A newsletter for friends and employees of Georgia’s public libraries
volume 14, issue 1 August 2016
A ‘wild library’ appears
Pokémon Go turns branches into virtual worlds
In the parking lot of Marietta’s East
Cobb Library, a fierce battle raged
one recent July day. It was an all-ornothing melee, with Teams Red,
Yellow and Blue in an epic
throwdown. Team Yellow prevailed,
but the dust never truly settled, and
the team’s hold on its vital parcel of
territory remained tenuous at best.
This battle — and many more
like it — are being waged regularly
at libraries around Georgia, as well as
an exhaustive list of locations
nationwide, as Pokémon Go sweeps
the country.
“We’ve been having a lot of fun
with Pokémon Go here in Cobb,”
said Shannon Tyner, virtual librarian
for the Cobb County Public Library
System.
Pokémon Go is a free, locationbased game that is downloadable to
mobile devices through digital
distribution platforms such as
Google Play and the App Store. It is
an augmented-reality
game in which one’s view
of the real world is
altered through the
addition of sounds,
graphics and other forms of
data. Pokémon Go uses a
mobile device’s camera and GPS
to achieve this virtual world.
Like many Pokémon games
before it, such as those for
Nintendo’s line of Game Boys, Go
creates a world where players, called
Trainers, explore their surroundings
to catch wild Pokémon (short for
pocket monsters) using Pokéballs —
red-and-white balls that also house
creatures with names such as Pidgey,
Slowpoke, Bulbasaur and Pikachu,
the ever-popular mascot of the
Pokémon franchise.
Once caught, Trainers tend
to their Pokémon using ingame items hoping they will
rise in power and evolve
into stronger
versions of the
original
creature. They are then used in
battle against other players, most
often to take control of a gym for
their team, as with the skirmish at
East Cobb Library. A gym is a place
where teams can train, battle each
other, and use as a sort of base.
See Pokémon, page 4
Courtesy of ASCLA
ASCLA honors innovative program
at Marshes of Glynn Libraries
The Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library
Agencies (ASCLA) has named the Brunswick-based
Marshes of Glynn Libraries (MOGL) as the winner of its
2016 ASCLA Exceptional Service Award. The award
recognizes outstanding achievement in the library
profession by librarians and libraries for significant
achievements, program development and leadership in
the profession.
From left: Brunswick-Glynn County Library Manager Lori Hull, Marshes
of Glynn Programming Coordinator Karen Larrick and Mullis accept the
award from ASCLA President Rhonda Gould.
MOGL earned the award through its implementation
of the American Library Association’s (ALA) Every Child
Ready to Read (ECRR) program at the local jail. This
See ASCLA, page 3
Georgia Center for the Book announces annual lists
The Georgia Center for the Book (GCB) has selected the
2016 Books All Georgians Should Read
works of 24 prize-winning authors and illustrators with
Georgia connections for the 2016 lists of the “Books All
Georgians Should Read” and “Books All Young
Georgians Should Read.” The authors and illustrators will
be honored Aug. 18 at a free, public event at
7:30 p.m. in the Decatur Library Auditorium.
The Class Of ’65: A Student, a Divided Town and the
The lists are compiled annually from
nominations received throughout the year by
the writers, educators,
librarians, media
representatives and other
individuals who comprise the
Georgia Center for the Book
Advisory Council. This year’s
ceremony will mark the
seventh edition of “Books All
Georgians Should Read” and
the fourth “Books All Young
Georgians Should Read.”
“For the Georgia Center
for the Book, the ‘Books All
Georgians Should Read’ and
the ‘Books All Young
Georgians Should Read’ lists
are a wonderful way to honor
the extraordinary talent we
have right here in Georgia,”
said Joe Davich, executive
director of the GCB. “We are
extremely proud of the 2016
lists. They are valuable assets
for parents, teachers, librarians
and readers of all ages across
the state. We believe these
lists can help guide readers to
some of the finest writing
available.”
The new list of “Books All Georgians Should
Read” includes three works of fiction, six of nonfiction, and a collection of poetry. The list of
“Books All Young Georgians Should Read” includes three
picture books, three books for middle school readers,
three books for young adults and one graphic novel.
The 2016 lists are the result of months of discussions
by the Advisory Council, which considered more than
125 books by Georgians or about Georgia, Davich said.
