The Hinesville Rotary Club hosted Christy Divine, marketing and development director and foundation manager for Live Oak Public Libraries, at its regular meeting Tuesday.
Divine delivered an “A-to-Z” update on services and programs offered at the Live Oak Library system’s 18 locations, which serve Effingham, Chatham and Liberty counties.
“The library card really is your passport to the world,” Divine reminded Rotarians.
Highlights hit upon by Divine included the inter-library loan system, which allows library members to request materials found in other branches’ inventories.
“I call it Amazon without the credit card,” she joked. “Your branch may be smaller … but that doesn’t mean you don’t have access to everything in the 18 branches we have, and we will get it to you.”
Divine also spoke about the Dog Days reading program, in which therapy dogs are brought to local libraries to encourage kids who may be struggling with reading to practice their skills.
Divine informed the club of Georgia state park and Atlanta-zoo passes that also are available for check-out at Live Oak Public Libraries.
“It can be expensive to go to the zoo,” she said, “so you can also place zoo passes on hold and get those if you’re going to Atlanta.”
Divine also took the opportunity to inform the group about the upcoming Savannah Children’s Book Festival, slated for from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15. The event is free and open to the public. Divine said approximately 45,000 people are expected to show up for the festival, now in its 11th year.
Thirteen celebrated children’s book authors from around the country will be in attendance, including Lois Lowry, author of “The Giver,” and Rosemary Wells, creator of the “Max and Ruby” series.
“It’s a day to celebrate the joy of reading and children’s literature,” Divine said.
Christian Kruse, a Live Oak library director, also updated the Rotarians about the new Hinesville branch, which is tentatively scheduled to be completed in late 2015/early 2016.
Kruse said the new branch will have “double the space” of the current one, including an auditorium with seating for 150, four study rooms, two classrooms, a children’s space with seating for 48 as well as a separate activity room.
According to Kruse, the entire project is worth approximately $5 million and is being funded through the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax.
Divine told Rotarians that there is no limit to the number of items a member may rent from the library, including audiobooks, CDs and DVDs.
Hinesville Rotary President Brigitte Shanken also reminded club members about its upcoming fishing tournament Sept. 20.