The ONLINE LINK to the Friends of Smyrna Library

Smyrna Public Library to Celebrate 75th Anniversary

2011-08-15T15:40:00.002-04:00

Smyrna, Ga. - (August 15, 2011) - On September 17, 2011, the Smyrna Public Library will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the library. The celebration will be held at Brawner Hall, located at 3180 Atlanta Road, SE, from 1:00 – 4:00 PM, and is being coordinated by the Friends of Smyrna Library (FOSL).

Anniversary festivities will include music by local keyboardist and vocalist, Benny Boynton. Benny Boynton is a seasoned pianist and vocalist who has performed with Toby Keith, Travis Tritt, Lonestar, Charlie Daniels, The Marshall Tucker Band, Percy Sledge, Chubby Checker, and more.

At 3:00 PM, Feriel Feldman and B.J. Abraham of the "Southern Order of Storytellers" will tell Carmen Agra Deedy's "The Library Dragon" followed by some additional stories.

B.J. Abraham has been a storyteller and member of the National Storytelling Association and a charter member of Southern Order of Storytellers (SOS) since 1983. She tells to children and adults, specializing in various dialects and character voices. Feriel Feldman is past president of Southern Order of Storytellers. She is a director, actor, storyteller, and has worked with teenage storytelling troupes for the last 20 years.

During the event, current library director, Michael Siegler, will give a brief talk on the history and highlights of the library.

Additionally, there will be children’s games from the 1930s, videotaped interviews with library patrons reliving memories of visiting the library as children, and historic exhibits.

Refreshments and door prizes will also be provided. This FREE event promises to be fun for the entire family!

The first Smyrna Public Library opened its doors in September 1936 by the Smyrna Women's Club - with which it shared space. The initial collection consisted of 50 books on one shelf. Boy Scouts and other children went door-to-door with wagons and wheelbarrows collecting donated books to stock the shelves after it opened.

A new 4000 square foot library building was constructed during the first term of Mayor George Kreeger (1960-1961) for a cost of $54,000. Additions were made in 1969 and 1973.

The current 28,000 square foot library facility, located at 100 Village Green Circle, was dedicated in 1991 and houses a collection of over 100,000 books and audio-visual materials.

About The Friends of Smyrna Library

The Friends of Smyrna Library (FOSL) is an independent, non-profit, volunteer organization that supports the Smyrna Public Library through fundraising events and volunteer activities. FOSL is a member of the Friends of Libraries USA organization and is one of the most active Friends chapters in Georgia. Notable programs FOSL supports are the library’s Art Gallery, the “Murder Goes South” Festival of readers and writers, “The Link” newsletter and much more. Join FOSL for only $5 for an individual membership or $10 for a family membership and make a friend today. For more information, visit http://www.friendsofsmyrnalibrary.org/.

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If you would like more information on this event, visit the FOSL website, or contact Dorothy Sibert, dsibert_30082@yahoo.com.

PRESS CONTACT: Michelle Sisco, 678/613-9852
michelle@michellesiscopr.com

Annual Frozen Yogurt Social & Book Sale Concludes

2011-07-10T10:47:00.002-04:00

The Frozen Yogurt Social and Book Sale was held today at the Smyrna Public Library. The annual event was a HUGE success. Over 250 attendees enjoyed music by Peter Vogl and delicious servings of Pinkberry Frozen Yogurt, which were donated by Pinkberry at Akers Mill Square. This year’s book sale set a new sales record.

Our next book sale will be at the Fall Jonquil Festival in October.

July-August Art Gallery Exhibits Announced by Smyrna Library

2011-07-01T19:20:00.001-04:00

Photographs by Karen Johnson on display through August.

Karen Johnson Bio

I am a Medical Techologist and amateur hotographer. The photography bug didn't really hit me until I moved from my home, just outside of Baltimore, Maryland, to Nashville, Tennessee. I explored all of the nearby parks as well as part of the Natchez Trace and took pictures to show friends and relatives the natural beauty of the area. After 5 years there, I moved to Temple, Texas and joined a Photography Club to learn more about the art. Again, I visited as many parks as I could, documenting my explorations with photographs. In 1996, I moved to Smyrna, Georgia and continued my park explorations as well the Atlanta Botanical Garden. At work, we would have craft fairs and I discovered that others liked my pictures well enough to purchase them as enlargements or as note cards. My favorite subjects are reflections in water and flowers as I enjoy the extraordinary beauty and color of nature and photography enables me to share it with others.

July-August Display Gallery Exhibit Announced by Smyrna Library

2011-07-01T19:11:00.001-04:00

Handmade Books by Ruth Kramedjian on display through August.

Ruth is a graduate of the University of Georgia with degrees in drawing and painting and art history. She has worked with fabric, designing and making original quilts; she has worked in metal, designing jewelry in silver and gold; her photographic work concentrated on black and white infrared as well as large color landscape prints. In recent years she has returned to abstract painting and the art of collage or mixed media.

In the current work, she has moved to a more intimate output with the art of the handmade book. She incorporates her own art forms and collage in the books that she makes. She is exploring not only book forms, but also the art of handmade paper.

In her artist’s statement, Ruth says:

Rhythmic cycles chart the course of our days. Both mundane and magnificent, they present themselves in the powerful circle of community life, the changing of the seasons, the movement from dawn to dusk and back again to light. Ethereal, concrete, and universal, they frame our lives and they give direction to my spiritual quest to find meaning in my world through art making. The grid and its counterpart, the circle, often serve as a frame for these cycles, and my emotional response to the inherent rhythms finds expression in my mark making. The short view, the long view, the universal view – from these, I examine my world.

Ruth can be contacted at 404.210.9790 or rrpk2@yahoo.com.

Friends of Smyrna Library to Host Free “Frozen Yogurt Social & Book Sale”

2011-06-10T13:10:00.004-04:00

Smyrna, Ga. - (June 10, 2011) – Friends of Smyrna Library (FOSL) announces their free summer event, “Frozen Yogurt Social and Book Sale,” taking place Sunday, July 10, 2011 from 3-5 p.m. inside the Smyrna Library. This special event will feature free frozen yogurt from Pinkberry, family-friendly entertainment by Peter Vogl and a book sale with incredible bargains. As with any FOSL event, all proceeds from the book sale will go to the award-winning Smyrna Library for technology, books, art, reading programs, and much more.

“The Friends appreciate the donations, volunteer hours, and more that the Smyrna community has given to the library and are sponsoring this event as a thank you to the community for its support."

"This year is a special year at the Smyrna Library - our 75th anniversary. We will be celebrating all summer and fall with fun events for the whole family and a big party in September. Check our website for more information (http://www.friendsofsmyrnalibrary.org/)," says Dorothy Sibert, President of the Friends of Smyrna Library. "The Friends appreciate the donations, volunteer hours, and more that the Smyrna community has given to the library and are sponsoring this event as a thank you to the community for its support."

FOSL is really looking forward to this year's event as once again the world-famous Pinkberry is donating the frozen yogurt, which will be free to everyone who attends (or while it lasts!) . Pinkberry opened its first Atlanta-based store last June in the Akers Mill Shopping Center on Cobb Parkway. Attendees are invited to come out and taste their “swirly goodness.”

FOSL is also honored to have the talented Peter Vogl perform live at the event again this year. Vogl is a guitarist, session player, and instructor who has performed on stage with Michael Bolton, James Brown, Bo Diddley, Francine Reed and many other famous musicians. Vogl currently performs around Atlanta with several local bands including The Blue Rhythm Band and Jan Smith. Not only is the entertainment free, but we're sure you will become a new fan of Vogl's music, if you're not already!

FOSL's Board of Director member Jeff Jones will be heading up the book sale and is sure to offer prices that can't be beat. It will feature a carefully vetted selection for of New York Times bestsellers and gift quality books priced at just $1 and $3. This year's "Frozen Yogurt and Book Sale" is going to be an event you don't want to miss! Bring your family to the Smyrna Library for an afternoon of fun. The Smyrna Library is located at 100 Village Green Circle, Smyrna, Georgia 30080.

About Peter Vogl

Peter Vogl started playing guitar in second grade and quickly realized his calling. He played in many bands throughout high school and proceeded to study classical guitar at the University of Georgia under the tutelage of John Sutherland. In collaboration with the NARAS organization Peter is the band leader each year at the Heroes Award Dinner in Atlanta. Visit his website at http://www.petervogl.com/.

About Pinkberry

Pinkberry reinvented the frozen yogurt category when it launched in West Hollywood, Ca. in January 2005. Today it is the most talked about, best tasting, premium frozen yogurt, made with high-quality fresh ingredients. From store design to exceptional customer service to our irresistible flavors and toppings, Pinkberry provides a social experience that indulges the senses. Pinkberry’s distinctive flavors are expertly crafted to complement its daily fresh-cut fruit and premium toppings that offer an irresistibly tangy, incomparable refreshing taste. Pinkberry is certified by the National Yogurt Association and carries the Live & Active Cultures Seal. Get a taste of Swirly Goodness by visiting

http://www.pinkberry.com/.