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Georgia Public Library Service News
August 2016
Long Road to Forgiveness by Jim Auchmutey
Fallen Land by Taylor Brown
Southern Tufts: The Regional Origins and
National Craze for Chenille Fashion by Ashley
Callahan
Twain’s End by Lynn Cullen
Memories of the Mansion:
The Story of Georgia’s
Governor’s Mansion by
Sandra D. Deal, Jennifer W.
Dickey and Catherine M.
Lewis
Where We Want to Live:
Reclaiming Infrastructure for a
New Generation of Cities by
Ryan Gravel
How I Shed My Skin:
Unlearning the Racist Lessons
of a Southern Childhood by
Jim Grimsley
Ty Cobb: A Terrible Beauty
by Charles Leerhsen
Bull Mountain by Brian
Panowich
Blue Laws: Selected and
Uncollected Poems, 19952015 by Kevin Young
2016 Books All
Young Georgians
Should Read
Simon vs. the Homo
Sapiens Agenda by Becky
Albertalli
The Star-Touched Queen by
Roshani Chokshi
More-igami by Dori Kleber
Written In the Stars by Aisha Saeed
The Wheels on the Tuk Tuk by Kabir Sehgal
and Surishtha Sehgal
Thor Speaks! by Vicky Alvear Shecter
Swan: The Life and Death of Anna Pavlova by Laurel
Snyder
The Meaning Of Maggie by Megan Jean Sovern
Last In A Long Line Of Rebels by Lisa Lewis Tyre Niche Academy
to enhance patron
training, access to
electronic resources
Niche Academy, an Orem, Utahbased company that provides patron
training for the many electronic
resources provided by public
libraries, began providing its online
instructional tools for use in all of
Georgia’s public libraries on Aug. 1.
GPLS, through funding provided
by the Institute of Museum and
Library Services under the Library
Services and Technology Act, is
working with each public library
system in Georgia to launch Niche
Academy’s suite of services, which
includes online courses for patrons,
video introductions, staff training
resources and social media tools.
“Niche Academy’s mission of
providing tutorials for our valuable
electronic resources is just one
reason that we’re looking forward to
working with them,” said Julia
Huprich, director of training and
continuing
education for
GPLS. “We know
that their services
will highlight and
positively impact
the great work
that’s being done
in Georgia’s
libraries. We
Huprich
anticipate that
our public libraries will see an
increased growth in the usage of
their resources as a result of patrons
and employees having access to
these professional, in-depth training
modules.”
For more information on the full
suite of tools and services being
provided by Niche Academy, visit
www.nicheacademy.com. Park avenues
Just in time to help you celebrate the National Park Service (NPS) Centennial on Aug. 25, each of
Georgia’s 63 public library systems will soon be receiving a reference shelf of books about our
state’s NPS units. In addition, all 400+ branches in the state will receive copies of “America’s
National Parks: A Photographic Journey Through Nearly 400 National Treasures” and “Happy
Birthday to America’s National Parks.” Many libraries will also be offering children’s craft sessions
this month to make birthday cards for the NPS, which GPLS will send to the local parks for
display. In September, seven Georgia NPS units are set to participate in National Library Card
Sign-Up Month.
ASCLA
Continued from page 1
innovative project teaches incarcerated parents and other caregivers
how to support the early literacy
development of their children. The
selection committee cited the project
as an exceptional example of how
libraries can transform lives and as
an excellent example of a program
that can be replicated in other
libraries around the country.
“We are grateful for the
opportunities afforded the inmates
in our facility through the ECRR
program,” said Ronald Corbett,
undersheriff for Glynn County. “I
believe it has helped the incarcerated
parents think more seriously about
their children and to see a positive
way they could influence and
contribute to their child’s future.
“When the parents get out of
jail, they will have opportunities to
build stronger family bonds through
ECRR. There are so many benefits to
be gained from this program, but
none seem more powerful than
building strong family bonds.”
Geri Mullis, MOGL director;
Lori Hull, Brunswick-Glynn County
Library manager; and Karen Larrick,
MOGL programming coordinator
accepted the award at a ceremony
held June 25 at the ALA Annual
Conference in Orlando.
