Weekend Magazine Sale

Stop by the library this weekend and pick up some cool old magazines for 10 cents each. The sale is in the lobby near the Circulation Desk.

Pottery by Glenn Dair Opens in Smyrna Public Library Display Gallery

The January/February 2020 Display Gallery exhibit has opened – Pottery by Glenn Dair.  Mr. Dair’s exhibit is on display through February 28. The Display Gallery is located on the 2nd floor of the Smyrna Public Library.

Display Gallery exhibits are organized by the Friends of Smyrna Library.

Artist Statement

Glenn Dair served as the Director of the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center Pottery Program and he received his Masters of Fine Arts Degree (Ceramics) from the University of Georgia in 1975. His work is primarily focused on architecturally influenced vessel forms and is included in public, private and corporate collections. He produces work from his studio in Atlanta, Georgia.

First Sunday Lecture: How Georgia Cities Got Their Names

Thank you, Ms. Kaemmerlen!!!

Lecture Information:

"How Georgia Cities Got Their Names"

Sunday, January 5, 2020
3:00-4:00 p.m.
Smyrna Public Library, Meeting Room
Speaker: Cathy Kaemmerlen, author of Georgia Place Names From Jot-em-Down to Doctortown

Ever wonder how Rough and Ready got its name? Or what Stonesthrow is a stone's throw from? And surely the story behind Climax can't be...that thrilling, can it? The curious Georgian can't help pondering the seemingly endless supply of head-scratching place names that dot this state. Luckily, the intrepid Cathy Kaemmerlen stands ready to unravel the enigmas--Enigma is, in fact, a Georgia town--behind the state's most astonishing appellations. Cow Hell, Gum Pond, Boxankle and Lord a Mercy Cove? One town owes its name to a random sign that fell off a railcar, while another memorializes a broken bone suffered by a cockfight spectator. And just how many place names were inspired by insolent mules? Come on in to find out.

Speaker Biography: Cathy Kaemmerlen is a professional storyteller, actress, historical interpreter, and author known for her variety of one-woman shows, her creatively artistic and animated approach to storytelling, and her rapport with audiences of all ages. Her production company is Tattlingtales Productions, Inc.

Sponsored by the Friends of Smyrna Library.

6-Week Smyrna History Lecture Series to Begin on February 2, 2020

Smyrna, Georgia: An Episodic History

6-week Lecture Series

February 3 - March 9, 2020

Instructor: Dr. William P. Marchione, Ph.D.

Each lecture will address two broad themes, with a half hour devoted to each. The series will begin on Monday February 3, 2020 and conclude six weeks later on March 9, 2020. The class will meet in the first floor meeting room of the Smyrna Public Library from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Pre-registration is required. Space is limited. RSVP: sreference@smyrnaga.gov. (Please do not message this page for this lecture series.)

Topical Outline:

1. Native Society: Assimilation & Expulsion, 1825-1837; Transportation Challenges and Economic Opportunities, 1837-1851. (Monday, February 3, 2020)

2. The Antebellum Economy, 1851-60; The Impact and Legacy of the Civil War, 1861-1880. (Monday, February 10, 2020)

3. Agricultural Diversification, 1880-1905; The Suburbanizing Impulse, 1905-1930. (Monday, February 17, 2020)

4. The Nadir of Race Relations, 1918-38; The Impact of the Depression Era and the New Deal, 1930 to 1942. (Monday, February 24, 2020)

5. The Economic Stimulus of the World War II and Cold War Economies, 1943-70; An Era of Fevered Development, 1970-1985. (Monday, March 2, 2020)

6. The Transformative Years, Smyrna since 1985; Looking Backward and Forward (Monday, March 9, 2020)

Reading material:

Marchione, A Brief History of Smyrna, Georgia (History Press, 2013). The library owns eight circulating copies of this history. Copies are also be available for purchase at the Library’s circulation desk and from on-line booksellers like Amazon. Also, a kindle version of the book can be ordered online.

Material posted on the instructor’s blog, “Local Historian North & South,” which can be accessed via www.wpmarchione.com.

Recommendations will be made from time to time of books and other material housed in the Smyrna Public Library’s Local History Collection.

Pen & Ink by Fred Krenson Opens in Smyrna Public Library Art Gallery

The January/February 2020 Art Gallery exhibit has opened – Pen & Ink by Fred Krenson.  Mr. Krenson’s exhibit is on display through February 28. The Art Gallery is located on the 2nd floor of the Smyrna Public Library.

Art Gallery exhibits are organized by the Friends of Smyrna Library.

Artist Statement

Fred is registered architect with 40 years of experience focused on the design of sports facilities, Fred’s designs of collegiate sports venues set the standard for creating home court advantage. Arenas at the University of South Carolina, Arkansas and Texas Tech are just a few examples. Fred is a Senior Vice President and Board member at Rosser. When he’s not working with clients to create innovative venues, Fred is traveling and filling his sketchbooks with beautiful drawings of cathedrals, churches and courthouses from around the world.