About The Friends of Smyrna Library

The Friends of Smyrna Library (FOSL) is an independent, non-profit, volunteer organization that supports the Smyrna Public Library through fundraising events and volunteer activities. FOSL is a member of the Friends of Libraries USA organization and is one of the most active Friends chapters in Georgia. Notable programs FOSL supports are the library’s Art Gallery, the “Murder Goes South” Festival of readers and writers, “The Link” newsletter and much more. Join FOSL for only $5 for an individual membership or $10 for a family membership and make a friend today. For more information, visit http://www.friendsofsmyrnalibrary.org/.

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If you would like more information on this event, please e-mail Jeff Jones at jjatlanta@gmail.com or call 770/401-3050.

Summer Reading List & Featured Book

2011-06-01T11:23:00.003-04:00

Summer 2011 Featured Book

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
by Rebecca Skloot

Summer 2011 Reading List

A Death in the Family by James Agee
An Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Brighton Rock by Graham Greene
Brother, I'm Dying by Edwidge Danticat
Checkpoint by Nicholson Baker
Cold Vengeance by Preston & Child
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Flannery O'Connor edited by Sarah Gordon
Folly by Susan Minot
How the Water Feels by Paul Eggers
How to be Good by Nick Hornby
Middlesex byJeffrey Eugenides
Museum of the Weird by Amelia Gray
My Life in Heavy Metal by Steve Almond
Open Secrets by Alice Munro
Rumors of Rain by Andre Brink
Saul and Patsy by Charles Baxter
Sunset Park by Paul Auster
The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingslover
The Bourne Ultimatum by Robert Ludlum
The Circus in Winter by Cathy Day
The Client by John Grisham
The English Major by Jim Harrison
The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing
The Final Martyrs by Shusaku Endo
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
The Painted Drum by Louise Erdrich
The Shining by Stephen King
The White Album by Joan Didion
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson
Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett

2011 Annual Spring Jonquil Festival Book Sale Concludes

2011-05-01T19:36:00.000-04:00

The 2011 Annual Spring Jonquil Festival Book Sale concluded today. More than 40 volunteers operated the booth for 2 days over the weekend. Hundreds of books were sold and approximately $2000 was raised for the library. We wish to thank all of our shoppers and our dedicated volunteers.

Our next book sale will be at the Frozen Yogurt Social in July.

May-June Art Gallery Exhibits Announced by Smyrna Library

2011-05-01T19:32:00.000-04:00

Photography by Mike Nalley on display through June.

Mike Nalley is a professional photographer specializing in fine art portraits and commercial photography. Mike works a lot on series or themes such as The Abandonment which involves abandoned homes and the things left behind. Mike's major interests lie in abandoned buildings, factories, and homes. Also people down on their luck or in desolate circumstances. Mike spends time each year teaching and giving workshops across the southeastern US. Mike is the founder and president of the Paulding Photography Club, and president of Paulding Fine Arts Association. He is a member of The Artists Guild of N. W. Georgia, Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art, Atlanta Photography Group, and Museum of Contemporary Art GA.

Mike, a native Georgian, was born in Carrrollton, GA in 1955 and now resides in Dallas, GA, a small rural area in a larger metropolitan area. Mike first started using an SLR Minolta SRT 101 in 1974 at the age of nineteen. He began shooting and teaching himself photography and really fell in love with the process. In 1978 Mike started his schooling at the Art Institute of Atlanta, receiving an Associate of Arts in Photography in 1980. Mike worked at Foster and Associates as a custom color and black and white printer from 1979-1981.

Mike opened his first studio in Marietta, GA in 1981, and concentrated mainly on commercial work including lots of annual reports and architectural work. He stayed with the studio until 1984, when he opened a new business in irrigation and got married in 1985. Mike stayed away from photography for almost 21 years.

Mike went on to become a successful Realtor and after a great year in 2005 he decided to spend a month on St. George Island on the panhandle of Florida. He took along his old 35mm equipment and decided to try his hand at his old field. After a month of shooting all over the panhandle he actually had few printable images, but he was hooked again.

Mike went digital in early 2006 and since has won many awards and competitions. Mike now works with Canon digital cameras and has a great career in Fine Art Photography. He shows his work all across Georgia and surrounding states. He does workshops and classes in Georgia, Florida. and North Carolina. You can reach him at the following:

http://mikenalleyphotography.com/
mike@mikenalleyphotography.com
770-235-2355

May-June Display Gallery Exhibits Announced by Smyrna Library

2011-05-01T19:27:00.000-04:00

Marvelous Junque by Marlis Cornett on display through June.

Artist Statement:

I've been an artist as long as I can remember. It probably started at the young age of five, when I decided to paint my dad's car with the exterior house paint. Needless to say, that didn't go over real well and I experienced my first art critic.

My artistic journey has been painting with acrylics, oil, pastels - whether portraits of people, pets, or landscapes, and then found I could mix mediums with surprising results.

Piano art: These unique works of art began with my own childhood piano which was beyond reasonable repair but held such sentimental value for the entire family that it broke my heart to simply toss it out like trash. I took all the keys and the hammers (little oval felt pieces that hit the strings) and made several unique pieces of art for family members. To personalize each piece, I added their favorite sheet music, special embellishments, names from Scrabble tiles, and other sentimental objects to make the family piano their own lasting piece of art.

Box art: these small sturdy brick size boxes were perfect to create a unique canvas and "shadow box" for art. Glued together, applied paper mache' and gesso for a painting surface, turning one the opposite way for special objects and box art was born. Again, recycled art.

I love creating art from precious objects buried in drawers or boxes in the attic, but which need to be seen and enjoyed - through recycled-to-art.

http://www.marvelousjunque.com/

Go GREEN! Buy recycled-to-art!

2011 Annual Spring Jonquil Festival Book Sale Announced

2011-04-04T13:22:00.002-04:00

The 2011 Annual Spring Jonquil Festival Book Sale will be held on Saturday April 30, 2011 from 10 AM - 6 PM and Sunday May 1, 2011 from 12 PM - 5 PM. The Friends of Smyrna Library booth will be located in front of the Smyrna Community Center. A large selection will be available. Nearly new and gently used Hardback books will be priced at $3 and $1. Children’s books will be priced at 50 cents. Paperback books and Music CDs wil be priced at 25 cents. 40 volunteer shifts are available. Interested volunteers please e-mail Jeff Jones for more information. Admission to the Jonquil Festival on the Village Green is free.

Spring Reading List & Featured Book

2011-03-15T11:28:00.001-04:00

Spring 2011 Featured Book

Digging to America
by Anne Tyler

Spring 2011 Reading List

A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren
American Pastoral by Philip Roth
Behold the Fire by Steven D. Salinger
Close Range by Annie Proulx
Dead Run by Erica Spindler
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Luka and the Fire of Life by Salman Rushdie
Mr Sammler's Planet by Saul Bellow
Old School by Tobias Wolff
Sag Harbor by Colson Whitehead
The Collected Stories by Richard Yates
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
The Mist by Carla Neggers
The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles
The Sweet Hereafter by Russell Banks
The Wilding by Benjamin Percy
Ya-Yas in Bloom by Rebecca Wells

March-April Art Gallery Exhibits Announced by Smyrna Library

2011-03-01T20:29:00.001-05:00

Photo Art by Cobb Photographic Society on display through April.

The Cobb Photographic Society welcomes photographers of all skill and ability levels. The common bond among members is a desire to become better photographers. Whether your interest is mainly in capturing memories, sharing pictures with friends or family, or becoming a semi-professional or professional photographer, the club offers many ways for members to enhance their skills.

Workshops and Tutorials. The club offers member-led tutorials and workshops. Recent topics have included how to shoot flowers and panoramas, and tutorials on Photoshop CS5, Photoshop Elements 8 and Lightroom3.

Monthly Speakers. On the third Monday of each month the club hosts a speaker on a photographic topic. In the past year topics have included architectural photography, natural light portraiture, pet photography, and planning a photographic trip.

Competitions. On the first Monday of each month there is a themed competition in which an outside judge evaluates and critiques the images entered in the competition. Even if one does not enter the competition, hearing the judge evaluate and critique images makes it a valuable learning experience.

Field Trips. The club sponsors a number of field trips throughout the year. Many are one day, local trips to places like Providence Canyon, Arabia Mountain, Oakland Cemetery, and the Booth Museum. The club also sponsors one major trip each year. In the past two years members have gone to Yellowstone and Acadia National Park. Regardless of whether it is a one day local trip or a 10 day trip to a place like Yellowstone, shooting side by side with friends from the club and sharing results is an excellent way to learn.

The club meets from 7pm to 9pm on the first and third Monday of each month at the Marietta Enrichment Center

American Business Center, Building 700, Suite 702
1395 South Marietta Parkway
Marietta, GA 30067

The club's website--www.cobbphotosociety.com--provides up-to-date information on club activities and events. Hope to see you at our next meeting.

March-April Display Gallery Exhibits Announced by Smyrna Library

2011-03-01T20:26:00.000-05:00

Vintage Images from 1880 to 1925 by Cicero C. Simmons on display through April.

Exhibit Overview:

About these photographs: These photographs were created by Cicero C. Simmons (1857-1939) who specialized in documenting special events and portraying rural life. He created wonderful images spanning from 1880-1925. He had a special gift for composition, use of lighting, and capturing the moment, which made his images a treasure from the past.