“We took ECRR to the Glynn
County Detention Center in support
of Georgia’s B4 initiative,” explained
Mullis. ”This is a short-term facility,
where inmates are most often there
waiting for trial or are doing short
stints in detention. Karen and Lori
presented ECRR to multiple men and
See ASCLA, page 6
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August 2016
Georgia Public Library Service News
Pokémon
with patrons, but also with library
employees — when they aren’t on
the job, of course.
Continued from page 1
Notably, gyms are actual public
places chosen by game developers
due to being socially popular or
active, such as public libraries.
Kuehne noticed the same thing:
“The younger players really get
a kick out of the fact
some of the staff plays,”
she said.
Staff
All 16 branches in the Cobb
system are gyms, as are the
branches in Chattahoochee
Valley Libraries, Middle
Georgia Regional Library
(MGRL), Okefenokee
Regional Library and Sequoyah
Regional Library (where
according to staff members, the
branches are bursting with
Pokémon). All of these systems
host activities and eagerly
welcome players to duke it out or
go on the hunt. To keep the mood
lively, MGRL’s Washington
Memorial Library in Macon posts
regular updates of what team is
in control of its gym.
This has opened up a fresh
dynamic in the customer service
experience at many branches,
including the Statesboro-Bulloch
County Library. “A patron who had
of the library, and employees partake
in gameplay during their breaks — a
dynamic that cascades to all age
ranges. “The kids we’ve encountered are really cool and happy and
amazed we have the app downloaded and are playing ourselves,”
said Director Stacy Brown.
Nola Brantley Memorial
Library, the central branch of
Houston County Public Libraries,
is another gym that is open and
friendly to local players, even
going so far as to draw chalk
Pokéballs in the parking lot,
reserving a space for players who
can only pop in for a short time.
One overlooked aspect
to Go is that, unlike with
most video games, players often get
physical exercise as they play. At
PokéStops, it is possible for a player
to stumble upon a Pokémon still in
its egg, and the only way to hatch
the pocket monster is to log the
specific number of steps
displayed under the egg.
This game feature opens even
more possibilities for libraries to
work with some of GPLS’s partner
organizations, such as Georgia
State Parks and Historic Sites,
which encourage Georgia Trainers
to use the nature trails spread
across 44 parks to hatch rare
specimens. Fort Yargo State Park,
General Coffee State Park, High
Falls State Park, Lake Blackshear
Resort and Golf Club and others
have events scheduled for
budding hikers, naturalists and
xenobiologists.
If a Georgia public library is
not a gym, there is a good chance
it is a PokéStop. A Stop is a realworld location where Trainers can
resupply themselves with extra
Pokéballs and possibly find rare or Ashley Pearson, youth services assistant at Nancy Guinn
Pokémon Go provides
Memorial Library, takes a break to battle patron C.J. Hunt.
special items, such as Lure
libraries yet another opportunity
Modules and Razz Berries, to
where they can reach out and
a fine to pay joked with me about
respectively attract and feed wild
connect with patrons in a positive
how it was too bad she couldn’t
Pokémon. PokéStops include centers
and inventive way, said Wendy
trade me one of her extra
for art, monuments and historical
Cornelisen, assistant state librarian
Charmanders to pay it off,” laughed
markers like the Site of Sam Jones’
for library innovation and
Marion Kuehne, circulation
Tabernacle marker outside the
collaboration.
assistant with the system.
Bartow County Library System’s
Cartersville Main Street Library.
Branches, such as the Powder
Nancy Guinn Memorial Library in
Springs Library in Cobb County and
the Conyers-Rockdale Library System
Pokémon Go is not just popular
has two PokéStops directly in front
See Pokémon, page 5
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Georgia Public Library Service News
August 2016
GLASS to offer library of 425,000 accessible e-books
On July 1, the Georgia Libraries for
“Georgia is only the second
state to offer this program to its
eligible readers,” explained GLASS
Director Pat Herndon, noting that
the first such program was begun by
the New York Public Library in
November 2015.
Accessible Statewide Services
(GLASS) network made more than
425,000 accessible e-books available
for free to patrons who cannot read
traditional print books due to
blindness, low vision, dyslexia and
other print disabilities. The online
library is made possible by
Bookshare, a Benetech global
literacy initiative. Bookshare is the
world’s largest online library of
accessible e-books for people with
print disabilities.
