Smyrna Public Library Reopens to the Public

Smyrna Library reopened to the public on Monday, March 15, 2021, but with limited hours and services.  In order to keep both library staff and library customers safe, we are adhering to the following guidelines for public access to the facility and its collections.

New Public Access Hours

The public is allowed onto the first floor of the library facility to browse the shelves, pick up holds, and checkout their materials at the Self-Check units. To browse materials on the second floor, ask for a Browsing Pass at the front desk on the first floor. Or you may place holds on materials needed from the upper level (adult non-fiction, adult biography, and young adult). Staff will retrieve the materials for the customer. If you need assistance selecting materials, please use this online form.

Monday-Friday:  10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Saturday:  12:00 noon – 4:00 p.m.

Face Masks Required

The library asks that all members of the public who enter the building wear a face mask throughout their visit. This guideline includes children older than 2. Please bring your own mask. Maintain social distancing at all times. Hand sanitizer will be placed throughout the building. Water fountains will not be available.

Public Access Computers and Printing

Cardholders and guests may use the public access computers, but only six computers will be available at a time. Visit the Circulation desk on the first floor and ask for assistance. Computer users will be seated one at a time. Cardholders are encouraged to make reservations in advance. Guests may buy a guest pass at the Circulation Desk for $1 for 1 hour of time. If the computers are full, waiting may be necessary. Printing services are available also: $.15 per page for B&W and $.50 for color.

No Public Meeting Space/Chairs

The meeting rooms and study rooms will not be available for meetings or study. No rentals until further notice. Chairs will be removed from the public tables and study carrels.

Virtual Events & Classes

Story time, lectures, book discussions, and special events will continue to be presented online until further notice. Take-home craft kits are distributed periodically. Watch for details on the online events calendar and in the library's eNewsletter. (Sign up for newsletters here.)

Youth Services Area

No games, puzzles, toys, and stuffed animals will be available for use until further notice. The sensory bin is closed. The children’s public access computers will not be available for use. Maker Boxes will not be available for check out. No tours or group visits will be scheduled until further notice.

Borrower Registration

New borrowers may apply for a card online at https://library.smyrnaga.gov/#section=obrsignup. Applicants are encouraged to fill out the form at home before visiting the library. Bring proof of residency to the library for the application to be finalized and the card issued. If the borrower is a non-resident, a $25 fee is due before the card will be issued.

Donations

Please hold book donations. Because of the closure, the Friends have not been able to sell their existing stock of book donations and do not have room to store new donations. The Friends will solicit new donations on their Facebook page when they are ready to accept more.

Celebrating the Life & Volunteer Spirit of Lina Clare Isanhour

We are deeply saddened to share that Lina Clare Isanhour passed away March 8, 2021 at age 92.

Ms. Isanhour was active in volunteer work at the Smyrna Public Library, where for several years, she was editor of The Link, the quarterly newsletter of the Friends of the Smyrna Library. This blog is the digital successor to the printed newsletter she started. 

A certified genealogist, she taught a course in genealogy at the Smyrna Library, donating the class fee to the library, and was instrumental in the library's accumulating a large genealogy reference section. In recognition of her contributions the Friends of the Smyrna Library recommended to the Smyrna City Council that they name the genealogy reference room for her; the Mayor of the City of Smyrna issued a proclamation so naming the department, and a bronze plaque was placed there, designating it the "Clare Isanhour Room." The Smyrna City Council later issued a second proclamation commending her general good works toward the library and the city of Smyrna, particularly her assistance in finding some of the descendants of those who had lived in Smyrna’s Taylor-Brawner house, as it was being renovated.  A tree was planted there in her name.

Ms. Isanhour wrote, compiled, or assisted in research for numerous books on family history and local history in metro Atlanta and elsewhere, and was working on a final family history book—which her friends plan to finish from her notes—at the time of her death. She became interested in genealogy when, in researching her family so she could join the DAR at her mother’s insistence, she learned that she was a distant cousin of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. 

Smyrna Library Kids Recipe: Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here is today's recipe card: Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe is so easy and flexible (as always) to suit your family's dietary needs.

Flour can be substituted for gluten free baking flour

Coconut oil can be changed to butter or vegan butter

Milk can be changed to a non dairy milk of your choice

Applesauce can replaced with 1 egg, or 1 egg replacer such as flax.