About these prints: These prints are a unique, high-quality enlargement made from the original glass plate negatives which have been cleaned and restored to their original condition. The negative produces an image with extraordinary sharpness, detail, and beauty. Glass plate negatives are very rare. Few have survived. Most are lost to the ravages of time. Each print is a continuous tone image on archive art paper, designed to provide a lifetime of enjoyment. Each print is signed by the restorer, Richard Stone, and the date of the picture, i.e., Circa 1885, as well as the title. Both are handwritten in pencil.

Vintage Images prints can be purchased from retrocollection.stores.yahoo.net/ . 11x14 prints are $35 plus shipping and 13X19 prints are $45 plus shipping You can contact Retro Collection at 770-435-4351 or at retrocollection@bellsouth.net

Smyrna Reading Group Guest Speaker Announced

2011-02-06T10:15:00.000-05:00

Thomas Mullen is the author of The Last Town on Earth, which was named Best Debut Novel of 2006 by USA Today, was a Chicago Tribune Best Book of the Year, and was awarded the James Fenimore Cooper Prize. His latest book is the critically acclaimed, The Many Deaths of the Firefly Brothers.

Mr. Mullen will be joining the Smyrna Book Discussion Group to talk about his novel, The Last Town on Earth on Tuesday March 8, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. in the upstairs meeting room at Smyrna Public Library.

9th Annual Murder Goes South… Concludes

2011-01-29T22:20:00.000-05:00

The 9th Annual Murder Goes South… A Festival of Readers and Writers of the Southern Mystery has concluded. The two-day event was well attended. Friday night’s activities featured a catered dinner at Smyrna Community Center. The attendees enjoyed New York Times and International Bestselling Mystery Writer Erica Spindler as the keynote speaker.

Saturday’s activities featured workshops and presentations from 8:30 am until 4:30 pm. Guest writers were "Georgia Adams", Glynn Marsh Alam, Carla Damron, Mitchell Graham, Cathy Pickens and William Rawlings Jr. Guest presenters were literary agent Janet Reid, Dr. Susan Kirkpatrick Smith of Kennesaw State University and representatives from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency.

The Friends of Smyrna Library sincerely thanks Keynote Speaker Erica Spindler, our featured guest writers and presenters and our attendees for making the 9th Annual Murder Goes South… A Festival of Readers and Writers of the Southern Mystery a tremendous success.

January-February Art Gallery Exhibit Announced by Smyrna Library

2011-01-03T18:01:00.001-05:00

Oils by Dorothy Johnson on display through February.

Dorothy Johnson's calling as an artist started by chance back in Kenya in January 2009. One day she was just lounging the afternoon away, "when a figure suddenly appeared in my mind. It was full of flair and color, beautifully decorated with beads." That stirred her heart and the next thing she knew she badly wanted to paint that image. She drew inspiration from the culture preserved by Kenya's indigenous tribes- mainly the Maasai and the Turkana. In it she saw the importance of sharing their legacy in visual imagery. She immediately bought cloth and dye, and that marked the beginning of her "Back To The Roots" story-telling painting technique.

When she came to America three months later, she transitioned from cloth to canvas, hardboard surfaces and taught herself to work in acrylics, oils and 3D. As much as she enjoys African art, she also paints scenics in spontaneous compositions, with distinctive brushwork and emotional "feelings". A friend once bought a landscape painting because it reminded her of home and she says, "that made me very happy that I was able to bring someone's home so close to her living room. That means a lot to me." The things she sees in everyday nature, their depth in textures, layer formations in rare skies, give her a desire to convey great depth and perspective and to focus chiefly in color detail and vibrancy in her landscapes and seascapes. She doesn't have a specific medium of choice but loves to experiment with them all, her happiest moments being when she uses what lies beneath her heart with passion. She loves seeing that energy transfer to someone else. "It is so fulfilling. To me a good piece of art is one that inspires."

With the help of her adoring and supportive husband Darron, Dorothy was able to exhibit her work for the first time at the 2010 Smyrna Jonquil Arts and Crafts Fall Festival. She aspires to become a professional artist, gain her entrée into the Paris art world and become affiliated with art galleries, museums and associations around the world. Her primary goal is to teach art to children and by giving back sense of who they are, make them learn to appreciate art and themselves through images, paintings, sculptures, and fine art. Currently, she lives in Smyrna, GA, and is pursuing her dream at Chattahoochee Technical College.

Contact. dorzejarts@gmail.com

January-February Display Gallery Exhibit Announced by Smyrna Library

2011-01-03T18:00:00.003-05:00

Japanese Sculpture in Wood and Iron by Toru Shimoji on display through February.

Sensei Toru Shimoji is a five time US and repeated international champion in Traditional Karate, trained by esteemed Hidetaka Nishiyama. Shaped by his Okinawan youth and the discipline of Japanese Calligraphy, Toru explores the expressive potentials of wood and iron.

"My works are abstract, interpretative and figurative, adhering to compositional form I learned in Japanese Calligraphy. My aim is to inspire an interaction between the sculpture and the viewer, who can freely interpret and explore its evocations."

Ever since I can remember, I loved art. I used to make up imaginative stories about the lives of the farmers portrayed in a small faded print my mother had hung in our house. It was Millet's The Gleaners. I remembered being captivated by this masterpiece, used to lie on the floor and stare at it for hours. Connection wasn't too hard since my mother's family were all farmers from Miyako Island, one of many in the Okinawan chain.

I was introduced to art early through the Japanese education system (K to 4). Even then, I gravitated towards sculpture, predictably making clay monsters and wooden robots. By the time our family immigrated to the U.S. in 1970, I was familiar with various mediums and their basic techniques.

In 1996, I settled in Atlanta, GA and opened a karate school. As a hobby, I made a few wooden sculptures, but in the summer of 2002 something finally exploded within me. It felt like a cosmic order-create or die! So I took a deep breath and jumped. I enrolled in the Welding Technology Program at Gwinnett Technical College and began making metal sculptures.

Seeds of inspirations are constantly germinating in my psyche. As one sprouts I like to sculpt it in my mind before making a few preliminary sketches or clay models. Sometime I skip this process altogether. Visualization is dynamic and often vague, leaving me in a mixed state of excitement and anxiety. The piece will finally materialize in the shop, after struggling with multitudes of adjustments in texture, composition and angles. It usually flows well, but the real challenge is trying to manage all the seeds at different stages, not to mention the limitation of space-time continuum.

I like my work to be abstract, interpretive and figurative, adhering to compositional form I learned in Japanese calligraphy, and influenced by past masters like Musashi (17th century Japanese swordsman/artist), Michelangelo, and Julio Gonzalez. A moment's inspiration might come from a variation in my student's karate movement or in my own examination of intricate detail in the skeletal remains of a coyote's skull, but my aim is to inspire an interaction between the sculpture and viewer, who can freely interpret and explore its evocations.

I believe in the muses. Mine are never subtle, they perpetually scream in my head.. I can always count on troubling fellowship from at least three, rarely fewer. My only solitude is in training and teaching karate, which keeps me in sanity.

As a sculptor, he is self-taught, concentrating mostly on wood and metal. He is most influenced by three masters, Michelangelo, Julio Gonzalez, and Miyamoto Musashi. He found his unique artistic "voice" when he finally figured out the link between self-expression and spatial composition.

Exhibitor's Website

Winter Reading List & Featured Book

2011-01-01T11:30:00.011-05:00

Winter 2011 Featured Book

The Last Town on Earth
by Thomas Mullen

Winter 2011 Reading List

2666 by Roberto Bolano
An Ice Cold Grave by Charlaine Harris
Covenant Hall by Kathryn R. Wall
Death with Interruptions by Jose Saramago
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
Engine Summer by John Crowley
Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
My Last Days as Roy Rogers by Pat Devoto
Pope John Paul II by Tad Szulc
Prayer of the Dragon by Eliot Pattison
Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
Rosa Parks by Douglas Brinkley
Stripped to Kill by Steve Brown
The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
The Last Town on Earth by Thomas Mullen
Voices of Protest by Alan Brinkley
Written in Bone by Simon Beckett

November-December Art Gallery Exhibit Announced by Smyrna Library

2010-11-01T13:34:00.000-04:00

Photography by John Clemmer on display until January 3, 2011.

John is a retired Navy Musician with 24 years of service. After his retirement in 1991, he attended The Portfolio Center in Atlanta and studied advertising photography. Since that time, he has developed his craft in architecture and interiors, and sets himself apart with quality, distinction, and a hard work ethic.

John is one of Atlanta's premier architectural photographers. His style is unmistakable, and commitment to quality is second nature to him. The direct results of the quality of John's work stem from his passion for it.

"My greatest passion in life is fine art, whether it be music, architecture, painting, photography. Beauty presents itself and I absorb it. Hopefully my work gives back some of what I take from life. I am grateful for the fun of doing it."

Exhibitor's Website

November-December Display Gallery Exhibit Announced by Smyrna Library

2010-11-01T13:31:00.000-04:00

'Tis The Season by FOSL Volunteers on display until January 3, 2011.

