Friday, October 23, 2015

St. Simons Island Public Library in the Spotlight!

St. Simons Island is one of the four barrier islands that make up the Golden Isles on the Georgia Coast.  It is known for beautiful beaches, golf, and tons of fun filled entertainment.  One of the precious spots to visit is the St. Simons Island Public Library.  It occupies a little over 4,000 square feet in the historic ‘Old Casino’ building in the Pier Village on St. Simons Island.  The library boasts views of St. Simons Sound, Jekyll Island, Little Cumberland (on clear days) and sits in the shadow of the 104-foot St. Simons Island Lighthouse—a truly unique location.

The library was founded in 1937 by Mrs. Abbie Fuller Graham with 50 books temporarily housed in the home of Captain and Mrs. J.C. Clark on Arnold Road, St. Simons Island.  Later that year, Glynn County Commissioners agreed to house the library in the ‘Casino’ building on the island under the sponsorship of the Cassina Garden Club.  The first book accessioned in the library “Drums along the Mohawk” by Walter Edmonds (1936) was purchased from the Baker & Taylor Company for $1.88.  The book remains in the library today.

During World War II, the Georgia Coast was plagued by German U-boats due to the production of Liberty Ships in Brunswick, Georgia.  The St. Simons Island Public Library stayed open throughout the war, and was operated by personnel of the Works Project Administration (WPA).  The island had a population boom at this time.  In 1943, the library reported an inventory of 3,256 books with a yearly circulation of 9,062, and had 695 registered members.

After the war, Mrs. Fraser L. Ledbetter was appointed as Head Librarian in 1950.  She held this position for more than four decades until 1989.  During her first year in the position, the library was moved to the vacated bowling alley in the ‘Old Casino’ building following relocation of the bowling alley to the ‘New Casino.’  The library has remained in the same location since 1950, and in 2006 a renovation was completed to expand the space. 

Today, the library is part of the Marshes of Glynn Libraries, which is the public library system in Glynn County, Georgia.  It is open 38 hours a week to the public, and offers an array of services.  Last fiscal year the library loaned over 73,000 items and had over 57,000 people walk through the doors.  The library provides storytime for toddlers, book groups for adults, as well as many other programs for all age sets.

Life-long local residents, newcomers, and an ever growing population of summer and winter (snowbird) visitors are served by the library.   It truly feels and sounds like a community center at the Circulation Desk.  According to life-long resident, Laura K. Williams who has been coming to the library for almost 65 years, the “library is a cultural center for the community and a singular source of stimulation for readers with very personal level of service for patrons.

Visit www.glynncounty.org/libraries for more information.

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

GLA Election Results

Congratulations to the newly elected officers of the Georgia Library Association for 2016!

First Vice-President Elect: Elizabeth McKinney, Georgia Public Library Service
Second  Vice President/Membership Chair: Mack Freeman, West Georgia Regional Library
Secretary: Casey Long, Agnes Scott College
Treasurer: Eli Arnold,  Oglethorpe University

*President: Cathy Jeffrey, Clayton State University (Currently serving Vice President/President Elect-elected in 2014)

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Atlanta Emerging Librarians presents “Library Tech Notes: Updates in the Field"


Atlanta Emerging Librarians presents “Library Tech Notes: Updates in the Field"


Date: Saturday, October 17th, 2015
Time: 10:30am - 12:30pm
Location: Buckhead Public Library Auditorium (269 Buckhead Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30305)
Register at http://bit.ly/1L8onWI

The event will have several presenters who will be talking about a variety of technology topics ranging from library marketing tools to accessibility. The format will be lightning talks of 10-15 minutes with time for questions.

A dutch-treat lunch at Fado Irish Pub after the presentation.
273 Buckhead Ave
Atlanta, GA 30305
404-841-0066


If you have any questions, please contact the planning committee at atlantaemerginglibrarians@gmail.com. See you there!

2015 Planning Committee
Elizabeth Christian
Kat Greer
Ashley Hoffman
Ruth Rowell