library instruction. Nicole earned her MLIS from the Pratt Institute in 2004 and attended the ACRL Immersion Program Track in 2008.
                                              
The Carterette Series is an educational webinar series which highlights trends, innovation, and best practices in libraries. The free sessions are open to interested parties from all geographic (and astral) locations. Topics are chosen to be of interest to students and employees from all library types, and each session is approved for one Georgia Continuing Education (CE) contact hour.

Can't make it to the live show? That's okay. The session will be recorded and available on the CSW site for later viewing.

To register for the online event and access the archives of the previous events, visit Carterette Series website.


Contact a member of the Carterette Series Planning Team with questions or suggestions.
Casey Long: clong@agnesscott.edu
Kimberly Boyd: kboyd2@brenau.edu
Sarah Steiner: ssteiner@gsu.edu

Friday, August 30, 2013

2014 Candidates for GLA Office

Been wondering who will lead GLA in 2014?  Check out the candidates before the ballot arrives!

First Vice President / President-Elect

Lace Keaton
Director, Newton County Library System


Lace Keaton is currently the Director for Newton County Library System in Covington, GA. She holds an undergraduate BA in Humanities from George Williams College, Downers Grove, IL and an MLS from Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, GA. She has held positions as Director for Okefenokee Regional Library System in Waycross, GA, Deputy Director for Live Oak Public Libraries in Savannah GA, Branch Manager and Reference Services Manager for Worthington Libraries, Worthington, OH, Librarian II and Information Specialist at Gwinnett Public Library, Lawrenceville, GA and a circulation, children's and technical services assistant at Nye Library in Ft. Sill, OK.

Lace is a recent graduate of the Leadership Newton Class of 2013, a graduate of the Library Leadership Institute at Snowbird, Class of 1999 and a graduate of the Leadership Worthington Class of 2001. She has served as Public Library Division chair of the Georgia Library Association in 2007, a member of the ALA Ken Haycock Award Jury 2009, ALA Greenwood Publishing Award Jury 2008, ALA Council Member at Large candidate 2004-2005, and chair of the Demco Merchandising Grant Jury for the Public Library Association 2002. Lace also served two consecutive terms on the ALA Reference and Users Services Association/Management and Operation of Users Services Section (RUSA) 1999-2003 and on the Ohio Library Council Annual Conference Program Planning Committee, 2004, OLC Annual Conference Local Arrangements Committee 2002, OLC Diversity Awareness and Resources Committee 2004-2005, and the OLC Library Futures Initiative Communications and Marketing Task Force in 2005.

Lace’s hobbies include, reading on her iPad, (Paddy), watching movies and spending way too much time baking cupcakes and cookies.

Kathy Pillatzki
Assistant Director, Henry County Public Library System


Kathy Pillatzki is Assistant Director and Head of Collection Development and Reference Services for Henry County Public Library System. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Johnson University and a Master’s degree in Library and Information Studies from Clark Atlanta University. She began her career with HCLS in 1995 and spent 10 years working with children and young adults before accepting an administrative position in 2005.

During her tenure as a children’s librarian she served as an elected member of the Georgia Children’s Services Quadrant Council and was a frequent presenter at the Children’s Services Annual Conference and the Teen Services Conference. She served as liaison to other community agencies and non-profits, developing three ongoing outreach programs to take library services to underserved populations. She also served on the Georgia Book Award committee and the Georgia Peach Award committee and as a judge for the Georgia Student Media Festival.

Within GLA, she has served on the Scholarship Committee, and as chair of the Intellectual Freedom Interest Group and the Collection Development Interest Group. She has also been a frequent presenter at COMO. She writes a weekly newspaper column about all things library-related, and has contributed book reviews to Georgia Library Quarterly.

Kathy is also cross-trained as a cataloger, and last summer was part of the team that cataloged the contents of the library in the Georgia Governor’s Mansion.

In her spare time, she enjoys the outdoors and managing an active family which includes her husband Dan and four nearly-grown daughters, two of their own and two long-term exchange students from Germany and South Korea.

She appreciates the many professional development opportunities that GLA membership has provided throughout her career, and looks forward to serving GLA with an emphasis on fostering public awareness of the vital roles libraries of all kinds play in our communities.


