Recap of Recaps: January 11–January 16

Submitted by Joanie Goforth

Here are the latest recaps from system-wide programming that took place between January 11–January 16:

Patrons learn about library resources
at East Forsyth HS Spanish Parent Night

Patrons explore a variety of cameras displayed
at Is Film Photography for You?

Is Film Photography For You? at Cumming Library 

1 child, 7 adults

"Chris Dant, an Associate Professor of Art at the University of North Georgia, gave an amazing presentation today about film photography. He began by discussing the fascinating history of film photography, then explained his reasoning for shooting in film. For our presenter, film 1) gives no instant gratification; 2) connects us to history; 3) engages all of our senses; 4) just looks "different"; and 5) allows us to be present. To get started, all you need is

a camera and some film (35mm tends to be people's starting place because it is less daunting). Some people might opt for medium or large format cameras instead. Professor Dant talked about how to develop film, including a couple of services that are local to the area. You can also ship it out to a company or even set up your own darkroom, which he explained is not as scary as one may think! After the program, a patron who had seen the door sign spoke with Professor Dant. It turns out that the patron really wanted to take a film class with Professor Dant but couldn't get in, so Professor Dant invited him to come by his office with a roll of film so that they could develop it together. Everyone had an opportunity to take a look at all of the awesome cameras and to look through the ground glass of large format cameras. Professor Dant also kindly invited everyone to send him an email so they could arrange a visit at UNG to see the darkroom. Patrons asked great questions and all seemed very excited about getting started. One patron inquired about what to look for on the FB marketplace, so it sounds like he might be buying a film camera very soon!" –hosted by Brianna Schantz

STEAM Career Night for Teens and Tweens at Hampton Park Library

18 children, 7 adults

"Despite the freezing temperatures, we had a great crowd for last night's program! Our Programming Intern, Anika, put this STEAM Night together mainly on her own as part of her internship. She did an excellent job communicating with both me and her fellow career pathways students from Alliance Academy. The students had several different tables set up to present their chosen career fields, including biomedical engineering, cybersecurity, aerospace engineering, drones, graphic design, robotics, law, and EMT/fire services. Many answered questions to younger students about what they could be doing both in and out of school to find their own career paths. I'm so proud of Anika for putting such an excellent program together!” –hosted by Kayla Bolton

Teen Advisory Board at Post Road Library

21 children

"This was the first Middle School TAB program led by our Leadership Team and it went great! We have 5 High School students on the Leadership Team and they had planned the activities for this meeting at their HS TAB meeting earlier in the week. They came early to set the room up, and had one person to lead the program, and divided up among the 4 tables. We had 16 Middle Schoolers attend, so 4 per table. They worked on an endcap, a scavenger hunt, a program, and advertising for the Teen Career Exploration Series in February. All the groups made great progress on their assignments and seemed to have fun. I was so pleased with how the high schoolers did today. They will recap and plan February's activities at their February TAB meeting.” –hosted by Amy Szvetecz

Chilling Chronicles: A Close Look at Cold Cases at Sharon Forks Library

51 adults

"We had a great turnout for this first program in our Scene of the Crime series, with a nice mix of ages, mostly older but a handful of young adults. One couple was there for an afternoon date. Laurah began her talk by explaining her background and how she go involved in cold cases. Our presenter Laurah Norton described beginning her podcast, "The Fall Line," saying it had "a much bigger effect than we imagined." She said the podcast taught her that people do care about cold cases, they just need a way to hear about them. "The Fall Line" views cold cases on a need basis in that they only examine cases that are in desperate need of attention. During the program she focused on one case that she follows in her book, "Ina Jane Doe," whose decapitated head was found in a state park in Illinois in January 1993. In 2021, Laurah and her team examined the case with the help of local law enforcement and in March 2022, they were able to finally identify her with the help of GED Match, a DNA matching organization, and Astrea, a DNA lab. Ina Jane was actually Susan Minard Lund, a 25 year-old mother of 3 who was thought to have run away when she went missing in Tennessee on Christmas Eve 1992. GED Match was able to use the DNA results from Astrea to find Susan's surviving sisters and children. Laurah said that now her missing person's case is closed, but her homicide case remains open as they continue to search for Susan's killer. The rest of her body has never been found. As she brought the program to a close, Laurah explained that her goal is to help people see cold case victims as a subject rather than an object. After the program, Laurah signed bookplates for patrons and I informed everyone of the remaining programs in the series. Quite a few people asked if this is a recurring program series and highly complimented this year's lineup.” –hosted by Jessica Doss

Outreach Presentation at East Forsyth HS Spanish Parent Night

41 adults, 30 teens

“Lorraine and I were invited to participate in Spanish Parent Night at East Forsyth High School. This meeting was to inform parents and students about the registration process for classes and end of the school year requirements. We were given the opportunity to share a presentation on library programs and services. I decided to use the “Did you know?” bookmark as a reference for the slideshow and told them that FCPL is more than books; it’s spaces, services, materials, eResources, and more! Some of the resources I highlighted were Tutor.com, Learning Express Library and the Conversational English classes. Five participants signed up for library cards and expressed interest in visiting the library soon. At the end of the meeting they had a giant Rosca de Reyes (Three Kings Cake) and tamales for everyone! They sure know how to keep these families happy!” –contributed by Kandy de Martin