Recap of Recaps: March 6–March 11

Take a moment to check out these recaps from all kinds of programming that took place systemwide between March 6–March 11.

Building a Barbie Dream House is fun for the whole family!

Liv and Bree from NoFo Brew Co give a dynamic presentation on women in brewing

Librarian Barbie? Yes, please!

Birding with the Library at Sharon Forks Library

2 children, 14 adults

"The rainy weather did not keep us from exploring the world of birds for Birding with the Library today. While we did have to move indoors to the SF Meeting Room, Sheridan from Birds Georgia (formerly Georgia Audubon) gave a wonderful and interactive presentation on

birds in Georgia and how to start birding. She had essentially 3 presentations in one: conservation, birds identification, and birds of Atlanta. Habitat loss has made a huge dent in bird populations, especially for grassland birds. Cats and windows are the top bird killers. Sheridan played some bird calls and pointed out the differences between similar sounding ones. We learned that birds have accents similar to humans in that the same species can sound slightly different in various regions. Sheridan explained that this happens because some birds may need to "shout" over traffic and other noise barriers. Some identification resources she recommended are Merlin (#1 recommended for beginners), iNaturalist, eBird (for data-lovers), Audubon & Sibley (ID apps), and birdcast.info (bird migration). She ended the talk with birds common in the metro Atlanta area, playing each of their calls and/or songs. I officially ended the program by telling everyone about our Georgia State Park backpack and its cool features as well as promoting the Nature on My Mind series and Bookish Trailblazers. After the program, the family with two children told me that they were looking for ways to get their kids involved in outdoor activities like birding. I showed them the contents of the backpack while Lola informed them of more details about the Merlin app. Several attendees asked if we would do this again later in the year when the weather is more predictable. Sheridan said she would love to come back anytime.” –hosted by Jessica Dillard

Ready, Set, Preschool! at Hampton Park Library

35 children, 24 adults

"Cumming Dental presented a program for patrons today. They read a book and played a game about good oral health. Everyone enjoyed their presentation and the presenters stayed afterward to answer questions. Our activity stations included a play dough teeth center, a flossing egg cartons center, a tooth fairy craft, a mouth and teeth craft, a dental play area, build a tooth fairy garden center, reading center, write a letter to the tooth fairy, follow the number path to get to the mailbox, and a tooth fairy math center. Everyone learned about dental health and enjoyed all the centers. There were many positive comments about the program.” –hosted by Kelly Hollis

Build a Barbie Dream House at Cumming Library 

18 children, 17 adults

“We started by asking a few trivia questions based on Barbie. Audience members were astonished that the first dream house in 1962 only cost $4.99 compared to the $500.00 price tag in 2023! I then showed them examples of dream houses that could be made out of recycled materials, one of which Kaity and I made. We then directed their attention to the Barbie display table which featured the 1970's camper that Holly brought compared to the camper of 2023. Also on display was the Barbie collection that Alison from Post Road lent us which included amazing dolls like Aubrey Hepburn, Elvis Presley, and Marylin Monroe. Joan also contributed a super cool Jane Goodall doll. After some special instructions patrons began making their Barbie Dream houses. It was so fun to watch kids, moms, dads, aunts, and grandmas work together. Each family created something unique and fun. I loved hearing them get excited by ideas and then watch them work together to implement them. Throughout the making process I would ask more trivia questions and hand out more prizes. I even offered a Barbie Box photo booth that I made into Librarian Barbie (see photo). Families were extremely complimentary and asked if we do stuff like this every Saturday. Our VolunTEENs, Sebastian, and other staff were a big help throughout the program!” –hosted by Sariah Homan

Brewing Up Business: Women in the Craft Brewing Industry at Post Road Library

2 adults

"Liv and Bree from NoFo Brewery in Cumming came to talk about the experiences, expertise, and resources that they have used to succeed in the craft brewing business. We had two people in attendance, one of whom was a craft brew aficionado. I started off the program with a brief slideshow about the history of women in brewing, then Bree (Head Brewer) and Liv (Marketing and Events) took over with the resurgence of women getting back into the business. Neither one set out on their current career path but skills they have learned have led them to the brewing industry. Liv told us how she owes her education to her local library. It was where she and her parents took ESL classes, where she borrowed the books and study guides for tests to get through high school, where she filled out her college applications, and where she taught herself many things. She happened to get into the brewing business through her chemistry degree and she mentors other women in the industry as well as in the sciences to explore different avenues that their education can take them. Bree started out as a bartender and worked her way into the marketing side of the brewery. They both stressed the fact that there are other careers out there that one may not think about or even know how to start getting into. There were lots of questions about their processes, experiences, and what their favorite type of beer is. There was talk of the brewing industry’s quality control and cleaning standards since the husband of the aficionado cleans brew systems and Bree uses her science degree to increase and standardize sanitation in the industry. We also covered library resources including Galileo, which Bree is a huge fan of, and there was a display with library career and research resources as well as books about brewing and job training.” –hosted by Alison Carling