Well, it's that time of the year again to think about the holidays. For your enjoyment our November and December display gallery will feature ornament collectionss from around the world presented on miniature fir trees.

The beautiful ornament collection, lent by FOSL Volunteers Dorothy Sibert and Jane Lamkin, will enhance a winter village scene lent by FOSL Volunteer Louisa Cohn. Combined, they make a beautiful and festive presentation for the holiday season.

The collection of ornaments represents the following countries:

Australia, Austria, Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, India, Israel, Jordan, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, Turkey and USA.

9th Annual Murder Goes South Ticket Sales Begin

2010-10-31T11:50:00.001-04:00

Ticket sales for the 9th Annual Murder Goes South have begun. The 2-day event will be held on Friday January 28, 2011 and Saturday January 29, 2011 at the Smyrna Community Center. Tickets to both events are $50. Tickets for either the Friday night or all day Saturday event are $30 each. A manuscript critique (limited to 12) by Literary Agent Janet Reid will be offered for the first time. Members of the Friends of Smyrna Library receive a 10% discount.

Friday’s events will begin at 7 PM and will feature New York Times and International Bestselling Mystery Writer Erica Spindler and a catered dinner.

Saturday’s events will run from 8:45 AM until 4:30 PM and will feature Writers' Forums, Workshops, Book Signings, & Lunch. The featured writer will be Eric Spindler. The featured guest writers are "Georgia Adams", Glynn Marsh Alam, Carla Damron, Mitchell Graham, David Hunter, Lee Lofland, Cathy Pickens, William Rawlings Jr. Literary Agent Janet Reid, Dr. Susan Kirkpatrick Smith and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency will also present.

To order tickets or to learn more about Murder Goes South please visit http://www.murdergoessouth.com/ or http://www.friendsofsmyrnalibrary.org/.

Record Sales & Volunteer Participation at Fall Jonquil Festival

2010-10-24T21:55:00.002-04:00

Thank you to all of the shoppers and volunteers who supported our Book Sale at the Fall Jonquil Festival on October 23 and October 24. We raised over $2500 and more than 30 volunteers worked the event. Additional book sales are planned on a monthly basis beginning in December. See the FOSL website for news when available. The Spring Jonquil Festival Book Sale will be held in April 2011.

In Memoriam: Carl Carnahan 1927 - 2010

2010-10-15T18:25:00.000-04:00

Longtime Friends member and volunteer extraordinaire, Carl Carnahan, passed away in June 2010 after a long battle with heart and lung disease. He was laid to rest in Georgia Memorial Park Cemetery in Marietta. His son and daughter-in-law, George and Alice Carnahan, a granddaughter and her husband, a brother, and numerous nieces and nephews survive him.

In a fascinating life spanning 83 years, Carl saw action in WWII in the U.S. Navy and was part of an official party sent out to search for the downed pioneer female aviator, Amelia Earhart. During the Korean Conflict, Carl again heeded the call from his country, this time serving in the U. S. Army. Carl had a special soft spot in his heart for people (especially the hungry) and animals in need. One story tells of Carl traveling through the mountains of eastern Kentucky during his work rounds and noticing many, many dogs without shelter. Carl went home and began building—doghouses.

On subsequent trips out, often he’d “just happen to have this doghouse in the truck,” and his offer of it to the dog’s owner was never refused. Some 50 dogs kept warm and dry in a Carnahan Special doghouse. He was also known to put out food and water for “poor cats and dogs” anywhere he saw the need.

Carl served both his community and his church, Smyrna Christian Church. His work with Friends of Smyrna Library brought him into the Library almost daily, where he organized and maintained the Book and Magazine Sales section.

Carl was named FoSL Volunteer of the Year for 2006-2007 for his unstinting dedication of some 200-300 hours per year for the previous seven years. A bronze plaque has been created and will be placed in the Book Sales area of the Library by Friends of Smyrna Library in Carl’s memory, honoring his long and steadfast service.

Storytelling by Auntie Renee

2010-10-03T06:51:00.000-04:00

Everyone loves to hear a great story. It doesn’t matter if you are ages 3 to 73, you will always take the time to hear a good story, from a great storyteller. Auntie Renee is an award winning captivating storyteller, who puts her creative skills to use by performing Storytelling and Motivational speaking. She is a member of Kuumba Storytellers of Georgia, Toastmasters International, and does monthly workshops. Originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, her stories sometimes include that Southern flare. She now considers Atlanta home. *

In celebration and recognition of National Friends of the Library Week (October 18-22, 2010), Auntie Renee, a gifted storyteller will be the guest of The Friends of Smyrna Library on October 22, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. in a storytelling event at the Smyrna Cemetery on Atlanta Road. Refreshment will be served just across the street at the Smyrna Museum. If you love a good story, come hear this skillful storyteller, and help us celebrate Friends of the Library Week.

Resource: Kuumba website

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency to present at the 9th Annual Murder Goes South

2010-09-13T15:26:00.002-04:00

The Friends of Smyrna Library and the Sisters in Crime: Atlanta Chapter announce The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency as a featured Guest Presenter for the 9th Annual Murder Goes South... A Festival of Readers and Writers of the Southern Mystery. A representative will present during the Saturday January 29, 2011 program. Details of the presentation will be announced on the Murder Goes South website when available.

September-October Art Gallery Exhibit Announced by Smyrna Library

2010-09-01T14:32:00.000-04:00

Watercolors by Marsha Chandler on display through October.

Marsha Chandler is a watercolorist, who, as a child, dreamed of being an artist. She is now realizing that childhood dream. After rearing here children and pursuing a successful career in real estate appraisal, she then moved into the world of professional painting. In her studio in Douglasville, Georgia, she creates vivid landscapes and still lifes which reflect her love of history and antiquities, such as a battered tin bowl, a weathered iron gate, a 12th century hilltown in Italy or an old barn in the Georgia mountains.

For years, Marsha carried a camera around to photograph scenes and objects as potential painting subjects, knowing without a doubt that one day she would use them. She captures her subjects in luminous watercolor, her medium of choice. "It is the translucency that appeals to me. I love the way watercolor glows. Watercolor has become the driving force in my life and a day without painting feels empty" she says.

Her travels throughout the United States, Mexico, and Italy have created a desire to capture everything she can on paper from rural farmlands to historic buildings, from old homes and barns to broken down wagons. She tries to convey to her viewers what she experiences when she sees a place or object for the first time or in a new light.

As much as she loves to paint these scenes, she enjoys painting vibrant still lifes that give viewers a new look at color and light in everyday things. "Color brings me joy and I love to create paintings with expressive color," she says. With her vibrant colors, she seeks to invoke a feeling of intimacy in the viewer, to make them feel s if they can reach out and pick up a piece of fruit. Also, she captures a sense of nostalgia by incorporating family heirlooms and vintage items of yesterday in her still lifes.

Since becoming a full-time artist, she has studied extensively with local artists and has taken workshops with regionally and nationally known watercolor artists. Marsha paints in her studio, on location and travels abroad and around the United States both to paint and find subjects for her art.

She has been accepted in numerous juried exhibitions throughout Georgia and the Southeast. Her works hang in many private collections and she is represented by Gallery 4463, Acworth, GA.

Marsha is a member of Atlanta Artists Center, South Cobb Arts Alliance, Douglas County Art Guild, ART Station, Watercolor Society of Alabama, Georgia Watercolor Society. and Southern Watercolor Society. Her website is http://www.marshachandler.com/.

September-October Display Gallery Exhibit Announced by Smyrna Library

2010-09-01T14:26:00.001-04:00

Acrylic Paintings and Nature Photos by Nicole Lohr on display through October.

Read Artist Statement:

My name is Nicole Lohr, I was born in 1980 on Long Island, New York. I am a self-taught artist and work in a variety of media including acrylic paints, oil pastels, clay, photography and writing. Photography and writing are my favorites. My favorite style of art is abstract. I enjoy the freedom that the abstract expressionist style gives me to explore moods and ideas.

I am an avid photographer, which has been a passion for me since I was twelve years old. I take my inspiration from nature and love to photograph animals and birds. I hope that my photography reflects at least some of the beauty, peace and harmony I find in the natural world.

My passion for art began with my grandma Stanco who helped to raise me. We enjoyed many hours together making homemade cards and gifts for Christmas. We experimented with different kinds of art forms such as projects made from shells, pom poms, animals and much more.

Digital photography has become the art form that is most special to me. I experienced a very difficult home life and because of that, while growing up, I started taking pictures of family events trying to capture every good moment I could. I slowly found myself being more and more drawn by the beauty of nature and then wanting to capture every cool encounter I had with these wild creatures, whether it be birds, squirrels, bees, butterflies, dragon flies or even turtles and fish. I wanted to capture them all on my camera. I never try to pose anything, I just observe. I then listen and wait and watch and see what happens. I have a lot more patience with the animal world then I do with the people world.

Many of my nature shots are taken in Cobb county with several taken at the pond near the Smyrna Library. I enjoy traveling to take my shots and include places like the Chattahoochee Nature Center, Chattahoochee River trails, and Amicalola Falls.

