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®f)t Ih-raltr (gazette Tuesday, April 6,2021 7B
National Library Week
Celebrate Your Library
“The staff is
excellent...they go
above and beyond
in service.”
-Tim Turner
SUBMITTED BY JANET MCCORD
“Welcome to Your
Library” is the theme
for National Library
Week, April 4-10, 2021.
The American Library
Association establishes
this time to celebrate our
nations’ libraries, library
workers’ contributions
and promote library use
and support.
In October 2019 the
Friends of the Barnes-
ville-Lamar County
Library conducted a
series of interviews with
our local library users to
confirm our belief that
our library was a candi
date for the “Best Geor
gia Public Library.” What
follows is an iteration of
that study with a little
more history added.
There has always
been a lot of commu
nity involvement with
the library in Barnes-
ville. According to
“The History of Lamar
County, 1825-1932”,
Mrs. Augusta Lambdin,
editor, Third Printing
(which was made pos
sible at the time by the
Friends) “From the days
of the earliest settlers
Barnesville people have
been book lovers...with
shelves filled with copies
of standard literature” in
their homes. In 1876 the
first school
library for
Gordon
Institute was
established
and the
entire town
had access to
the volumes.
In 1880 the
collection of books
numbered two thou
sand. In the late 1890’s
the ten members of the
Barnesville Literary
Society contributed $50
each for the purchase
of new books and fitted
up the rear of J. H. Bates
and Co. Jewelry store
for a library and read
ing room The Woman’s
Shakespearean Club
helped and assisted in
the management. In 1908
civic leaders applied for
a grant from the Carnegie
Foundation and Barnes-
ville’s Carnegie Library
was opened on February
1, 1910. All books belong
ing to the Gordon Library
were donated and deliv
ered to the new building.
It was located on the
same block of land as the
Gordon Grammar School
which was built in 1912
and developed over the
years into Gordon State
College.
The present library,
which was renovated
in 2017, was built on
the location of the old
grammar school in 1986
with a grant from Geor
gia’s State Department
of Education’s Public
Library Services Division,
matching funds from
Barnesville and Lamar
County. $130,235 of the
matching funds came
primarily from citizen
donations. Commu
nity volunteers formed
a human chain to move
the books from the old
Carnegie Library to the
new facility. The Friends
of the Barnesville-Lamar
County Library organized
in April 1987 and have
been active promoting
the library and raising
funds for special pro
grams and needs ever
since. Two Used Book
Sales are provided for the
community each year.
They established the au
dio book collection and
have purchased large
print books. Current
annual paid individual
memberships average 90,
with about 12 very active
officers and volunteers
who meet eight months
of the year. Contributions
are received from six or
more corporate member
ships annually.
The library was
“bursting at the seams”
in 2013. The library staff
and community came
together to plan and
execute a much needed
“state of the art” renova
tion. The library is open
six days a week with two
evenings until 8 p.m. The
library staff is composed
of five persons, three full
time, two part-time and
two volunteers. Some of
the recent statistics re
flect the quality of library
services. Books circulat
ed for the period ending
June 2019 was 36,690.
The 2019 Summer Read
ing Program served 402
children and 20 teens.
Total attendance at nine
special program events
were 1,424 children and
71 teens. Children’s
Reading Club hours were
10,125 and 1,125 hours
by the teens.
The library provides
many services to the
community and to all
ages. A veterans monu
ment is located in front of
the library which is the
venue on special days for
speeches and tributes
memorializing those
who served our country.
A community meeting
room can seat 145. It has
accommodated the large
4-H dinner
and awards
night, frequent
lunch and
learn sessions
given by the
county exten
sion agent, and
is designated
as a polling
place. Two smaller meet
ing rooms are used for
student group study,
tutoring, Book Club, DAR,
and other civic group
meetings. Areas of the
library are designated
for children, teens, and
adults. The teen section
includes book shelves,
two computers with
internet connectiv
ity, earphones, and USB
outlets. The adult section
features comfortable
furniture located next to
newspaper, magazines
and bookshelves. One
elderly patron who lives
close by comes to read
the weekly local news
paper. Others say they
use the library to check
consumer publications
prior to big purchases.
The library promotes
literacy and supports
education in the county.
The staff works closely
with the schools to have
resources on hand for
student as
signments and
projects. The
library gets
the summer
reading lists
from elemen
tary through
high schools
in order to
have those
books avail
able. It helps
promote the
FERST Founda
tion of Lamar
County that
supplies books
monthly to children from
birth to five years of age.
In addition to the sum
mer reading programs,
the library has weekly
programs for children
such as Children’s Sto
rytime for ages 0-4 years
and Book Buddies for
ages 5 and up.
The library promotes
good citizenship. Upon
getting a library card,
with proper identifica
tion, a new library user
can register to vote. The
library staff geared up to
help citizens complete
the 2020 census online.
The library provides
services to the public
such as copy/print fax
service, notary service,
The Carnegie Library opened in 1910. All books were donated by the Gordon Library.
The Barnesville-Lamar County Library was renovated in 2017 and sits at the location of the old grammar school.
“On several occa
sions they have
delivered books
to these elderly
people in assisted
living or when
they are confined
at home.”
