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.

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)

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

It Takes Two: Technical Services and Public Services Collaborations - Next GLA Carterette Series Webinar

It Takes Two: Technical Services and Public Services Collaborations
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
2pm Eastern (11am Pacific | 12pm Mountain | 1pm Central)
Register: https://goo.gl/Bd5Dul
 
Description:  
In many libraries, Technical Services and Public Services are seen as two distinct functional areas with little opportunity for cross-departmental collaboration. Both functional areas possess specialized knowledge and increased communication between Technical Services and Public Services staffs is important for creating more effective and efficient workflows and, ultimately, a better experience for library patrons. It may seem impossible to know how to begin cross-training and cross-departmental collaboration when time and money are tight.
In this webinar, Jaleh Fazelian (Head of Research, Learning, & Information, John Carroll University) and Erin Leach (Head of Serials Cataloging, University of Georgia) will discuss the unique traits that Technical Services and Public Services librarians bring to collaborative projects. Fazelian and Leach will also share some practical tips for beginning and maintaining collaborative relationships between Technical Services and Public Services. While primarily directed toward academic librarians and administrators, the information in this webinar also applies to librarians in any situation where Technical Services and Public Services are separate functional areas of the library.
 
About the Presenters:
 
Jaleh Fazelian is the Head of Research, Learning, and Information at John Carroll University. She received her Bachelor & Master degrees in Historical Studies from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville and her Master of Library Science from Indiana University. Jaleh is an active member and current Vice President/Program Chair of the Middle East Librarians Association. Her research interests include social media and the Arab Spring, navigating middle management and peer relationships, and using social media for professional development and networking.

Erin Leach is Head of Serials Cataloging at the University of Georgia. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in English from Butler University and her Master of Arts in Information Science and Learning Technology from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Erin is active in both the Association of College and Research Libraries and the Association of Library Collections and Technical Services and currently serves as chair of the Continuing Resources Section of ALCTS. Her professional interests include leadership and professional development in technical services, using social media to develop personal learning networks, and collaborations between Technical Services and Public Services staffs.

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

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To register for the online event
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1. Go to registration page: https://goo.gl/Bd5Dulhttps://goo.gl/Bd5Dul
2. Complete and submit the form.
3. A URL for the event will be emailed to you immediately after registration.
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Contact a member of the Carterette Series planning team with questions or suggestions:
carteretteserieswebinars@gmail.com

Ephesus Public Library in the Spotlight!

Let it never be said that a small library can't be mighty. This month, GLA's Library Spotlight is focused on the Ephesus Public Library in Ephesus, GA (a member of the West Georgia Regional Library). The library building was completed in April 2009, and it has been providing excellent library services to the citizens of Ephesus and Heard County for the last six years.

The 6,100 square foot building features an open, airy design that leads to easy sightlines throughout the space. A large and open workroom and cork floors in the circulation area are comfortable for staff and help streamline the processes that make this such a well-run building. However, just because the building is new, it doesn't mean that the staff is averse to changing it up to meet a new need. The three-strong team at Ephesus, led by branch manager Donna Alvis, has recently changed up the space to create new reading areas for children, teens, and adults.

"Our library fits into the Ephesus community in ways we never would have expected," says Donna. "The library seems to be the hub of the neighborhood! We do things to give back to our community and, in turn, they support us as well. The Mayor and the City Council are happy about the library, and support us any way they can. We have really good turnouts for events such as bake sales, Super Saturday Summer Reading kickoffs, and our programs throughout the year. We have booths at the Back to School Bash and the Trunk or Treat, advertise for local businesses on our message board, and have displays in our lobby that many come in to look at, even those who aren't normally patrons of the library. This is an underserved community, and I love that the library can give them access to things they might not ordinarily have, such as books, movies, and computer use, and giveaways for the children whenever we have programs.

When asked about her plans for the future, Donna said, "Our plans for the upcoming year are to just try to be better at what we're already doing, and adding to it month by month. We have special programs planned for the Pre-K and Kindergarten students during November and December, the Artists with Disabilities Art Exhibit coming up in February, a pottery class, learning events for children, some guest authors and speakers, and so much more! Always something surprising at Ephesus!"

The Ephesus Public Library is a perfect example of why every community deserves a library and the services it offers right on their city's doorstep.

To learn more about the Ephesus Public Library , visit http://www.wgrl.net/locations/ephesus/

GLA Executive Board Needs Your Input by October, 15!

GLA is conducting a survey in preparation for a GLA Executive Board strategic planning meeting in Nov 2015.

We really would like your feedback about GLA and your help in determinung the future direction of the Association.

The online survey is available at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ga-lib-assoc  

It will be available until October 15. 

GaCOMO 2015 Registration

REGISTER TODAY! The 2015 GaCOMO Conference Registration Form is online now. You may register online or mail in the printable registration form located at the bottom of the registration page.

GaCOMO is a joint venture between the Georgia Library Association and the Georgia Association for Instructional Technology. The 2015 GaCOMO Conference will be held Wednesday, October 7th – Friday, October 9th at the Classic Center in Athens, Georgia. Please note that this year breakout sessions will begin on Wednesday, October 7th.

Keynote speakers this year include Unshelved authors Gene Ambaum and Bill Barnes, with a luncheon address by George Needham.

GaCOMO is also proud to announce that TNT is sponsoring our showing of “The Librarian: Quest for the Spear” (2004) on Wednesday evening, October 7, 2015. Don’t miss out on  this fun-filled event which will include Trivia, Refreshments, and Prizes!

For more information, please visit our website at http://www.georgiacomo.org/