“Bookshare will be a wonderful
complement to our materials from
the free national library program
administered by the Library of
Congress and the National Library
Service for the Blind & Physically
Handicapped,” she said. “We are
thrilled to make this valuable new
resource available to Georgians with
certified print impairments.”
Every Georgian with an eligible
print disability now has free access
to Bookshare’s vast online library
including best-sellers, literature,
nonfiction, picture books,
educational texts, career guides and
much more as GLASS patrons.
They can choose to listen to
words read aloud with high-quality
text-to-speech voices; read with
enlarged fonts; see and hear as
words are highlighted; read in
braille; and more. They can also read
Bookshare e-books on a wide variety
of devices, including tablets, smart
phones, computers, assistive
technology devices and on MP3
players using a variety of free and
purchased apps.
Bookshare offers free apps,
including Bookshare Web Reader —
which can be used on any computer
and laptop — and Go Read for
Android. Staff
Currently, all U.S. students with
qualifying disabilities can access
Bookshare’s library for free under an
award from the Department of
Education, Office of Special
Education Programs. This new
partnership serves eligible Georgia
patrons of all ages, whether they are
students or not.
With Bookshare e-books, GLASS
patrons can customize their reading
experience in ways that work best
for their individual needs.
Pokémon
Continued from page 4
the Washington Memorial Library,
have people who may never have
visited before coming through their
doors asking about Go or looking
for other Pokémon materials.
Acting in true library fashion,
Angelica Torres, young adult
specialist at Washington Memorial,
uses this opportunity to engage new
patrons by inviting them to library
events and programming with the
goal of fostering lifelong learners
who will find more reasons than the
ability to capture a sleeping Snorlax
to visit their local public library. Fair territory
Jonathan McKeown (second from left), associate director of branch services for the Cobb County
Public Library System, welcomed Katie Gazda, executive director of the GFB Foundation for
Agriculture; Debbie Payne, office manager of the Cobb County Farm Bureau (CCFB); and CCFB
President Stan Kirk to Marietta’s Switzer Public Library on July 27. In support of GPLS’s
partnership with the Georgia National Fair this summer, Georgia Farm Bureau employees around
the state are working with local libraries to offer agricultural-related programming for youth.
They’re also donating copies of Brandon Wade’s children’s book Hi, I’m Billy Blueberry: This Is My
Story to every public library in the state.
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August 2016
Georgia Public Library Service News
NEWS IN BRIEF
Sue Plaksin
has joined the
GPLS Information
Technology team
as network
program manager.
She will manage
the broadband
network project
for libraries
Plaksin
across the state,
including E-rate, vendor and
contract support and reimbursements. Plaksin previously served as IT
services manager/reference librarian
for the Athens Regional Library
System and as project director
for the Social Sciences Research
Institute at the University of
Tennessee (UT) in Knoxville. She
holds master’s degrees in library and
information science and in sociology
from UT.
Staff
The Library of Congress
continues its annual celebration of
authors and readers, the National
Book Festival, for its 16th year on
Saturday, Sept. 24, at the Walter E.
Washington Convention Center in
Washington, D.C., from 10 a.m. to
10 p.m. The festival will feature
more than 100 distinguished authors
— led by Stephen King, Joyce
Carol Oates and Bob Woodward
— across many fields and in all
genres of writing, with audiences
ranging from young readers to
adults. GPLS will once again
represent Georgia in the Pavilion of
States. All programs are free.
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
David Teston
is the new PINES
system
administrator for
GPLS. Teston
earned a
Bachelor of
Science degree in
computer science
from Georgia
Teston
College and a
leadership certificate from the
Impact 360 Institute in Pine
Mountain.
State Librarian Julie Walker has
been re-elected to serve a second
three-year term on the LYRASIS
board of directors. The Atlantabased nonprofit organization
partners with member libraries,
archives and museums to create,
access and manage information with
an emphasis on digital content,
while enhancing library collaboration,
operations and technology. Puppet man
Staff
Lee “That Puppet Guy” Bryan poses with the
Boardman family — 4-year-old Lukas, 6-yearold Liam and 8-year-old Logan — of
Covington at one of the many Summer
Reading Program events held this summer at
the Conyers-Rockdale Library System’s Nancy
Guinn Memorial Library.
