Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 4B i&RgpOrter June 29, 2011
Around Monroe County
New library manager is ready for the job
and found it was much easier
BY DIANE GLIDEWELL
news@mymcr. net
Lauren Mullins is the
new branch manager of the
Monroe County Library. She
was chosen to replace Debbie
Melton, who retired, and took
on her new responsibilities
in April, just shortly before
the normally quiet place of
study and reflection began to
explode with its summer read
ing and children’s programs.
Mullins said that over 300
children signed up for the
library’s summer reading pro
gram in just the first week of
registration. The library also
offers special events for chil
dren at the Monroe County
Clubhouse behind the library
from 11 a.m.-12 noon almost
every Tuesday, Wednesday
and Thursday during June
and July. This year there are
also summer programs for
teens every Tuesday at 5 p.m.
and programs and prizes for
adults on Monday nights in
June and July at 6 p.m.
“We’ve had so many kids
come through,” said Mullins.
“It’s awesome.”
She comes to Forsyth from
the library in Perry, her
hometown. She worked for
the Houston County library
system for the last five years,
earning her Masters from
Valdosta State University
during that time. Mullins said
she was able to learn about
all aspects of a public library
while working for Houston
County.
She started on the ‘front
lines,’ at the circula
tion desk. She later
worked as operations
manager, learning the
technology and busi
ness components of the
library and managed
the social media pages.
During part of her
employment, because
of re-modeling, she
shared offices with the
catalog manager and
business manager and
was able to see how
the whole system ran,
not just her branch.
She is excited about
using that knowledge
to expand the offerings
and services of the
Monroe County Library.
Mullins grew up in Perry,
the middle of three sisters,
and her family still lives in
Perry, which she says has
much the same small town
feel as Forsyth. She earned
her undergraduate degree
at the University of Georgia
in English. Ironically for a
future librarian, she said she
was not particularly inter
ested in reading before she
graduated from college.
“I wasn’t big on reading,”
said Mullins. “I wasn’t excited
about assigned reading, and I
didn’t do it for fun.”
However, after she had
been out of school for about a
month she found herself read
ing “everything I could get
my hands on,” buying a lot of
books on Amazon. Then she
began working at the library
to get the books she wanted-
and free. She likes historical
fiction, but said she is always
eager for variety, including
different types of nonfiction.
“People are never short on
something to recommend,”
Mullins said, particularly
referring to library patrons.
Her other interests include
bicycling and cooking. She has
a pet cat and laughed a little
at how that fits the stereotype
of a librarian.
Mullins supervises six staff
members, three full time and
three part time at the Monroe
County library and says they
each bring different strengths
to the library. She appreciates
all the planning that chil
dren’s librarian Celeste Edge
does for the programs that
bring the youngest patrons
to the library. She is also
supportive
of Marisha
Crowder’s
initiative to
start more
teen-oriented
programs.
Mullins
wants to
respond to
the move
ment toward
using the
library as a
gathering
space for
the commu
nity and in
that vein is
thankful for
the meet
ing room at Monroe County
Library. One group that
uses the library to meet is
the adult book club that gets
together the fourth Monday of
each month at 10:30 a.m.
The computers at Monroe
County Library are in con
stant use. There are 11 for
adults, three chrome books
and three computers for chil
dren 12 and under. Mullins
said the children’s computers,
which have no pop-up ads,
nothing inappropriate and
time out after 30 minutes, are
used as much or more than
the adult computers. All that
is needed for access to one
of the computers is a library
card. The library does not
offer any computer classes,
but staff members will help
someone get started on the
computer and those who need
help are encouraged to bring
someone with them for sup
port.
Mullins said she is trying
to keep new books coming in
regularly; 200 came in last
month, the first since last
August. Another 200 books for
the younger readers, from pic
ture books to those for Young
Adults, should arrive soon
for summer reading, the first
additions in this group since
July.
From January to March,
patrons checked out almost
6,000 print items from the
Monroe County Library and
596 non-print items. Total
usage of the library, including
wireless usage, added up to
about 11,000 items.
Being branch manager of
the Monroe County Library
also includes responsibilities
in the community. Mullins
said she is serving on several
committees that she inher
ited from her predecessor,
Debbie Melton. She said these
connections are helping her
serve the people who come to
the library. For example, she
knew who could help a lady
who talked to her about want
ing to learn to read.
“It’s been great meeting like-
minded people who want the
best for the community,” she
said. “We’re asked all kinds
of things. It’s never boring; no
two days are ever the same.
That’s what we’re here for.
We don’t just have books. You
can ask questions.”
The Club honors police
The Monroe County Special Needs Club honored the Forsyth Police Department
during National Police Week in May by taking them trays of petit fours for their
snack in the break room.
Gordon College holds
open house for students
interested in ‘going back*
Gordon State College
is hosting an Open
House Thursday, June
30 from 4 to 7 p.m. for
those thinking about
returning to college to
complete a degree that
life interrupted.
During the “Go Back,
Move Ahead” Open
House Gordon represen
tatives will be on hand
to offer information on
the enrollment process,
financial aid, informa
tion on transferring
earned college credit,
course schedule options
including Weekend
College and other ways
that will make return
ing to college and com
pleting a degree easier.