I also really enjoy being playful with my oil pastels and my acrylic paints. I just sit down, pick up some colors, and start to create, never knowing how it is going to come out. I don't really think much when I'm doing it. I just clear my mind and something will come to me after I start to put the colors to the paper. I love to use my fingers and to use smudging techniques. I enjoy sharing my art, and I hope everyone enjoys it too.

I welcome all inquiries about my work and can be reached at Mermie41780@yahoo.com.

9th Annual Murder Goes South Featured Guest Presenter Announced: Dr. Susan Kirkpatrick Smith

2010-08-30T15:33:00.001-04:00

The Friends of Smyrna Library and the Sisters in Crime: Atlanta Chapter announce Dr. Susan Kirkpatrick Smith as a featured Guest Presenter for the 9th Annual Murder Goes South... A Festival of Readers and Writers of the Southern Mystery. Dr. Smith will present during the Saturday January 29, 2011 program.

BIOGRAPHY: Dr. Smith received her Ph.D. in anthropology from Indiana University. Her areas of research interest include skeletal analysis and the interaction between health and social status in ancient Greek populations. She has spent a year living in Athens, Greece researching skeletons from the Late Bronze Age cemetery at the foot of the Acropolis in Athens. Her teaching interests include forensic anthropology, human evolution, and human biological variation.

9th Annual Murder Goes South Featured Guest Presenter Announced: Janet Reid

2010-08-02T15:31:00.000-04:00

The Friends of Smyrna Library and the Sisters in Crime: Atlanta Chapter announce Janet Reid as a featured Guest Presenter for the 9th Annual Murder Goes South... A Festival of Readers and Writers of the Southern Mystery. Ms. Reid will present during the Saturday January 29, 2011 program.

BIOGRAPHY: Janet Reid is a literary agent specializing in compelling fiction, particularly crime fiction, and narrative non-fiction. Her publishing background includes over fifteen years in book publicity. She is actively looking for projects that show mastery of craft and originality.

Ms. Reid is a past board member of the NYC chapter of the Women's National Book Association. She keeps a blog with information about clients, answering questions about publishing, query letters and her other interests.

9th Annual Murder Goes South Featured Guest Writer Announced: Lee Lofland

2010-07-12T15:12:00.000-04:00

The Friends of Smyrna Library and the Sisters in Crime: Atlanta Chapter announce Lee Lofland as a featured Guest Writer for the 9th Annual Murder Goes South... A Festival of Readers and Writers of the Southern Mystery. Mr. Lofland will present during the Saturday January 29, 2011 program.

BIOGRAPHY: With a career in law enforcement that has spanned nearly two decades, Lee Lofland is a nationally acclaimed expert on police procedures and crime scene investigations. During his career he held roles from Patrolman to Detective. He solved cases in areas including narcotics, homicide, rape, murder-for-hire, robbery, and ritualistic and occult crimes.

In addition to now writing books, Lee writes articles for both Mystery Writers of America and Sisters In Crime newsletters. He also writes regular features and exclusives for newspapers across the country.

He's written for The Writer magazine and has served as a consultant for Slate Magazine, Spike TV, and for many bestselling authors. Lee has appeared on BBC television, CNN, and on NPR radio's Talk of the Nation, and he's the founder of the Writers' Police Academy, a fun and exciting hands-on event for writers.

July-August Display Gallery Exhibit Announced by Smyrna Library

2010-07-01T17:56:00.001-04:00

Handcrafted examples of Woodturning by Steve Pritchard are featured in the display gallery through August 31, 2010.

Steve Pritchard was born in a small town in South Dakota, growing up on a farm. He developed an interest in working with wood while helping his father build pole barns, cattle sheds, and even a grain elevator. Steve graduated with a BS from South Dakota State University in 1970 and joined the Air Force becoming a pilot instructor. He also worked for the Federal Courts as an instructor of their computerized case management system. In 1995 he moved to Atlanta to become the IT manager for the US District Court and retired in 2007.

His lifetime interest in working with wood led him to consider woodturning and in 2000 he purchased an inexpensive Craftsman lathe. After making his share of bowls, boxes and weed pots, he focused in the exploration of three areas:

Hollow Forms - This involves shaping the outside of a vessel and then using specialized tools to remove the wood from the inside. The walls of the vessels are usually about ¼ inch thick or less.

Piercing - The process of using a dental drill to create holes in very thin walled vessels. The holes form patterns and shapes.

Coloring - Much of the work is finished with a clear lacquer, oil, or shellac. Some of it is painted, or pierced, or both. He uses a variety of paints including acrylic, airbrush paint, and milk paint (his favorite). Milk paint is made using the cassien from milk as the binder. Because of its thickness it is great for distressing pieces.

The process used in most of Steve's woodturning involves turning the piece twice. He starts with wet or "green" wood and produces a rough version of the piece with thick walls. After the piece dries he returns it to the lathe and produce a finished piece.

Steve's favorite woods are Bradford pear, cherry, and maple but he uses almost any wood except pine. Bradford pear heads the list because it turns easily, finishes like glass, and is a wonderful blank pallet for woodturning, painting, and piercing.

Like everything in nature, each piece of wood has its own character and also its own personality and appeal. Being able to see that personality emerge from a large wet lump of wood is very enjoyable.

Almost all of the wood that Steve uses comes from trees that have been felled due to disease, storms, or development and destined to be ground into mulch. Woodturning is one of the few ways that we, as individuals, can preserve a little of a tree that once stood tall and proud in our community.

Steve is president and webmaster for the Georgia Association of Woodturners (GAW) and a member of the American Association of Woodturners (AAW).

July-August Art Gallery Exhibit Announced by Smyrna Library

2010-07-01T17:53:00.001-04:00

For July and August the art gallery will feature a solo exhibit of framed official Olympic Pins and other pins designed by Gene Ledbetter.

Gene Ledbetter attended the University of Georgia and the University of Miami. He worked fpr 20 years as the Art Director and and partner for Harris & Weinstein Advertising Agency. In 1970 he began his own graphics company, the A La Carte Graphics, Inc. with his wife Alice.

The beautiful exhibit of pins that Gene designed covers a span of many years, from the late 1970s through 2000 when he retired. He designed Olympic pins as well as other types of pins for the Coco Cola Company as well as the American College in Atlanta and London.

Early in the Olympics history there were no pins or posters. Gene was involved in researching the history in Switzerland in order to create pin designs.

Friends of Smyrna Library to Host Free “Frozen Yogurt Social & Book Sale”

2010-06-25T11:16:00.001-04:00

July 18th Event to Feature Frozen Yogurt by Pinkberry and Live Music by Peter Vogl

Friends of Smyrna Library (FOSL) announces their free summer event, “Frozen Yogurt Social and Book Sale,” taking place Sunday, July 18, 2010 from 3-5 p.m. outdoors in the Smyrna Library plaza. This special event will feature free frozen yogurt from Pinkberry, family-friendly entertainment by Peter Vogl and a book sale with incredible bargains. As with any FOSL event, all proceeds from the book sale will go to the award-winning Smyrna Library for technology, books, art, reading programs, and much more.

"The value of our library to the community goes well beyond all things related to the printed word,” says Dorothy Sibert, President of the Friends of Smyrna Library. “The Friends appreciate the donations, volunteer hours, and more that the Smyrna community has given to the library and are sponsoring this event as a thank you to the community for its support."

FOSL is really looking forward to this year's event as the world-famous Pinkberry is donating the frozen yogurt, which will be free to everyone who attends. Pinkberry will be opening its first Atlanta-based store June 25, 2010, in the Akers Mill Shopping Center on Cobb Parkway, so attendees will have a chance to be some of the first in the Atlanta area to taste their “swirly goodness.”

FOSL is also honored to have the talented Peter Vogl perform live at the event. Vogl is a guitarist, session player, and instructor who has performed on stage with Michael Bolton, James Brown, Bo Diddley, Francine Reed and many other famous musicians. Vogl currently performs around Atlanta with several local bands including The Blue Rhythm Band and Jan Smith. Not only is the entertainment free, but we're sure you will become a new fan of Vogl's music, if you're not already!

FOSL's Board of Director member Jeff Jones will be heading up the book sale and is sure to offer prices that can't be beat. It will feature a carefully vetted selection for of New York Times bestsellers and gift quality books priced at just $1, $3 and $5. This year's "Frozen Yogurt and Book Sale" is going to be an event you don't want to miss! Bring your family to the Smyrna Library for an afternoon of fun.

About Peter Vogl

Peter Vogl started playing guitar in second grade and quickly realized his calling. He played in many bands throughout high school and proceeded to study classical guitar at the University of Georgia under the tutelage of John Sutherland. In collaboration with the NARAS organization Peter is the band leader each year at the Heroes Award Dinner in Atlanta. Visit his website at http://www.petervogl.com/.

About Pinkberry

Pinkberry reinvented the frozen yogurt category when it launched in West Hollywood, Ca. in January 2005. Today it is the most talked about, best tasting, premium frozen yogurt, made with high-quality fresh ingredients. From store design to exceptional customer service to our irresistible flavors and toppings, Pinkberry provides a social experience that indulges the senses. Pinkberry’s distinctive flavors are expertly crafted to complement its daily fresh-cut fruit and premium toppings that offer an irresistibly tangy, incomparable refreshing taste. Pinkberry is certified by the National Yogurt Association and carries the Live & Active Cultures Seal. Get a taste of Swirly Goodness by visiting http://www.pinkberry.com/.