ASCLA
Continued from page 3
women over the course of several
days.
Cutting crew
On June 30, staff members of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System, the library board of
trustees and the Fulton County Board of Commissioners welcomed hundreds of residents to the
new 15,000-square-foot Southeast Atlanta Library.
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Georgia Public Library Service News
August 2016
“One thing we loved about it
was that, after every program, all
the participants got to pick out a
book for their child. After making
their selection, the book went home
with them, giving them a reminder
of what they learned — and a
present to give to their child when
they arrived.” Staff
Library systems offer online job help
to displaced Sports Authority workers
In the wake of the Sports Authority closing all its stores
and distribution centers, including one in McDonough,
Henry County Library Director Carolyn Fuller and
Assistant Director Kathy Pillatzki spent a day in June
teaching former Sports Authority employees how to use
Learning Express Library, a free online service offered
through GALILEO, to write resumes and cover letters,
search for jobs and submit online applications.
“When we heard all those employees would be losing
their jobs, we called the company and offered to work
with those who needed help applying for work in the
electronic age,” Fuller explained. “Many of the employees
had worked at Sports Authority for more than 20 years
and had no experience in applying for jobs online.”
The library system also allowed them to come in to
any of the branches and, if they presented their Sports
Authority identification cards, print as many copies of
resumes, letters and other job-search-related pages as
they needed. When Natalie Marshall, executive director
of the nearby Flint River Regional Library System (FRRLS),
based in Griffin, learned of the project and the plight of
those who lost their jobs, FRRLS extended the same offer
of help and printing for former Sports Authority
employees. Signing off with a smile
On June 14, a crowd of about 60 people attended the retirement party
for GPLS’s Stella Cone (center) at the Georgia Library for Accessible
Statewide Services (GLASS) in downtown Atlanta. Stephen Prine (left),
assistant chief of the NLS Network Division, flew in from Washington,
D.C., for the day to award Cone with a plaque of appreciation from
the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
for her 25-plus years of work on behalf of those with visual
impairments. Cone served Georgia for more than a decade, most of
that as GLASS director. State Librarian Julie Walker (right) was among
several representatives of Georgia organizations who spoke at the
event and thanked Cone for her tireless efforts and presented her with
gifts of appreciation.
Virtual event draws big audience
Nearly 1,400 people attended at least one of the five
webinars that formed the heart of the event, according
to Julia Huprich, director of continuing education for
GPLS. “I counted attendees from 40 different library
systems, nine academic libraries, and one municipal
library,” she said with a smile, “but I might have missed
one or two.”
Attendees earned continuing education credits for
each session, all of which have also been archived for
future viewing. “I really got a lot out of every session,”
said Stephen Kight, assistant director for public services
with the Forsyth County Public Library. “It was a fantastic
day.” Huprich said that plans already are in the works for
a 2017 edition of the event. Aimee Copeland
In celebration of this year’s National Library Week this
spring, GPLS and the Georgia Library Association’s
Professional and Continuing Education Interest Group
co-sponsored the state’s first Virtual Staff Development
Day for library professionals.
Homer’s a hit
Much fun was had at the Vinings branch library on June 30, as Homer
the mascot and other guests joined dozens of Cobb County children to
celebrate this year’s Home Run Readers program and play “H-O-M-E-R”
bingo games.Home Run Readers runs through the end of August.
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August 2016
Georgia Public Library Service News
PRSRT STD
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PAID
ATLANTA, GA
PERMIT NO. 213
1800 Century Place, Suite 150
Atlanta, GA 30345-4304
A Unit of the University System of Georgia
Staff
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
Julie Walker, state librarian
David Baker, editor
Dustin Landrum, assistant
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
Words of encouragement
State School Superintendent Richard Woods reads to children and their caregivers at the
Dalton-Whitfield County Library’s Summer Reading Program kickoff event on June 15.
He later joined State Librarian Julie Walker and volunteers from the Superintendent’s
Student Advisory Council, a group of 120 middle and high school students from across
the state, to hand out free books to the dozens of families who attended. “Literacy is a
top priority for my administration and a core focus in our agency’s strategic plan,”
Woods said. “Summer reading is critically important for maintaining and growing
reading abilities, so we strongly urge every Georgia student to read this summer.”