Readers to Leaders Partners With Local Library

The partnership between the Dalton-Whitfield Readers to Leaders program and the Northwest Georgia Regional Library continues to grow.  On Wednesday, October 24, University of Georgia researchers, JoBeth Allen and Roberta Gardner, met with the library staff and other members of the community to discuss how the library could become a key player in the Readers to Leaders literacy initiative in the Dalton-Whitfield community.

The Northwest Georgia Regional Library offers many services to the Dalton-Whitfield area.  They offer not only educational reading, but also recreational reading to anyone in the community.  They have computers, Wi-Fi, a computer class, and also a website that offers resources to help individuals with job searches, genealogy, and financial planning.  The library staff wants to create branch libraries throughout the county.  They have already created a partnership with the local Community Center and provide it with books to distribute to interested community members.

 

At the October 24 meeting, the UGA researchers shared 21^st Century Library concepts employed in other communities.  Roberta Gardner shared a PowerPoint demonstrating how libraries use book mobiles to deliver Wi-Fi access and computer training to underserved parts of communities.  The group brainstormed about how the Dalton-Whitfield community might utilize trained volunteers to activate a similar book mobile service.  The group also discussed restoring old school buses to serve as satellite branches.

In June, the library will hire a new director to take the lead on expanding the library further into the community.  In the meantime, Interim Director Nick Fogarty and his team will continue to work closely with community members to develop a new vision for the library.