Second Vice President / Membership Chair


Karen Manning
Metadata Specialist, Scholarly Communication and Digital Curation, Georgia Tech

Karen Manning is a Metadata Specialist in Scholarly Communication and Digital Curation at Georgia Tech where she assists with the development, implementation, managing and maintenance of digital collections. Karen has over 30 years of progressive experience working in libraries in a variety of public service, technical and administration roles. Actively involved in GLA, Karen has chaired the Paraprofessional Division several times, where her goals have been to help the advancement of support staff and paraprofessionals, by promoting continuing education opportunities, getting them involved in professional organizations and introducing them to resources that will help develop skills and gain library related knowledge. Karen also serves on the Awards, GLA Store, and Scholarship committees. Karen spends her extra time volunteering in community public school libraries/media centers and holding book donation drives to help create and stock bookshelves for shelters and community organizations.

Karen’s studies are focused on Digital Technologies and Archival Management. She looks forward to advocating for and encouraging participation and involvement in the profession, furthering the mission of libraries and librarianship.

Jay Turner
Director of Continuing Education and Training, Georgia Public Library Service

Jay Turner is the director of Continuing Education and Training for Georgia Public Library Service, meeting the training needs of 61 public library systems throughout the state of Georgia. He began his public library career at the age of 16 as a shelver for Dekalb County (Ga.) Public Library, and over the past 17 years has served Georgia’s public libraries in multiple capacities: assisting customers on the front lines, troubleshooting technology behind the scenes, and working with administrators to plan and develop comprehensive training for public library staff in a myriad of roles at all levels.

Jay is the current chair of PLA’s Leadership Development Committee. Past PLA and ALA committee work has included service on the Communities of Practice Task Force (2009–2012), Continuing Education Advisory Group (2010-2012), PLA 2012 National Conference Program Subcommittee (2010–2012), and CLENE/ LearnRT Communication and Marketing Committee and Executive Board (2009–2011). He was recognized as an ALA Emerging Leader in 2008, and this year was the recipient of WebJunction’s Pat Carterette Star Award for leadership and innovation.  He lives with his wife (a fellow librarian) and four children in Lilburn, Georgia.

Secretary


Sandra E. Riggs
Reference/Instruction librarian, University of Georgia Libraries

Sandra Riggs received her Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1997 and her Master of Theological Studies degree from Vanderbilt Divinity in 1993.

Sandra is liaison to the Department of Psychology and the Division of Academic Enhancement. She is based at the Miller Learning Center, an information commons setting. Sandra is one of the team of UGA Librarians who provide chat reference service, along with traditional reference. She also serves as the embedded librarian in a semester-long, documentary class.

Sandra loves to collaborate and organize, and finds a great deal of satisfaction in committee service. She currently is Chair of the UGA Libraries Faculty Advisory board. The Board members serve as a liaison between the Libraries' Faculty and the University Librarian, discussing matters concerning the Libraries' mission and goals, and issues pertaining to the Libraries' Faculty governance and welfare. The Board Chair appoints ad hoc committees to research and address concerns as necessary.

She has 15 years of experience in academic libraries at both public and private institutions: Campbellsville University, Middle Tennessee State, and Vanderbilt Divinity. She has been in Georgia, at UGA, for 5 years, and has been pursuing greater involvement with the Georgia Library Association.

Sandra is currently Chair of GLA’s Reference Services Interest Group (RSIG), and sees her role to encourage opportunities for new faces to become involved in RSIG’s programming for COMO conferences. She regularly attends COMO and Midwinter Planning meetings, and welcomes the opportunity to serve on the Executive Board as Secretary.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

HIDDEN AWAY Performance Explores the Library at Night

By: Sarah Freeman


Timothy A. Hand and Juana Farfán perform in HIDDEN AWAY, 
created by Nicole Livieratos and Phillip DePoy. 
Photo by Jamie Hopper courtesy of The Lucky Penny.
For most of us the public library is a place of reverence and mystique. We visit by day, creeping through the stacks until we find an awaiting book, then quietly slip away, trying to disturb the masses of volumes as little as possible. This fall, however, the Decatur Public Library and The Lucky Penny have teamed up to provide access to a previously forbidden world. HIDDEN AWAY, the library at night gives audience members a rare chance to venture into secret territory, lit dimly by reading lamps, where characters are animated and words come alive. As the sun goes down, librarians rush past, dancers teeter across bookshelves, pages rustle, whispers aloft. 

