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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 (cont.):
Hello, and thank you for joining me. I’m your hostess, Valerie Fuller, Communications Administrator in the Office of Communications. Welcome to today’s episode of the Clayton connected Podcast. In the Clayton Connected Podcast studio today with me is Assistant Director of Branch Services, Ms. Kimberly Clark, as well as Assistant Director Rebecca James of Youth Services. Give them a round of applause.

(Applause)

Valerie (cont.):

So ladies, I’m always so excited to have our representatives from the Clayton County Public Library System in here because two things I know for sure, there’s going to be something free, and it’s going to be for everybody who has a Clayton County Public Library card. And if you don’t have one by the end of this podcast, you will be hopefully in a better position to want to get one and not just want it, but actually execute to go forward with getting one. So today we’re going to talk about upcoming programs for the winter and spring. So let’s just jump right into it. What types of programming? I’m so excited. What types of programming initiatives can the public look forward to this winter or spring?

Kimberly Clayton:

So, one of the ones that we’re really, really excited about is having received a grant from WETA PBS to focus on programming for the America 250 celebration, which probably hit everybody’s ears January 1st. It’s the 250th anniversary celebration of the nation. And so, there is a lot of programming going on around. And we were very excited to be able to receive some funding to be able to do some targeted programming around that. So we will be having puppet shows, art contests, panel discussions, special episodes of our podcasts, as well as hosting viewings of the PBS documentary, The American Revolution. And we’ll be doing that every other month. It started in December, every other month until July. And so you’ll have the opportunity to stop at a branch, watch this beautiful documentary, have some snacks…

Valerie:

We like the snacks too.

Kimberly:

We’ll have a couple of them. There’ll be a panel discussion after the viewing. So the discussion continues.

Valerie:

So celebrating the 250th anniversary. And again, this is not just for children. A lot of people mistake that the library is just for children. It’s for adults too. So there’s something for people of all ages.

Kimberly:

Absolutely. We like to say there’s a little bit of something for everybody. But I like to say it’s a lot of something for everybody at Clayton County Library.

Valerie:

A lot. Something like job fairs.

Kimberly:

Absolutely. So our Lovejoy Library will be hosting our next collaboration with the Goodwill of North Georgia. And we will be having a Goodwill job fair on January 15th at the South Clayton Recreation Center in Lovejoy slash Hampton.

Valerie:

So Lovejoy Library branch, and these jobs are specifically, are there specific companies, specific organizations?

Kimberly:

So it is not Clayton County. Sorry, people. But it is a particular list of partnerships that Goodwill has with different organizations and different companies. And once you see the flyer, which will be posted on Clayton County Communications and their email blast, but also on our library website, you will be able to see the list of employers who will be there.

Valerie:

So claytonpl.org, that’s the Clayton County Public Library System website, as well as claytoncountyga.gov is another website that you can go to get more information about all the things, wonderful things that are happening throughout the county, but as well as the Clayton County Public Library System. So what about the different programs?

Kimberly:

So our libraries are chocked full of amazing programs. They do such a good job. They work very hard to make sure their individual communities are continuously engaged. One of the ones that we do is, well, a couple of the ones that we do system-wide initiatives are our podcasts. We like to engage the people as well. We have Coffee with a Librarian, which is pretty longstanding now. And it’s so much so longstanding that we have a waiting list of guests. So it’s beginning to get more and more popular. Starting in September, we started a second podcast called Litimate Conversations. Which is really a book talk podcast with myself and Kimberly Jones, where we sit down on the couch and we become book besties. And we talk about the book that we’ve read in the previous month.

Kimberly (cont.):

The special component of that is we reach our arms out into the community and we find a mental health professional to come in and analyze the characters of the book and to teach you methods on how to work past their issues that you may recognize in the characters that you have at home. But also give you some tips and tactics on becoming a better person and healing.

Valerie:

Yes. All good information. Listen, I told y’all before we started that you got to get some good information. Run, get that claytonpl.org. Go to that website. If you don’t have your library card, please go and get one. So we know that the library system is a hub for all different kinds of resources. Are there any virtual programs? Ms. Rebecca, are online resources available for people that cannot visit the library?

Rebecca James:

We have so much. The Brainfuse family of products. We’ve had the HelpNow and JobNow for years. I’ll just remind everyone that HelpNow is our kindergarten through 12th grade resource. It has the full Georgia curriculum, which is what’s being taught in the public schools. And we have that to support the Clayton County Public School System as well as our homeschoolers. But more than that, they have certified tutors who are available every day from 2 P.M. to 11:59 P.M. They gave us an extra hour.

Valerie:

Okay.

Rebecca:

And they are certified to tutor from kindergarten through 12th grade for our students. So those students have those nine, almost 10 hours to go online. And again, every day. They only take the major holidays off. So they won’t be tutoring on Dr. King’s birthday in two weeks. But other than that, they are there. They do a phenomenal job. And it’s a great resource.

