Description

It’s National Library Card Sign-Up Month! The Clayton County Public Library System shares why library cards are important for you and the family.  We’re also
celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month and Dementia Awareness Month…Free
resources, devices, and trainings, oh my!

Transcript

Valerie Fuller (Intro)
You’re tuned in to the Clayton Connected Podcast in Clayton County, where the world lands and opportunities take off.

Valerie Fuller:
Welcome to the Clayton Connected podcast. I’m your hostess Valerie Fuller, Communications Administrator here at the Office of Communications for the Clayton County Government Sector. Welcome to the Clayton Connected podcast. Today in the Clayton Connected Podcast Studio I have Doctor Ruphina Ozoh, also, who is the Assistant Director for Customer Engagement and Community Outreach at the Clayton County Public Library System, as well as Miss Rebecca James, who is the Assistant Director for Youth Services for Clayton County Public Libraries. Welcome!

Ruphina Ozoh:
Thank you so much.

Rebecca James:
We’re so happy to be here.

Valerie:
I’m happy to have you. Listen, these ladies always come, full of information and full of resources to share with us. Today we’re going to talk about National Library card sign up month, Hispanic Heritage Month, and dementia awareness month. You know, what are we going to do that? We’re going to do that because there’s so many resources out there that are available to the citizens of Clayton County. And anyone who has a Clayton County Public Library card, right?

Ruphina:
Yes, exactly. Valerie, always great to be here with you to showcase the amazing resources that the Clayton County Library System has for the communities that it serves. Yes, September is National Library Card Sign-Up month and libraries all across the U.S. are this month encouraging the communities they serve to sign up for library cards. So, Rebecca, can you tell them where and how they can sign up for library cards?

Rebecca:
Yes, Ruphina. We welcome anyone to walk into one of our six libraries and actually get a physical card. If you can’t do that, you can go to the library’s website, which is claytonpl.org and you can register for digital access, which you can start using immediately and use all of our digital resources. You do have to have the physical card if you’re wanting to borrow our materials and take them home and would like our books, our audiobooks, our DVDs, but those are the two easiest ways to come and get a card with us.

Valerie:
So I have to ask the question, do you have to be a resident of Clayton County in order to have a library card for the Clayton County Public Library system?

Ruphina:
Actually, you don’t have to be because we are a member of PINES and PINES, it’s for anybody that lives in Georgia. You can come into Clayton County or any PINES library in the state of Georgia and sign up for a library card.

Valerie:
Really important information because we don’t want to leave anyone out.

Rebecca:
No, we want everybody to come and use the library.

Valerie:
So that’s claytonpl.org, or you can physically come into any library branch in Clayton County and apply for one of those cards. Thank you so much. Yes. Hispanic Heritage Month.

Rebecca:
Hispanic heritage month. This is a national observance. It is for, from sorry, September 15th through October 15th. And we have so many things to offer for our citizens. I’m going to… I’m going to talk about two things. We have a new, story time database, which is called LOTE4Kids. And that stands for, languages other than English. There are currently 45 languages that you have access to: Storybooks, games, activities, on there and that’s available through the claytonpl.org kids page. A lot of Spanish language stories also, they’ve been translated into English and they are available bilingually. So, we’re very proud of that resource. And of course, we offer Brainfuze HelpNow, which is one of our online school resources. The reason I’m mentioning that is that the platform is available in Spanish as well as English and the certified tutors, you have the option of asking for a Spanish speaking tutor. So those are two of our really great resources that help support Hispanic Heritage Month.

Ruphina:
I want to jump in here. We have a resource called Mango Languages. This means that if you want to learn any language, if you want to learn Spanish, you can come to our library system, click on claytonpl.org and you’ll be able to use Mango Languages for free to learn Spanish.

Valerie:
I want you to say that again.

Ruphina:
Mango Languages for free. Instead of paying Babbel for free, people for free.

Valerie:
You know, listen, I took four years of Spanish. I can read it letter wise. I can pronounce the words and I can figure out what they’re trying to say. But if you don’t use it, you lose it. So I may just have to try that.

Ruphina:
Please do.

Valerie:
I may have to try that. And we’re encouraging anyone, whether you speak English, whether you speak Spanish or any of the other languages. How many different languages? 45.

Rebecca:
No. That’s LOTE. Mango is 70 world languages….

Valerie:
70 world languages.