About The Friends of Smyrna Library

The Friends of Smyrna Library (FOSL) is an independent, non-profit, volunteer organization that supports the Smyrna Public Library through fundraising events and volunteer activities. FOSL is a member of the Friends of Libraries USA organization and is one of the most active Friends chapters in Georgia. Notable programs FOSL supports are the library’s Art Gallery, the “Murder Goes South” Festival of readers and writers, “The Link” newsletter and much more. Join FOSL for only $5 for an individual membership or $10 for a family membership and make a friend today. For more information, visit http://www.friendsofsmyrnalibrary.org/.

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If you would like more information on this event, please e-mail Jeff Jones at jjatlanta@gmail.com or call 770/401-3050.

Smyrna Public Library Usage: May Statistics

2010-06-23T10:53:00.002-04:00

MONTHLY REPORT LIBRARY STATISTICS
May 2010
Days Open: 30

Circulation
Adult Books: 5,637
Juvenile Books: 5,484
Paperbacks: 1,141
A-V Materials: 7,048
TOTAL: 19,310
Average Daily Circulation: 643.67
Daily Average Change from May 2009 - +3.0%

Attendance
Total Attendance: 22,004
Daily Average: 733.47

Reference
Total Questions: 965
Daily Average: 32.17

Misc.
Meetings and Programs in the Library: 27
Library Card Registrations: 294
Total Library Cardholders: 39,206
Total Cataloged Library Materials: 95,283
Titles: 88,160
Voter Registrations: 4
Interlibrary Loans: 3
Times Patrons Used the Internet: 2,369
Wireless Laptop Circulation: 95

Smyrna Public Library Usage: April Statistics

2010-06-16T18:35:00.000-04:00

MONTHLY REPORT LIBRARY STATISTICS
April 2010
Days Open: 27

Circulation
Adult Books: 4,536
Juvenile Books: 4,977
Paperbacks: 987
A-V Materials: 6,308
TOTAL: 16,808
Average Daily Circulation: 622.52
Daily Average Change from April 2009: -0.9%

Attendance
Total Attendance: 22,438
Daily Average: 831.04

Reference
Total Questions: 1,007
Daily Average: 37.30

Misc.
Meetings and Programs in the Library: 39
Library Card Registrations: 231
Total Library Cardholders: 38,950
Total Cataloged Library Materials: 95,142
Titles: 87,968
Voter Registrations: 2
Interlibrary Loans: 4
Times Patrons Used the Internet: 2,129
Wireless Laptop Circulation: 108

Smyrna Public Library Usage: March Statistics

2010-06-16T18:29:00.002-04:00

MONTHLY REPORT LIBRARY STATISTICS
March 2010
Days Open: 31

Circulation
Adult Books: 5,087
Juvenile Books: 5,636
Paperbacks: 969
A-V Materials: 7,218
TOTAL: 18,910
Average Daily Circulation: 610.00
Daily Average Change from March 2009: +1.6%

Attendance
Total Attendance: 20,890
Daily Average: 673.87

Reference
Total Questions: 1,032
Daily Average: 33.29

Misc.
Meetings and Programs in the Library: 50
Library Card Registrations: 315
Total Library Cardholders: 38,739
Total Cataloged Library Materials: 94,765
Titles: 87,715
Voter Registrations: 3
Interlibrary Loans: 4
Times Patrons Used the Internet: 2,224
Wireless Laptop Circulation: 167

Smyrna Public Library Usage: February Statistics

2010-06-16T18:25:00.000-04:00

MONTHLY REPORT LIBRARY STATISTICS
February 2010
Days Open: 28

Circulation
Adult Books: 4,811
Juvenile Books: 5,207
Paperbacks: 846
A-V Materials: 6,369
TOTAL: 17,233
Average Daily Circulation: 615.46
Daily Average Change from February 2009: +1.2%

Attendance
Total Attendance: 18,968
Daily Average: 677.44

Reference
Total Questions: 972
Daily Average: 34.71

Misc.
Meetings and Programs in the Library: 42
Library Card Registrations: 239
Total Library Cardholders: 38,429
Total Cataloged Library Materials: 94,717
Titles: 87,533
Voter Registrations: 3
Interlibrary Loans: 6
Times Patrons Used the Internet: 2,043
Wireless Laptop Circulation: 176

Smyrna Library Kicks Off Children's Reading Program

2010-06-07T21:38:00.001-04:00

Annual reading club chooses fun-filled
science theme for the summer.

Smyrna, Ga. - (June 7, 2010) - Smyrna Library announces the return of their free summer reading program aimed specifically at children, which began June 1, 2010. The goal of this program is to keep kids reading over their summer break, while also making it fun. Each summer, the reading club focuses on a particular subject, and this year’s theme is science. The nine-week program will be focused on various types of science each week. For instance, one week readers will learn about zoology, and the next week’s book might be about geology.

The program is divided into two groups: "Ready Readers" and "Rockin' Readers." "Ready Readers” is for children age four through rising first graders, and "Rockin' Readers” is for children going into second to fifth grade. With their families, children will be asked to set a goal of how long to read each day, and then they must track their reading in a log. The library suggests that each child aim to read about 30 minutes each day. Every child who meets their goal will receive a free book, a certificate and coupon from a local sponsor.

This summer every reading program participant will be able to enter additional contests and challenges, including the "The Recycled Rocket Art Contest," which gives kids a chance to be creative and help the environment by using recycled materials. The deadline for this project is June 26th, so check with the library for specific details. Also, be sure to visit the library all summer long to participate in other contests and challenges that will be offered.

The summer reading program doesn't require attendance at the Smyrna Library; therefore, children can read at home or anywhere else and still track their reading on their own. However, the library will have reading groups set up every Wednesday and Thursday for those children who would like to have more science fun through thematic story programs. The library groups will be offered twice during the week at different times to accommodate patrons' schedules. Both reading groups will meet simultaneously, which allows parents with more than one child the opportunity to visit the library only once.

At the end of the summer there will be an exciting pool party to celebrate the kids' hard work and dedication to the program with games and food. Along with "Friends of Smyrna Library," local sponsors of this year's reading program include: Carvel Ice Cream, Glazy Dazy, Rev Coffee, IHOP, Smyrna Golden K Kiwanis, Keep Smyrna Beautiful, Scamp the Cat and Karen Lightsey. Thank you to all of sponsors for the incredible generosity and support!

In 2005, Smyrna Library's Youth Services Department won the Georgia Library Association Eason Associates Program Award. Continuing on the path of excellence, 2010's summer reading program includes a children's movie shown every Friday afternoon at the library. All summer programs and events are FREE for Smyrna Public Library cardholders. Everyone must have their card to participate.

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If you would like more information about this program, please call Laura Boynton at 770.431.2860 Ext. 3 or e-mail at lboynton@ci.smyrna.ga.us.

9th Annual Murder Goes South Keynote Speaker Announced: Erica Spindler

2010-06-07T08:50:00.004-04:00

The Friends of Smyrna Library and the Sisters in Crime: Atlanta Chapter announce Erica Spindler as Keynote Speaker for the 9th Annual Murder Goes South... A Festival of Readers and Writers of the Southern Mystery. Ms. Spindler will be the Keynote Speaker for the Friday January 28, 2011 dinner program as well as present during the Saturday January 29, 2011 morning/afternoon program.

BIOGRAPHY: A New York Times and International bestselling author, Erica Spindler's skill for crafting engrossing plots and compelling characters has earned both critical praise and legions of fans. Published in 25 countries, her stories have been lauded as “thrill-packed page turners, white- knuckle rides and edge-of-your-seat whodunits.”

Raised in Rockford, Illinois, Erica had planned on being an artist, earning a BFA from Delta State University and an MFA from the University of New Orleans in the visual arts. In June of 1982, in bed with a cold, she picked up a romance novel for relief from daytime television. She was immediately hooked, and soon decided to try to write one herself. She leaped from romance to suspense in 1996 with her novel Forbidden Fruit, and found her true calling.

Her novel Bone Cold won the prestigious Daphne du Maurier Award for excellence. A Romance Writers of America Honor Roll member, she received a Kiss of Death Award for her novels Forbidden Fruit and Dead Run and was a three-time RITA® Award finalist. Publishers Weekly awarded the audio version of her novel Shocking Pink a Listen Up Award, naming it one of the best audio mystery books of 1998.

Other mystery novels include Blood Vines, Breakneck, Last Known Victim, Copycat, Killer Takes All, See Jane Die, In Silence, All Fall Down, Cause For Alarm and Fortune

Erica lives just outside New Orleans, Louisiana, with her husband and two sons and is busy at work on her next thriller.

9th Annual Murder Goes South Featured Guest Writer Announced: Glynn Marsh Alam

2010-06-06T09:56:00.004-04:00

The Friends of Smyrna Library and the Sisters in Crime: Atlanta Chapter announce Glynn Marsh Alam as a featured Guest Writer for the 9th Annual Murder Goes South... A Festival of Readers and Writers of the Southern Mystery. Ms. Alam will present during the Saturday January 29, 2011 program.

