Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System Celebrates Its Volunteers

The value of volunteering topped $1.4 million at Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System for 2014, with 1,871 volunteers donating 64,962 hours valued at $1,498,662.27 in donated services! This is the seventh year library volunteer services have topped $1 million, and the theme of this year’s event was "Volunteers Help Write Our Story."

The 25th Annual Volunteer Recognition Award Program was held Saturday, April 25, during National Volunteer Month, with over 105 people in attendance. Special guest speakers included Fulton County Commissioner Joan Garner, District 4, who is also former Library Board trustee and Stephanie Moody, Chair of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System Board of Trustees.

Library volunteers serve as English as a second language (ESL) teachers, homework help aides, math tutors, computer assistants, clerical assistants, children’s program aides, tax aides, special event hosts and more – in any of the Library System’s 34 branches. Volunteers with Friends of the Library groups are active in 26 branches and served over 23,000 hours last year.

Some highlights of the volunteer year include:

An increase over the previous year, 153 volunteers donated over 100 hours in 2014, including 50 who donated over 200 hours. Four volunteers donated over 1,000 hours in 2014. Five young adults and four teens won the President’s Volunteer Service Award.

Several volunteers reached milestones, including 31 volunteers who celebrated their 5-year service award, 16 volunteers who celebrated their 10-year service award, 6 volunteers who celebrated their 15-year service award, and one who celebrated 20 years of service. Fourteen volunteers received the Millennium Award for reaching a career total of over 1,000 hours!

Carol Harrison and Janice Tedford, volunteers with the Friends of the Roswell Library, both won the President’s Call to Service Award for reaching a career total of over 4,000 hours and with 1,289 of those hours being served in 2014, Carol was also the top hours volunteer with the highest hours for 2014. Additional winners included Laura Thompson who served 1,224 hours at the Sandy Springs Library, Ben Statham who served 1,216 hours and Gerrie Fornek who served 1,120 with the Friends of the Alpharetta Library.

There was also a dedication to volunteer Ben Statham who has broken every volunteer record and has served more than 20,000 hours since 1991. Twenty southern history books were purchased for the new Alpharetta Library and have book plates in honor of his service.

Four top hours’ volunteers presented a check for the $1,498,662.27 in donated services to the Interim Library Director Gayle Holloman, Board of Trustees Chair Stephanie Moody and Commissioner Joan Garner.

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

Image 1: Friends of the Alpharetta Library (FOTAL) celebrate their significant contribution in 2014 and help hold the check showing the total donation of services to the Library System of $1,498,662.27. (L to R) Linda Statham; Ben Statham; Gerrie Fornek; Heather Staniszewski, Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System’s Volunteer Services Manager; Barbara Selwyn; Susan Fornek; and Sherry Wright (guest).  

Image 2: Friend of the Roswell Library Carol Harrison received the President’s Call to Service Award for serving 4,975 lifetime hours. Carol leads over 30 volunteers in the Friends of the Roswell Book Store and at quarterly book sales.

Image 3: Keisha Sawyer has been a Friend of the South Fulton Library since 2000 and proudly accepted her 15 year volunteer service pin.

Image 4: Kelvin Wright served 262 hours at the Southwest Library in 2014 and was awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Gold Award for Young Adults.

South Fulton Library Closes for Renovation and Expansion

The South Fulton Library will close temporarily as of Monday, November 17 for renovation and expansion.

This renovation and expansion of the library, located at 4055 Flat Shoals Road,Union City, is part of Phase I of the Library Building Program that is currently underway.

McAfee3Architects, in association with Craig Gaulden Davis, has contracted with Fulton County to provide design and engineering services for the new library. Evergreen Construction Group will provide construction management services on the project, and Heery/Russell is the program management team.

When the renovation and expansion are complete, the library will go from its current 15,000-square-feet to 25,000-square feet and will include additional meeting space, state-of-the-art presentation equipment, enhanced space for children’s services and a separate area for teens.

Construction for the expansion and renovation will take approximately 12 months, and the reopening of the library is expected in the first quarter of 2016. During construction library service will be available at the following nearby locations:

-       College Park Branch: 3647 Main Street, College Park 30337

-       Fairburn Branch: 60 Valley View Drive, Fairburn 30213

-       Southwest Branch: 3665 Cascade Road SW, Atlanta 30331

-       Wolf Creek Branch: 3100 Enon Road, Atlanta 30331

Green building design and sustainability are priorities for all Phase I library projects, and the Library System expects to achieve LEED Silver on each project. Each library will reflect the culture and interests of its community.

In November 2008, Fulton County voters overwhelmingly passed the Library Bond Referendum. The plan will greatly enhance all of the county’s libraries, and Phase I includes 8 new branch libraries, Alpharetta, East Roswell, Milton, Northwest Atlanta, Palmetto, Southeast Atlanta, Metropolitan, and Wolf Creek and 2 expanded libraries, the Auburn Avenue Research Library and the South Fulton Branch. 

For more information please visit our website www.afpls.org or call 404-730-1977. 

Fulton County Job Fair

Employers who expect to hire within the next 90 days will participate in a Job Fair sponsored by the Fulton County Office of Workforce Development on Wednesday, April 23, 2014. The Job Fair will be held from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. in the Atrium of the Fulton County Government Center located at 141 Pryor Street in Atlanta. Job seekers are urged to dress for success and bring their resumes for the Job Fair initiated by Fulton County District 6 Commissioner Joan P. Garner.

To help citizens prepare to enhance their chances of landing a position, Fulton County will host three Job Readiness Prep Workshops on Tuesday, April 15, Wednesday, April 16 and Thursday, April 17, 2014, at the Neighborhood Union Health Center. The three-hour workshops will begin at 9:00 a.m. each day. Neighborhood Union is located at 186 Sunset Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30314. The deadline to register is Friday, April 11, 2014, and registration is free. And don't forget about the free Job Resources available to you from the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System! 

Individuals who plan to attend the Job Fair are urged to take MARTA to Underground Atlanta for convenience and reduced costs that would be associated with parking and identifying available parking near the Government Center.

For more information, call 404-613-6381. The Office of Workforce Development is a division of the Housing and Human Services Department.

Citizens in need of reasonable accommodations due to a disability including communications in an alternative format should contact Nell Kapple in the Housing and Human Services Department at (404) 613-7944. For Georgia Relay Access, dial 711.

October Is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Although National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) is celebrated in October, NBCAM.org is dedicated to raising awareness and educating individuals about breast cancer throughout the year. Through a collaboration of national public service organizations, professional medical associations, and government agencies working together to promote breast cancer awareness, share information on the disease, and provide greater access to services, NBCAM strives to remain at the forefront of promoting awareness of breast cancer issues. Visit their webpage to see a full list of all of the organizations that work together for this very important cause.

The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System also wants to recognize the importance of this issue and raise awareness during this month. Join us on October 17, 11:00 a.m. at the Central Library for a discussion with Debra DeWitt, Nursing Supervisor, with the Fulton County Women’s Health Program. Ms. DeWitt will discuss how under insured and uninsured residents of Fulton County can have access to free breast exams, mammograms, and follow-up visits.

For more information you can also visit Fulton County's Health and Wellness section of their website here.