Submitted by Sarah Brubaker
Check out these highlights from some of the unique offerings patrons enjoyed systemwide April 10–April 16, 2025.
Eid Celebration at Sharon Forks Library (4/12)
81 children, 75 adults
“Eid al-Fitr (Festival of breaking the fast) begins at sunset on the night of the first sighting of the crescent moon and signifies the end of Ramadan. This was a really great program that required minimal support from staff. The Ar Rahman group handled set up and clean up. The room was set up with various stations including henna art, watercolor demonstrations, a writing table where patrons could practice writing in Arabic, a bangle (bracelet) station, a photo booth, and informational areas describing the history of Eid and Ramadan. There was also an area where kids could sit and listen to stories. Despite the large crowds, the program remained in the meeting room and was not disruptive at all to the rest of the library. Patrons were able to learn about Eid and enjoy culturally significant treats and traditions. Overall, a very successful program!” - hosted by Andrea DelValle
81 children, 75 adults
“Eid al-Fitr (Festival of breaking the fast) begins at sunset on the night of the first sighting of the crescent moon and signifies the end of Ramadan. This was a really great program that required minimal support from staff. The Ar Rahman group handled set up and clean up. The room was set up with various stations including henna art, watercolor demonstrations, a writing table where patrons could practice writing in Arabic, a bangle (bracelet) station, a photo booth, and informational areas describing the history of Eid and Ramadan. There was also an area where kids could sit and listen to stories. Despite the large crowds, the program remained in the meeting room and was not disruptive at all to the rest of the library. Patrons were able to learn about Eid and enjoy culturally significant treats and traditions. Overall, a very successful program!” - hosted by Andrea DelValle
Foundation Directory Online: Your Key to Grants at Cumming Library (4/10)
7 adults
“Nonprofits like Bald Ridge, Whispering Hope, Head Start, a K9 rescue from White County, and others were represented. We also had one attendee who is interested in starting her own nonprofit. One woman expressed how glad she was that she could access it here since the cost was too prohibitive for her organization. Everyone was thankful for the training, and a couple came back to the branch and spent another hour with their searches. The attendee interested in starting her own nonprofit asked for resources to help with that, so I showed her a couple of books on the process and she checked them out. Attendees were thankful for the class and for being able to have access to FDO here at Cumming. A number of them sent themselves profiles they were planning on going through from home later.” - hosted by Jennifer Bell
7 adults
“Nonprofits like Bald Ridge, Whispering Hope, Head Start, a K9 rescue from White County, and others were represented. We also had one attendee who is interested in starting her own nonprofit. One woman expressed how glad she was that she could access it here since the cost was too prohibitive for her organization. Everyone was thankful for the training, and a couple came back to the branch and spent another hour with their searches. The attendee interested in starting her own nonprofit asked for resources to help with that, so I showed her a couple of books on the process and she checked them out. Attendees were thankful for the class and for being able to have access to FDO here at Cumming. A number of them sent themselves profiles they were planning on going through from home later.” - hosted by Jennifer Bell
Learn to Plan and Plant a Garden at Hampton Park Library (4/12)
14 adults
“Shannon Henderson and Beverly Adams from the UGA Extension office and a few of the Master Gardeners came in ready to teach, learn, and get their hands dirty in our hands-on workshop. The program started inside our meeting room with a short discussion. Our group gave their expertise and answered any questions that our patrons had. They talked about a variety of topics, such as which plants go with which plants and the importance of hardening off the sprouts before planting them outside. They discussed spacing, watering, depth, good soil, and planting techniques. After that, everyone was eager to go outside and start planting. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect day, and everyone was so pleased with the garden. They planted most of our seedlings. Our volunteers were happy with the turnout and happy to meet some of our patrons, but most of all, they were happy to get outside on this beautiful day!” - hosted by Diana Wolski
14 adults