BIOGRAPHY: Glynn Marsh Alam is a native Floridian. Born in Tallahassee, she is familiar with the live oak forests and cypress swamps of the area. She also knows the sink holes and reptilia that abound there. She often swims in the cold, clear springs above the openings to fathomless caves. These are the settings for her Luanne Fogarty mystery series and for her literary novel, River Whispers.

After graduating from Florida State University, Glynn worked as a decoder/translator for the National Security Agency in D.C., then moved to Los Angeles where she taught writing and literature and earned an MA in linguistics. After many years of traveling back to Florida twice a year, she has now moved there and writes full time. Her many wonderful books include Bilge Water Bones, High Water Hellion, River Whispers, Deep Water Death, Dive Deep and Deadly, Green Water Ghost, Cold Water Corpse, Moon Water Madness (winner of The Gold Medal Florida Book Award), and her latest novel, Tide Water Talisman.

9th Annual Murder Goes South Featured Guest Writer Announced: Mitchell Graham

2010-06-04T17:49:00.003-04:00

The Friends of Smyrna Library and the Sisters in Crime: Atlanta Chapter announce Mitchell Graham as a featured Guest Writer for the 9th Annual Murder Goes South... A Festival of Readers and Writers of the Southern Mystery. Mr. Graham will present during the Saturday January 29, 2011 program.

BIOGRAPHY: Mitchell Graham was born in New York City. He attended college at Ohio State University on a fencing scholarship and later went on to earn a law degree. After practicing for twenty years he went back to school to study neuropsychology. He has represented the United States in international fencing competitions and has won or placed in the finals of over 83 separate tournaments.

The Fifth Ring was his first novel and has received rave reviews. His mystery novels include Majestic Descending, Dead Docket and Circle of Lies which will be released in November 2010. He presently lives in Miami, Florida.

9th Annual Murder Goes South Featured Guest Writer Announced: William Rawlings Jr

2010-06-03T21:06:00.005-04:00

The Friends of Smyrna Library and the Sisters in Crime: Atlanta Chapter announce William Rawlings, Jr. as a featured Guest Writer for the 9th Annual Murder Goes South... A Festival of Readers and Writers of the Southern Mystery. Mr. Rawlings will present during the Saturday January 29, 2011 program.

BIOGRAPHY: Like generations of his family before him, William Rawlings, Jr. was born in Sandersville, Georgia where he still lives on the family farm with his wife and two children. He was educated at Emory University in Atlanta, and at Tulane University in New Orleans where he earned a Master’s Degree and his Doctorate in Medicine. He did his postgraduate medical training in Internal Medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, after which he returned to Sandersville to practice medicine. Later in his successful medical career he began writing about the real South, a passion easily recognizable in his literary works.

His first novel The Lazard Legacy was published in 2003 followed by The Rutherford Cipher, The Tate Revenge and Crossword over the next 3 years. William’s latest novel, The Mile High Club, was published in December 2009. He is currently working two projects, a suspense novel set in Savannah and a non-fiction history of an infamous 1925 murder.

9th Annual Murder Goes South Featured Guest Writer Announced: Cathy Pickens

2010-06-02T21:17:00.004-04:00

The Friends of Smyrna Library and the Sisters in Crime: Atlanta Chapter announce Cathy Pickens as a featured Guest Writer for the 9th Annual Murder Goes South... A Festival for Readers and Writers of the Southern Mystery. Ms. Pickens will present during the Saturday January 29, 2011 program.

BIOGRAPHY: Cathy Pickens has been, under different names, a lawyer, a business professor, a university provost, a clog-dancing coach, a church organist /choir director, and a typist.

The most profound influences on her life have been her family, her faith, Nancy Drew, and Perry Mason. She grew up in a small town and, forced to move to "big cities" to support herself, first as a lawyer and then as a professor, she found the only way to return to the comfortable familiarity of her childhood was by moving Avery Andrews back home and chronicling her exploits. Her novels include Southern Fried, Done Gone Wrong, Hog Wild and Hush My Mouth. Her latest, Can’t Never Tell, was published in February 2009.

9th Annual Murder Goes South Featured Guest Writer Announced: “Georgia Adams”

2010-06-01T17:36:00.008-04:00

The Friends of Smyrna Library and the Sisters in Crime: Atlanta Chapter announce “Georgia Adams” as a featured Guest Writer for the 9th Annual Murder Goes South... A Festival for Readers and Writers of the Southern Mystery. Georgia Adams will present during the Saturday January 29, 2011 program.

BIOGRAPHY: “Georgia Adams” is the pen name for three writers - Patricia Browning, Joann Dunn and Karen McColgan who write together. All three women live in the Atlanta area. Patricia Browning is the 2009 President Sisters in Crime (Atlanta Chapter). Joann Dunn earned a Juris Doctor degree from Loyola University in Chicago, is author of seven books and was nominated as Georgia Writer of the Year for Books 2 and 3 of the Curtis Family Chronicles. In addition Joann is publisher of DueWestBooks, LLC of Marietta. Karen McColgan, a New Jersey native, has earned several degrees including a B.S. in psychology. She is a Past President of Sisters in Crime (Atlanta Chapter)

Their book A Well-Manicured Murder is the first in the LitChix Murder Mystery series.

9th Annual Murder Goes South Featured Guest Writer Announced: David Hunter

2010-05-31T15:16:00.014-04:00

The Friends of Smyrna Library and the Sisters in Crime: Atlanta Chapter announce David Hunter as a featured Guest Writer for the 9th Annual Murder Goes South... A Festival for Readers and Writers of the Southern Mystery. Mr. Hunter will present during the Saturday January 29, 2011 program.

BIOGRAPHY: David Hunter is a decorated former police officer, a 20-year editorial columnist for the Knoxville News-Sentinel and author of 15 books/novels and memoirs.

His first novel The Jigsaw Man, was nominated for the prestigious Edgar Award. His novel The Archangel Caper received a nomination for the Appalachian Writers Best Book Award. His other works include the novel The Dancing Savior and the short fiction collection titled Things to Do in Knoxville When You're Dead.

His latest novel Tempest at the Sunsphere is the first in a series set in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he lives with his wife, Cheryl.

9th Annual Murder Goes South Featured Guest Writer Announced: Carla Damron

2010-05-11T20:52:00.006-04:00

The Friends of Smyrna Library and the Sisters in Crime: Atlanta Chapter announce Carla Damron as a featured Guest Writer for the 9th Annual Murder Goes South... A Festival for Readers and Writers of the Southern Mystery. Ms. Damron will present during the Saturday January 29, 2011 program.

BIOGRAPHY: South Carolinian Carla Damron is a Licensed Independent Social Worker, specializing in the field of mental health, who draws upon her own experience in this field in her novels. Tapping into her keen insight into human behavior, she developed main character Caleb Knowles, a devoted brother, an astute therapist, and a determined investigator. And like Caleb, her protagonist, Carla understands the dark and curious workings of mental illness and offers her intuitive skills to the reader.

Her novels include Keeping Silent and Spider Blue. Her latest novel published in April 2010 is Death in Zooville.

FOSL announces the 9th Annual Murder Goes South via Twitter

2010-05-08T22:59:00.009-04:00

The 2-day 9th Annual Murder Goes South... A Festival for Readers and Writers of the Southern Mystery will be held at the Smyrna Community Center on Friday Jan 28, 2011 and Saturday January 29, 2011. Friday evening’s activities will feature a keynote speaker and a catered dinner. Saturday’s events will run from early morning until late afternoon and will feature guest writer presentations, workshops, supporting special events, a catered lunch as well as treats & refreshments. Guest writers, other presenters and events will be announced soon.

A new website http://www.MurderGoesSouth.com/ was also launched today. The website will be updated frequently moving forward. Bookmark it so you can have quick access to the latest information. You can also follow Murder Goes South on Twitter and Facebook to receive the latest automated announcements via cell phone text messages and e-mail.

FOSL is also very pleased to announce that Sisters in Crime: Atlanta Chapter will co-sponsor the event.

May-June Art Exhibits Announced by Smyrna Library

2010-05-01T18:17:00.003-04:00

For May and June the art gallery will feature a solo exhibit of photographic art by H. Gay Allen, entitled "Painterly Refacimento and Four Studies".

The work begins with Ms. Allen's original photography and through various elaborate processes, is transformed into original art work and displayed, via pigmented print, on archival paper. The main body of work is 17 large photographs that have been altered in a painterly fashion. In addition, studies exploring four subjects are presented: Flamingo Moods; Peonies Perfect; Sunsations; and Pieces of Water.

The process was dubbed, by the New York Times, as refacimento (ree-FATCH-e-men-toe), the radical refashioning of a work of art, by use of a computer. Some works are recognizable as the original objects, some are mysteriously familiar, but not readily identifiable; and others have been taken beyond recognition.

Learn more about Ms. Allen from her website at at http://www.hgayallen.com/.

Handcrafted studio pottery by Hank Hogan and Janet Erickson Hogan is featured in the display cases through June 1, 2010.

Born in Atlanta, Hank Hogan has been a studio potter since 2004. His functional stoneware vessels are fired in an electric or gas kiln. The vessels are wheel thrown and use a vast selection of high-fired food safe glazes for his finishes. He and his wife, Janet, work out of the MudFire Clayworks & Gallery.