Valerie:
That’s really, really, really good to know. Because for those parents who may not be as skilled in K through 12 education and some of information or materials that students are learning, that’s a great way for parents to work with their children to learn, too, as they’re being tutored, as the child is being tutored.

Rebecca:
It is. I agree with you. And it is great. The SkillSurfer portion, which is where you find the entire curriculum from kindergarten through 12th grade, is phenomenal. I learn something every time I go on to show somebody. I’m like, and we can do this. And oh, I didn’t know that. And I write myself notes to go back and learn something else through that resource. The JobNow platform is phenomenal because it is for job seekers. You have your certified resume writers who will work with you to make your resume the best it can possibly be so that you’re called for an interview. And then there’s the certified interview coaches who will work with you online through the platform to learn how to interview well.

Rebecca (cont.):

Some people are a little shy or reserved and they don’t want to talk about themselves. But you’ve got to put yourself out there. And those interview coaches really help to hone in and make sure that you are at the best that you can be when you go to the Goodwill Job Fair at the South Clayton Rec Center at the end of January. Before then, come into one of our libraries. We will show you how to use JobNow. We will help you with getting your resume up and then you can print while you’re at the library.

Valerie:

So tutoring, brain fuse, you have something for college students as well as veterans also, right?

Rebecca:

We do. We’ve added CollegeNow and VetNow. For CollegeNow, it’s college preparation as well as resources and support when the students attend college. There are about 20 basic college classes that everybody has to take like psychology and math, statistics, English 101, where they have the college tutors online just like HelpNow has for the kindergarten through 12th graders. They will help fill out the FAFSA form for it so that they can get financial aid. As prep, they will help them write their college essay for admittance to college. They will help them find scholarships. So it’s a really well-rounded platform that is available. And then we’re very pleased with VetNow. That’s for our veterans and their families to make sure that they are getting the resources that they deserve for their service. So they will help connect them with the VA and make sure that they are getting their appointments. They will help them get their benefits. There’s even an option of helping them to buy a home, to get a job, and make sure that they are getting what they need. Everything that we provide is free of charge.

Valerie:

Free of charge. I need you to say that really loud for all the people in the back.

Rebecca:

So free of charge.

Valerie:

Free of charge, people. Right at the touch of your fingertips. Claytonpl.org, Clayton County Public Library System. You have got to access the website, contact the library, or visit your local library. How many branches?

Rebecca:

We have six.

Valerie:

Six different branches. So lots of information, lots of free resources also. So let’s talk about the collaboration that you have. So you’re working not just with patrons and citizens throughout Clayton County, but you’re also working with Senior Services, Parks and Recreation, Youth Services, and any of the other departments within Clayton County government sector.

Rebecca:

Oh, and I forgot, we actually work with our information technology, our IT department. We help host programs, collaborations with teaching, AI, different computer classes. We will host them, and we will participate with them when they are elsewhere in the county. We love our relationship with Senior Services.

Valerie:

Yes.

Rebecca:

We have a great program that Kimberly Jones runs with the Meals on Wheels. There are about 10 of the citizens who are part of the Meals on Wheels program who have signed up to actually take advantage of the library resources. So they get their little bag of books or CDs or DVDs or puzzles, games every month at one of their Meals on Wheels deliveries. And so we’re building that partnership up. Kimberly also runs a monthly book club at Charlie Griswell. And then after they’ve read the book, she invites them to the headquarters library, and they either watch the movie or the documentary that’s been based on the book, and just have a really great time in a different venue so that they can get out and participate.

Valerie:

And I have to say, the bookmobile is looking really good. Talk to us about how people who are businesses or organizations that you’re working with or partnering with, or even departments throughout Clayton County government, how can the bookmobile be of use or service to those departments?

Rebecca:

That’s great. I mean, we have an online form. So again, claytonpl.org, I think it’s under the tab, use the library and the bookmobile. Anyone can ask for us to come out. We ask that it be open to the public, no money being exchanged. We will bring it. People can get their library card at the bookmobile. We have a small collection on the bookmobile. So you can check out a book or DVD or activity kit, or even a Chromebook. When we’re out, we’re getting requests from senior services, of course, parks and recreation. We have shared the form with Ms. Ciara Dunn with the office of youth services. We know that we’re going to get more requests. Our school district, we go out there frequently. In fact, we’ve got two February visits to middle schools who are having all day STEM-paloozas. And they’ve asked us to come out. So it’s a really easy process. Kimberly and I get the request and we work through our schedule and make it happen.

Valerie:

So Ms. Rebecca James, Ms. Kimberly Clayton, thank you so much for joining us today on the Clayton Connected podcast. Lots of information, lots of free resources that are available at your fingertips. We look forward to hosting you again in the Clayton Connected podcast studio. Thank you for joining us.

Valerie (cont.):

I’m your hostess, Valerie Fuller. Thank you for listening to the Clayton Connected podcast in Clayton County, Georgia, where the world lands and opportunities take off.