“Shannon Henderson and Beverly Adams from the UGA Extension office and a few of the Master Gardeners came in ready to teach, learn, and get their hands dirty in our hands-on workshop. The program started inside our meeting room with a short discussion. Our group gave their expertise and answered any questions that our patrons had. They talked about a variety of topics, such as which plants go with which plants and the importance of hardening off the sprouts before planting them outside. They discussed spacing, watering, depth, good soil, and planting techniques. After that, everyone was eager to go outside and start planting. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect day, and everyone was so pleased with the garden. They planted most of our seedlings. Our volunteers were happy with the turnout and happy to meet some of our patrons, but most of all, they were happy to get outside on this beautiful day!” - hosted by Diana Wolski
Preschool Learning Lab at Denmark Library (4/16)
19 children, 14 adults
Families had a wonderful time learning about the post office at Denmark's Preschool Learning Lab this morning! We had these centers for families to explore: Play Post Office, Delivery Obstacle Course, Design a Postcard, Counting Stamps, Matching Letters, Cutting and sorting Practice, Writing, and a Reading Corner. The cutting center was surprisingly busy the entire morning. I was delighted to see grown-ups coaching the children and letting them do the work. I was not surprised that the pretend play post office and obstacle course were well-loved. Children really liked delivering packages! Once they had completed the work at all the other centers, most returned to enjoy the little post office and obstacle course to play.” - hosted by Jane Elizabeth Sewell
19 children, 14 adults
Families had a wonderful time learning about the post office at Denmark's Preschool Learning Lab this morning! We had these centers for families to explore: Play Post Office, Delivery Obstacle Course, Design a Postcard, Counting Stamps, Matching Letters, Cutting and sorting Practice, Writing, and a Reading Corner. The cutting center was surprisingly busy the entire morning. I was delighted to see grown-ups coaching the children and letting them do the work. I was not surprised that the pretend play post office and obstacle course were well-loved. Children really liked delivering packages! Once they had completed the work at all the other centers, most returned to enjoy the little post office and obstacle course to play.” - hosted by Jane Elizabeth Sewell
A Parent’s Guide to Artificial Intelligence at Post Road Library (4/16)
12 adults
“The Academic Program Director for Artificial Intelligence (AI) at Georgia Tech, Timothy Brown, presented with his team. Mr. Brown gave an overview of what AI is and talked about some of the most common AI platforms. He then turned the floor over to Dr. Flavin, who discussed Kamingo versus ChatGPT. Kamingo is an AI software developed specifically to teach children how to answer a problem step-by-step, rather than giving them the answer. ChatGPT can be customized to do the same thing using prompts and guardrails. Lastly, two Georgia Tech students gave examples on how parents can use AI softwares to help their children, such as creating a study schedule based on time and activities. At the end of the presentations, parents asked many questions ranging from, ‘How do I introduce AI to my child safely?’ and ‘How do you think AI will affect jobs?’ Overall, it was a success!” - hosted by Erica Emling
12 adults
“The Academic Program Director for Artificial Intelligence (AI) at Georgia Tech, Timothy Brown, presented with his team. Mr. Brown gave an overview of what AI is and talked about some of the most common AI platforms. He then turned the floor over to Dr. Flavin, who discussed Kamingo versus ChatGPT. Kamingo is an AI software developed specifically to teach children how to answer a problem step-by-step, rather than giving them the answer. ChatGPT can be customized to do the same thing using prompts and guardrails. Lastly, two Georgia Tech students gave examples on how parents can use AI softwares to help their children, such as creating a study schedule based on time and activities. At the end of the presentations, parents asked many questions ranging from, ‘How do I introduce AI to my child safely?’ and ‘How do you think AI will affect jobs?’ Overall, it was a success!” - hosted by Erica Emling
Denmark Spring Fling (Bookmobile Visit)
113 children, 43 teens, 66 adults
"The Bookmobile attended the Denmark Spring Fling cluster event at Denmark High School. Despite competing with bouncy houses, food trucks, and lawn games, we had a lot of kids make a beeline for us and say they were most excited for the Bookmobile! We enjoyed seeing quite a few shocked faces when they learned the books were all free. Even with the rain, the turnout was fantastic!" - hosted by Brooke West and Jeanine Thompson
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