Dougherty Library System considers ‘friends’ group

ALBANY — After struggling through reduced county funding and the shut-down of two of the system’s five locations in 2012, the Dougherty County Library System appears to be rebounding magnificently.

Pauline Abidde, the system’s executive director, and Walter Kelley, chairman of the Dougherty County Library Board, appeared before the Kiwanis Club of Dougherty County this week to reveal some statistics and talk about new developments.

According to their presentation, there are currently over 40,000 registered patrons in the library system. The 2016-17 fiscal year saw 320,000 visits to the libraries and a circulation of more than 466,000 items. The system’s 107 high-speed internet computers hosted more than 103,000 sessions by users. The library system employs 51 people, 35 of whom are full-time, at its Central, Northwest, Tallulah Massey, Westtown, and Southside branches.

The Dougherty system is a member of the statewide PINES Consortium of Public Libraries, which includes 284 libraries and affiliated service outlets in 140 Georgia counties. That means books not available in Dougherty County can be requested from other libraries, and a PINES card issued in Dougherty County can be used at any other member library. Some of the larger library systems in the state had not previously participated in PINES, but according to Abidde, Savannah/Chatham County recently joined and Atlanta/Fulton County is considering joining.

“One reason that we have gotten back into the good graces of the (Dougherty) County Commission is because of this fine lady right here,” Kelley said, indicating Abidde. “(Due to fiscal constraints) there was just a steady reduction of funding through the county. After a while, (Abidde) could only do so much with what she got. That resulted in us having to come together and close two of our smallest libraries (Westtown and Southside) so that we could keep the other three open, and that was a hard thing to do. But, fortunately, and I think a lot of it was due to Pauline’s relationship with the county administrator and other people in the community,” an agreement was eventually reached that allowed the closed branches to re-open.

In the meantime, SPLOST VI funding enabled the complete renovation of the downtown Central Library headquarters. Now, through a $2 million State Capital Outlay Grant, the planning process is underway for an 11,000-square-foot renovation of currently unused space at the Northwest branch on Dawson Road. Additions there, according to Abidde, will include a genealogy department, a training room, space for live children’s programs, an events center area, a large meeting room and a kitchen.

Access to any of the system’s resources is available at any of the branches, Abidde told the civic club. The resources include more than 350,000 books, audiobooks and DVDs. Interlibrary loan makes available almost any book or article in print, and the statewide Galileo Participating Library provides 24/7 access to 60 databases, ranging from kindergarten to scholar level.

Other resources available at Dougherty County libraries include the Pass Program, through which admission passes can be checked out for the Go Fish Program in Perry, Zoo Atlanta, Chehaw park, Get Outdoors Georgia (for state parks), and the Carlos Museum at Emory University. For state park visits, Dougherty County also has available for check-out five pass bags that include binoculars and guidebooks for Georgia birds, trees, flowers and wildlife.

On the horizon is the resurrection of a “Friends of the Library” group for Dougherty County. A friends group existed here decades ago, according to Abidde and Kelley, but became inactive. Kelley said that Tifton and Valdosta have “enormous” friends organizations.

“There are certain things that the county cannot, and should not, fund for our library,” Kelley said.

At one time, he recalled, the library hosted a “distinguished author” series of visits by such literary luminaries as Anne Rivers Siddons, Pat Conroy, Alex Haley and Georgia’s own Ferrell Sams.

“We want to get that back,” Kelley said. “Those things are kind of outside the scope of what the county should fund. But we want to do it ourselves.”

Those interested in being part of the friends effort are urged to attend a meeting Nov. 8 at 6:45 p.m. at the Northwest Branch. A membership drive is currently under way, and information can be obtained from assistant library director Wanda Brown at (229) 420-3232 or [email protected].

Abidde said there are more than 200 Friends of the Library groups in Georgia.

“We have our 501(c)(3) (tax exempt status), so we’ve done a lot of the legwork,” she said. “Once we get the people and board set up, then we’ll be ready to let the friends just take it and run with it.”