Rebecca:
…including, they have, recently, brought back American Sign Language so somebody can learn American Sign Language also.

Valerie:
For?

Rebecca:
Free!

Valerie:
For free? I don’t want people to lose sight of that. These are resources that are available to you right here at the Clayton County Public Library System, waiting for you to use.

Ruphina:
Exactly. And we just believe in serving people of all ages and backgrounds. As a matter of fact, on September 25th, the library system will be at La Morena supermarket….

Valerie:
Okay.

Ruphina:
… on Tara Boulevard. We’re going to be there to sign people up for library cards to showcase the resources that can help people of Hispanic and Latino heritage.

Rebecca:
And please remember that the library, offers many programs for all ages, not just during Hispanic Heritage Month, but we are focusing, and officially it starts on Sunday. The libraries are closed, but I do know that our Forest Park library on Monday afternoon is having their second annual Hispanic Cooking Sing-Along program, Forest Park at 4812 West Street. And I believe that’s at five starting at 5:00. So those are the types of things that we build in to make sure that, you know, that that you’re welcome. We want everybody to know that you’ll be seeing Storytimes at each of our libraries and special programing all the way through October. So come visit us.

Valerie:
Come visit the Clayton County Public Library system. Again, that’s claytonpl.org or you can also call the main number at (770) 473-3850.

Ruphina:
Yes.

Valerie:
Now something else that’s near and dear to our hearts and probably many of our residents and, family members, friends, coworkers, retirees, Dementia Awareness Month.

Ruphina:
Exactly. The library just has so much to offer the community. We have something, a resource called Stay Sharp Cats. They are designed to be used with individuals who are experiencing memory loss, people who have dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and other memory disorders. They’re actually great for anyone who wants to improve their short term memory and overall mental speeds. So come to the library and check out this kit and you’ll be amazed how we will help you and Rebecca, can you talk a little more about this kit?

Rebecca:
Yes, I love these kits. Each kit is a collection of engaging items based on specific themes such as cooking, gardening, travel, baseball is near and dear to my heart, so I like that one. And each kit, includes a book and 3 or 4 activities such as puzzles, card games, even painting activities. And these are to spark conversation and stimulate brain activity. And we just want to encourage everyone, because these are for all ages. Yes, they’re made for people who might be experiencing memory loss to help engage them, but we see families who check them out and do the activities together, and they’re available at each of our Clayton County libraries.

Valerie:
So much happening at the Clayton County Public Library system, for residents and people who are nonresidents, open to the public. (770) 473-3850 is the main number, claytonpl.org. All of this information is available in, absolutely, the resources that we have talked about today, during National Library Card Sign-Up month and Hispanic Heritage Month as well as Dementia Awareness Month available to the public for free.

Rebecca:
Yes, exactly.

Ruphina:
Can we, showcase why people really need to sign up for the library?

Valerie:
Please.

Ruphina:
There just so much I want to talk about. Interplay. Interplay is a trade skills program where you can go to the library’s website and be able to learn how to be a plumber, HVAC technician, electrician, carpenter for free through 3D, virtual reality simulations. Where can you get this for free?

Valerie:
Simulations. Which means you actually get to simulate, being a plumber, performing HVAC…

Rebecca:
Holding a wrench.

Valerie:
Holding a wrench.

Rebecca:
It’s very important we carry so many things that, people need and they may not realize where they can get it. And we like to say that these are your tax dollars at work. You’ve paid the money to have access to these resources, and the library provides them. And we want to make sure that everybody’s getting what they need from the library. So please, again, come visit us.

Valerie:
Dr. Ozoh and Ms. Rebecca James, thank you so much. We also have to give a shout out to the director of Clayton County Public Library System, Mr. Scott Parham. We know that, we will have him on sometime later. In one of our later podcasts, but we want to thank you, ladies, for coming in and sharing all of this information about all the wonderful resources that are available to Clayton County residents and any visitors, who has a Clayton County Public Library card or are a member, through the PINES system.

Rebecca:
Thank you. Valerie. We’re always grateful when you let us come and visit.

Valerie:
Absolutely. We’ll be back. Thank you so much. And we’ll see you on the next Clayton Connected podcast.

Valerie (outro):
I’m your host is Valerie Fuller. Thank you for listening to the Clayton Connected Podcast. And Clayton County, Georgia, where the world lands and opportunities take off.