-Marian Dunn
free Wi-Fi and internet
access to job seekers,
as so many employers
now require online job
applications. Individuals
and families can use their
library card to check out
free passes to Georgia
destinations such as Go
Fish Education Center,
Perry, Georgia; Zoo
Atlanta; Georgia State
Parks & Historic Sites
(free entrance and park
ing); Center for Puppetry
Arts, Atlanta’s Michael
C. Carlos Museum at
Emory University; Chat
tahoochee Nature Center,
Roswell; Macon Mu
seum Pass: The Tubman
Museum, the Georgia
Sports Hall of Fame, and
the Museum of Arts and
Sciences; and the William
Breman Jewish Heritage
Museum, Atlanta.
Many other libraries
may provide these same
services. But to docu
ment that the
Barnesville-
Lamar Coun
ty Library
is the one
of the best,
we decided
to interview
a variety of
users to get
their com
ments which
follow:
The first
person we
interviewed
was Lacy
Bush, the Teen Coordina
tor for the library. She
told us that the teens
meet two times each
month at the library. The
first meeting is a busi
ness meeting at which
they plan their second
meeting which can be
anything from a pizza
party to a community
service activity. For ex
ample, one month their
second meeting was at
the Dolly Goodpuppy fa
cility where they helped
with the animals and
learned about their ef
forts to find good homes
for strays and promote
spay/neuter. The Teen
program provides a safe
place for the teens, who
include home school stu
dents, to make friends.
They support each other
in completing homework.
The teens say they “are
nerds that can change
the world!”
The coordina
tor says the li
brary manager
is a role model
and helps with
ideas for activ
ities. She rates
the library as
“the Chic-fil-A
of libraries.”
Next we
spoke to the
editor/publish
er of The Her
ald-Gazette,
Walter Geiger,
who is a heavy
user of the
History/Gene
alogy room where he can
look up on microfilm 150
years of newspaper edi
tions. He researches four
to five things each month
and the library “makes
my life so much easier.”
He reads two books of
fiction per week for relax
ation. Both of his suc
cessful daughters credit
the library, along with
their school for “teaching
them how to read and
study.” “Next to mine,”
the editor added, “the
library has the best staff
in town.” In one word he
described the staff as
“caring.”
We inter
viewed one of
the county’s
historians and
interim city
manager, Tim
Turner, who said he has
been going to our library
since he was two. He said
he loves the genealogy
room. He has researched
about 900 families that
settled this county and
has donated about 100
genealogies he has
completed. “The staff is
excellent...they go above
and beyond in service.”
Linda Akins, a retired
business woman agreed
to be interviewed. She
has four grandchildren
who attend the sum
mer reading program
“The ladies here
do an excellent
job of taking care
of us, meeting
our needs and
making us feel
welcome. On a
scale of 1 to 10,
they are an 11!
-Dixie Benson
It’s ‘the Chic-fil-A
of libraries.”
- Lacy Bush
which is “fabulous.” Her
garden club uses the
audio visual equipment
at the library for some
meetings. Our library
manager, Kelly Hughes,
also is “fabu
lous, and a
community
leader. She
was chosen
Outstanding
Citizen of the
Year for 2019
in recogni
tion of all her
community
service. She
draws more
people into
the library.
All the people
there are nice
and helpful.”
She describes
the staff as
“hospitable, accommo
dating, knowledgeable,
and nurturing.”
Next we spoke to one
of our local authors,
Doyle Reynolds, a play
wright and poet who par
ticipated in one of sev
eral local writers’ book
signings sponsored by
the library. He views the
library as a place where
he can network and com
municate with the public.
He says the Barnesville-
Lamar County library is
“absolutely great.”
When we requested
an interview with Marian
Dunn, the
Book Club
president,
she asked
us to sit
in on their
meeting in
one of the small meeting
rooms. Seven members
expressed their apprecia
tion for the room avail
ability. They use an “app”
to put books on hold.
“There are days when 1
can’t get the internet and
must use the library” one
member said. Various
comments about the staff
were “patient,” “wonder
ful,” “a ‘10’.” One member
told about how the staff
knows the reading prefer
ences of their elderly
patrons who love to
read. “On several occa
sions they have delivered
books to these elderly
people in assisted living
or when they are con
fined at home.”
The last interview
was with Dixie Benson,
a “home school mom”
who brought along her
four children. Her oldest
daughter, Mikayla, age
17, participated in the
interview. She has been
coming to the library
since she was 18 months
old. The mom said her
children participated
in Storytime and Book
Buddies. “My children
have learned to love to
read.” They use the study
room to do school work.
The kids reserve books
on line from home and
pick them up here using
inter-library loan. As we
concluded the interview
and joined the younger
children in the children’s
area, we asked their
opinion of the library.
The replies were “love
it.” One young son had
selected a stack of seven
books to check out. Dixie
said that they have used
other libraries in the sur
rounding area and this is
the best. Then this mom
made comments which
make my assertion that
the Barnesville-Lamar
County Library is one of
the best. She said:
“The ladies here do
an excellent job of taking
care of us, meeting our
needs and making us
feel welcome. On a scale
of 1 to 10, they are an
11! That’s what makes
the library great. They
are the foundation and
everything else is built
on that.”
We say, “Amen.”
The Barnesville-Lamar
County Library is the
best. While you are using
this week to appreciate
our library, The Friends
of the Barnesville-Lamar
County Library take this
opportunity to thank the
residents of Barnesville
and Lamar County for
continuing the tradition
established by the earli
est settlers. We appreci
ate your support of the
library and our activities.
NATIONAL
LIBRARY WEEK
APRIL 4-10, 2021