Janet Erickson Hogan has a vast background in many mediums including quilting, drawing, and painting. She began pottery with husband Hank in 2004 and incorporates her skills in fabric design and drawing to create hand-built carved pieces using many different glazing techniques. Her work focuses on nature, people, and places, with a whimsical attitude.

Hank and Janet can be reached at hhogan2663@aol.com and 404-915-6425.

Book Sale a HUGE Success

2010-04-25T21:43:00.001-04:00

Today’s book sale was a HUGE SUCCESS! Today was sunny and business was brisk. We raised over $2000 for the library in 5 hours – a one-day record. THANK YOU to our wonderful volunteers and everyone who shopped the sale.

Jonquil Festival Book Sale is on for Sunday!

2010-04-24T13:52:00.000-04:00

The annual Spring Jonquil Festival FOSL Book Sale was rained out today. Thanks to everyone who helped us setup and sell some of our inventory during the brief window between the storms this morning. We had a mad dash to get everything put away and managed to get the last book cart wheeled in before the storms returned. It will be sunny on Sunday and we are open from Noon to 5 PM. Our booth is located in front of the Smyrna Community Center. We lost a day of sales today so we need a big turn out on Sunday. Tons of great books will be available at great prices. Hope to see you then!

Very Successful Smyrna Reads! Program Concludes

2010-03-06T18:02:00.002-05:00

A week of fun activities sponsored by FOSL surrounding the Smyrna Reads! program concluded last night. The film adaptation of “To Dance with the White Dog” was shown at the library, an encore presentation of Wednesday night’s showing.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Terry Kay (author of the featured novel) presentation, the White Dog Contest and the two movie showings.

Special thanks are extended to Linda Evans and her volunteer committee for organizing a very successful series of events that were enjoyed by the community.

Dr. Seuss Birthday Celebration

2010-03-05T12:58:00.004-05:00

The Smyrna Public Library’s award-winning Children’s Department hosted a family story time program last night in celebration of Dr. Seuss’s birthday. The events included family team trivia, lots of FUN activities, story reading and prizes for the kids.

The Friends of the Smyrna Library donated 15 Dr. Seuss Lorax dolls and 15 companion books that were given away to the families.

A fun time was had by all in attendance who numbered 42 and ranged in age from 3 to 80.

Congratulations to our wonderful Library Team for doing such an excellent job!

The Smyrna Reading Group Presents Margaret Johnson-Hodge on Tuesday March 9 - 7:30 PM (Rescheduled Due to March 2 Snowstorm)

2010-03-04T22:04:00.002-05:00

Margaret Johnson-Hodge is a nationally acclaimed author. She is a winner of the Reviewer’s Choice Awards for The Real Deal. Her novel Butterscotch Blues made the Blackboard Bestsellers List, the Essence Magazine Bestseller List and a Black Expressions Book Club Book of the Year.

Though born and raised in New York, she now calls Georgia her home.

Please join Ms. Johnson-Hodge and The Smyrna Reading Group to discuss her book A Journey to Here on March 9, 2010, at 7:30 p.m. in the Smyrna Public Library’s upstairs meeting room.

Art Gallery Exhibit Announced by Smyrna Library - Pastels by Sandy Jane Tabor on display until April 30, 2010

2010-03-01T20:00:00.006-05:00

Sandy is a Georgia native, born in Atlanta and residing in Marietta. She attended the Univ. of Ga and graduated from the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. She moved to Brittian with her family as a young teenager and began her love affair with art while in Europe. "Every weekend we would be at some famous art museum. I noticed how huge some paintings were and how tiny others were. When I viewed the paintings up close, I was amazed to see that those colorful, random strokes of paint, became a mostly dark and gray picture of someones face from far away.”

While backpacking solo through Europe and Greece as a college graduate, she continued her visits to the beautiful places of the world. Sandy has traveled as far north as the Artic Circle, as far south as Brazil, as far east as Iran and as far west as Hawaii. She raised three children who are now in college themselves , a son at Univ. of Alabama, another son at Florida State University and a daughter at Kennesaw State. They have all been subjects in her paintings. "My children have taken my more serene paintings to school with them. Those that they can retreat into during their hectic student days."

Sandy has studied under local artists David Mathews, Gary Baughman, Ann Cockerill and Chris Didomizzio. Her preference in mediums is pastel. "It is very similar to coloring with crayons and is very soothing to use. Art is like therapy to me. It helps to make sense of the world."

Display Case Exhibit Announced by Smyrna Library - Mosaics by Herschel Kranitz on display until April 30, 2010

2010-03-01T19:59:00.002-05:00

As his business career began to wind down in 1998 he discovered that he possessed an aptitude and interest in mosaics. He started by teaching himself and then went on to study in Ravenna, Italy. His work has been displayed and sold in galleries in New England, Georgia, Arizona and Alabama. While his formal training is in Roman classical mosaic he most enjoys working in the folk art genre…doing utilitarian pieces (belt buckles, pots, tables, mirrors, trays) as well as more traditional portraits and still life. While the inspiration for most of his work grows out of his own cockeyed view of the world he also enjoys working in collaboration with others translating and adapting their visions into glass mosaics.

He can be found every day....from early morning until dinner....toiling in his studio in Norcross, GA fighting off the ravages of age and the uncooperative muses while making works of mosaic art that he finds (and hopes you do as well) fun!!! He teaches classes - sharing the last great passion of his life with unsuspecting students. He appreciates feedback (particularly positive), enjoys collaborating with other craftspeople and will accept your money if you insist on buying one of his creations or take one of his classes.

"To Dance with the White Dog" White Dog Contest

2010-02-28T16:44:00.014-05:00

To celebrate Terry Kay’s Friday night presentation FOSL sponsored a white dog contest on Saturday morning. Over 20 “white” dogs came in various forms of white including white, tan, fawn, red, brown, black and mixtures of all of these shades of “white”. All of the dogs played nicely and everyone else enjoyed a really fun time.

The winners were White Dog - Romeo, Tan Dog - Skeeter, Big Dog - Patches and Small Dog - Axel.

Alex Neely donated a professional photo shoot to Romeo, the White Dog 1st place winner. Anne Mincey, from Pet Portraits with PURR-sonality!, donated silhouettes to Skeeter, Patches and Axel. FOSL thanks both for their lovely donations that will be enjoyed for years by the winners’ families.

Though 4 dogs were selected for prizes, all are winners in our hearts!

Photos of the event and all of the beautiful dogs have been posted to the website and can be viewed at http://www.friendsofsmyrnalibrary.org/

Terry Kay - Author of "To Dance with the White Dog"

2010-02-28T15:55:00.007-05:00

Terry Kay, author of bestseller "To Dance with the White Dog" and other acclaimed novels, spoke to a audience of FOSL supporters on Friday evening at the Smyrna Community Center. The crowd of nearly 100 thoroughly enjoyed his mix of humor and heart touching stories. A book signing followed the event. FOSL sincerely thanks Mr. Kay.

FOSL also extends it gratitude to Jean Bowen and her students from Chattahoochee Tech for volunteering to manage the food preparation and service during the reception.

Photos of the event have been posted to the FOSL website and can be viewed at http://www.friendsofsmyrnalibrary.org/

Smyrna Public Library Releases January 2010 Statistics

2010-02-28T11:20:00.007-05:00

Monthly Report - Library Statistics for January 2010
Days Open: 29

Circulation
Adult Books: 5,222
Juvenile Books: 5,554
Paperbacks: 1,248
A-V Materials: 7,267
TOTAL: 19,291
Average Daily Circulation: 665.21
Daily Average Change from January 2009: + 0.6%

Attendance
Total Attendance: 23,091
Daily Average: 796.24

Reference
Total Questions: 1,101
Daily Average: 37.97

Misc.
Meetings and Programs in the Library: 29
Library Card Registrations: 312
Total Library Cardholders: 38,214
Total Cataloged Library Materials: 95,427
Titles: 88,255
Voter Registrations: 5
Interlibrary Loans: 4
Times Patrons Used the Internet: 2,320
Wireless Laptop Circulation: 149

Smyrna Public Library Releases 2009 Annual Statistics – Over 272,000 Patrons Served

2010-02-28T11:15:00.004-05:00

Annual Report - Library Statistics for 2009
Days Open: 353

Circulation
TOTAL: 230,464
Average Daily Circulation: 652.87
Change from 2008: +8.9%

Attendance
Total attendance: 272,062
Average Daily Attendance: 770.71
Change from 2008: +2.1%

Reference
Total Questions: 11,627
Daily Average: 32.94

Misc.
Meetings and Programs in Library: 515
Library Card Registrations: 4,161
Total Library Cardholders: 37,948
Total Cataloged Library Materials: 95,265
Titles: 88,137
Voter Registrations: 19
Interlibrary Loans: 49
Times Patrons Used the Internet: 30,189

Friends of Smyrna Library Announce Blog!

2010-02-11T22:56:00.001-05:00

The Friends of Smyrna Library – FOSL – announce their new BLOG. Please check back soon as we implement a new way to communicate with our members and the community at large over the coming weeks. Thank you for your continued support!