“We’d love to visit
with anyone who is
interested in return
ing to the classroom
and completing their
degree,” said Tamara
Boatwright, Gordon’s
public information offi
cer. “We will have staff
and faculty on hand to
answer any question
you might have and
help allay any concerns
or fears about returning
to school.”
The free event is 4
to 7 p.m. in room 123
of the Nursing and
Allied Health Sciences
Building on Spencer
Street. Parking is avail
able adjacent to the
building.
“We want this to be
an easy, informal way
to access information
and to get people back
on the road to com
pleting their degree,”
Boatwright said. “We’ll
have some snacks,
some giveaways and
a live remote from the
event from 3:30 to 5:30
by Fun 101.1. So come
back and let Gordon
State College help you
move ahead.”
Try geocaching at High Falls and around Georgia
Treasure-hunt fans have a new
quest that takes them from Georgia’s
mountains to marshes. To celebrate
its 85th anniversary this year,
Georgia’s State Park system has
kicked off a new game called Birthday
Bash Geocache. Using a hand-held
GPS, players find hidden caches while
exploring some of Georgia’s most sce
nic locations.
Park officials teamed up with
Georgia Geo-Campers volunteers
to create the quest which includes
trackable “geocoin” prizes. Only 1,000
of the limited-edition coins were
ordered, so once they’re all claimed,
the Birthday Bash Geocache ends.
Participants can download a free
game board from GeorgiaStateParks.
org/85 on or after April 18. They then
must find caches at a minimum of
eight participating parks, stamping
their game board at each one. They
also must spend at least one night in
a Georgia State Park campsite, yurt
or cabin - or attend a Georgia Geo-
Camper event during 2016.
Participating parks include High
Falls in Monroe County, Cloudland
Canyon in northwest Georgia, Don
Carter on Lake Lanier, Elijah Clark
north of Augusta, F.D. Roosevelt in
Pine Mountain, Fort McAllister south
of Savannah, Fort Yargo in Winder,
General Coffee in Douglas, Magnolia
Springs in Millen, Providence Canyon
in southwest Georgia, Red Top
Mountain on Lake Allatoona and
Seminole on Lake Seminole.
Geocaching is a popular, world-wide
sport that can be played by nearly any
age. Geocachers are known for their
enthusiasm, and many of them enjoy
friendly competition to be the first to
find new caches. Georgia’s State Parks
and State Historic Sites have offered
the game since 2010, with more than
35,000 documented “finds” by play
ers. Inside each hidden box - or cache
- are trinkets for players to trade, as
well as log books. Caches at historic
sites require players to answer ques
tions about Georgia history before
they can unlock the box, making them
a fun educational tool.
To learn more, about the Georgia
State Park geocaching program, visit
GeorgiaStateParks.org/Geocaching
and to find GeoCamper events, visit
Facebook.com/GeorgiaGeoCampers.
Tractor Supply’s Paper Clover campaign is success
In May Tractor Supply
Company, in partnership
with National 4-H Council,
announced the record-break
ing fundraising results of its
spring 2016 Paper Clover
Campaign. Tractor Supply
Company and Del’s Feed and
Farm Supply, the largest
retail farm and ranch sup
ply store chain in the United
States, raised $935,351 dur
ing the 12-day national in
store fundraiser. Over the
course of the seven-year part
nership, Tractor Supply has
raised more than $9.2 million
for 4-H programs across the
country through Paper Clover
Campaigns in both the fall
and spring season.
“This spring’s Paper Clover
Campaign was a huge suc
cess thanks to our dedicated
customers,” said Christ!
Korzekwa, Senior Vice
President of Marketing at
Tractor Supply. “We exceeded
our goal, and we couldn’t have
done it without them. These
campaigns give us the oppor
tunity to enhance our store’s
communities and provide sup
port to our valued partner in
National 4-H Council and its
local programs.”
Shoppers at Tractor Supply
Company and Del’s Feed
and Food Supply stores had
the opportunity to purchase
paper clovers between April
13-24 for $1 or more dur
ing checkout. The effort has
provided direct support for
local camps, after-school pro
grams and other activities,
and has granted scholarships
to these events so that youth
can explore their interests in
everything from animal sci
ence to robotics.
“It is extremely gratifying
to witness the significant
and consistent growth in the
Paper Clover Campaign,” said
Jennifer Sirangelo, president
& CEO, National 4-H Council.
“We are proud of this impor
tant partnership with Tractor
Supply Company, which rais
es resources to help support
4-H positive youth develop
ment programs in local com
munities across the United
States.”
Seventy percent of the
funds raised benefit state and
local 4-H youth development
program activities, such as
local camps and after-school
programs, and granted schol
arships for 4-H youth in the
communities where Tractor
Supply and Del’s stores are
located. Thirty percent of the
total funds are donated to
National 4-H Council to help
connect more young people
across America to high-qual
ity 4-H youth development
programs.
Tractor Supply Company
operates more than 1,500
stores in 49 states.