HIDDEN AWAY is a new dance theater work created by award-winning artists Nicole Livieratos and Phillip DePoy to celebrate and reengage with one of our culture’s most treasured institutions. Performances will take place inside the Decatur Library between August 31 and September 7. The show’s opening weekend corresponds with the 2013 Decatur Book Festival, offering bibliophiles the chance to descend upon the neighborhood’s literary landmark for a nighttime saunter through the stacks.  Embracing the democratic spirit of the library, all 12 performances will be free to the public.

Livieratos and DePoy, long admirers of each other’s work, contemplated collaboration on an original performance for several years. When the idea of library as a performance venue was introduced, they knew it was time to make their visions a reality. Both artists frequently combine and bend artistic genres, so the library’s wealth of textual, aural and visual inspiration provides the perfect environment. Explains DePoy, “I first worked with Nicole on BEOWULF at Theatrical Outfit in 1993. Largely owing to her work on the project, it remains my favorite piece of theatre. In some ways, HIDDEN AWAY is a continuation of that ethos, in that it’s environmental, it takes place in a darkened hall, and it makes use of nearly every kind of performance that exists in Western Theatre. Music, words, movement, sound, light, and, more than anything, an element of surprise, or mystery, all combine to create, we hope, a uniquely exciting experience.”

Exhilarated by the vision of an engagement between arts and literature, and recognizing the potential impact on libraries and communities across the country, fledgling arts organization The Lucky Penny jumped at the chance to produce this performance. With overwhelmingly generous support from the Decatur and Atlanta community, and especially from the library itself, HIDDEN AWAY has flown from the pages of a notebook to the grounds of an institution. With over 20 performers flitting from room to room, no two audience members will have the same experience, just as no two readers experience a book the same way. 

Performances are August 31 (7:00 and 8:30pm), September 1 (7:00 and 8:30 pm), September 5 (7:00 and 8:30 pm), September 6 (7:00, 8:30 and 10 pm), and September 7 (7:00, 8:30 and 10 pm). Gather outside the library’s Sycamore Street entrance 15 minutes prior to show time. Admission is free and no tickets or reservations are required. Free parking behind the library is limited. Use area lots or MARTA. More information can be found at www.nicolelivieratos.com.

Friday, August 23, 2013

Chattahoochee Valley Libraries in the Spotlight!



Anchored at the Robert A. M. Stern-designed Columbus Public Library, the Chattahoochee Valley Libraries continue to provide successful programming, outreach and service to all residents of Columbus GA and the surrounding West Georgia counties of Cusseta-Chattahoochee, Marion and Stewart.

A vital addition in recent years has been our two new Bookmobiles. One is a complete Digital bookmobile featuring Wi-Fi and broadband Internet service via satellite hook-up. Funded by a major grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, this vehicle is targeted to rural areas that have no or limited availability to broadband technology. It is scheduled for several hours per location to allow patrons enough time to access the Internet for job searches, state assistance, employment testing and more.

The new Muscogee County Bookmobile is a state-of-the-art mini-library on wheels. Targeting over 43 locations in the metro area, it was funded by a generous gift from Aflac, the insurance company headquartered in Columbus. Scheduling for this vehicle is geared to senior homes, low-income housing areas and several apartment complexes that cater to those with disabilities.

The Columbus Public Library is also home to the ColumbusLibrary for Accessible Services (CLASS), one of the twelve sub-regional talking book centers in Georgia. A recording studio, designed to National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped standards, was donated by area restaurant Country’s Barbecue and has provided a vital service in recording newspapers and books for patrons throughout the state. CLASS now finds itself in the forefront of helping adopt the BARD Mobile app from NLS that is anticipated to transform the delivery of materials in the near future.

Library programming continues to be a community favorite. 53,000 patrons attended 1,800+ events over the course of the last fiscal year. Program highlights include the First Annual Columbus Children’s Book Festival, which despite a rainy day that forced activities inside saw about 4,000 patrons attend presentations by R. L. Stine, Jane O’Connor, Jerry Pinkney and others. A week-long  visit by The Wall That Heals, the touring half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, brought several thousand to the library. This was the culminating event of this year’s The Big Read celebration of Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried”, a month-long series that saw appearances by the author and others. The “Building Common Ground” lecture series brought notables like Nikki Giovanni, Dave Isay, Jonathan Haidt and Michelle Norris to town for a series of provocative talks. Currently the library is hosting the ALA exhibit “Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War.”

More information about Chattahoochee Valley Libraries  can be found at www.cvlga.org or by calling 706-243-2669.