On Saturday, March 30, authors from across Metro Atlanta will convene for the DeKalb County Public Library Local Author Expo. Authors will share their journeys as writers, discuss their works and sell and autograph books. Featured genres include fiction, non-fiction, inspirational, self-help, children's and more. Adult Services Coordinator Teresa Totten helps to organize the annual event to connect readers and writers. “It makes a difference to be able to see authors in person and learn more about them and their work. Participants have an opportunity to gain insight about something they’ve already read or become interested in a new book,” Totten said. Over 30 authors will be participating this year. The expo will be held at the Tucker-Reid H. Cofer Library from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Holi is a Hindu festival celebrated across India. The festival commemorates the victory of good over evil, marking the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Sunday, March 24, 2019 DeKalb County Public Library will partner with Global Native and the DeKalb Library Foundation to host a Holi Festival at Glenlake Park from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The event got its start when the Library received the Beer Festival Grant to fund programming that embraced DeKalb’s diverse community. Decatur Youth Services Librarian, Mia Manekofsky partnered with a local patron, Gauri Misra-Deshpande who had an interest in doing programming with the Library that celebrated her Indian culture. “I found a wonderful and enthusiastic partner in Mia Manekofsky who ran the Embrace Our World program for the Decatur Library and embraced the idea of Holi whole heartedly." Gauri said. Activities for the Holi Festival include a photo booth and color battle. Participants are encouraged to wear clothing that can get messy.
The Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl is an annual statewide reading competition that is open to students in grades 4-12. Students are quizzed on Georgia Book Award Nominees and Georgia Peach Teen Book Award Nominees. On Saturday, January 26, DeKalb County Public Library competed with three teams in the levels of elementary, middle school and high school. The high school team won first place and will move on to the next round that will take place at Clayton State in two weeks. DCPL is the first public library to enter a team into the HRRB. Library staff who coached the teams include: Mia Manekofsky, Lauren Tennyson, Shelley Thompson, Jonathan Myers and Elizabeth Harris. Check out more information on the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl here.
Georgia Public Library Service has announced that DeKalb County Public Library has been selected as the 2018 Georgia Public Library of the Year “for their efforts to grow meaningful engagement and impact within their diverse community.” The annual award honors the outstanding service and achievements of Georgia’s public libraries, librarians and advocates. A collaborative effort was made with the “Read More” campaign that helped to promote the Library system as a whole while highlighting specific programs such as PRIME TIME Preschool, Fine Free Summer, the Human Library Project and more. DCPL will be recognized at the Georgia State Capital on February 13. Check out the official announcement here.
The Doris K. Wells Heritage Festival is an annual celebration of the large diverse community that makes up DeKalb County. DeKalb County Public Library’s first African-American librarian, the late Doris K. Wells, created the festival in 1983 as a Kwanzaa Awareness Festival at the Scott Candler Library. Attendance for the first year was over 1000 patrons. The festival continued to grow over the years and was renamed the Doris K. Wells Heritage Festival. Programs throughout the months of December and January include music, dance, food, crafts and informational workshops. A full list of events can be seen here.
