Meet Jessica—FCPL's Latest Library Limelight!

Get to know Jessica, Information Specialist (MLIS), at the Denmark Library!

Although she was born in South Florida, Jessica considers Canton, Georgia, her true hometown, having moved there at the age of two. After spending two decades in Canton, she has since lived in various parts of North Georgia, including Dawsonville and her current home of Clermont.

Being a librarian was her dream job as a child, but she never seriously considered it until she lost her job in archives when COVID hit. She was in the midst of her MLIS degree when she decided to apply for library positions. “If only 8-year-old me could see me now!” says Jessica.

If she could describe her role in five words or fewer, it would be: “Curating stories, connecting our community.” She finds being an Information Specialist unique because every day brings a fresh experience. In her six years at FCPL, she has never had the same day twice. Whether it’s a meaningful patron interaction, a shared moment with her coworkers, or a unique program, there is always something exciting happening.

Another unique part of her role is that she has been able to experience the Youth Services side of things. While Information Specialists focus on adult programming and services, they get to test their youth knowledge while covering the Ask Us desk or roaming the branches. After ending the day with sore legs from assisting with a Youth Services program, she has a newfound respect for how much energy, time, and love goes into their program planning and execution.

Her favorite part of her job is her coworkers. Regardless of how her morning begins, they consistently make coming to work a joy. “I’m particularly grateful for the Denmark branch team—the process of opening that location brought us together in a way that feels incredibly unified,” said Jessica.

She highly values the interactions she has with patrons. Being in a public-facing role, she has been asked some of the most interesting questions that sometimes lead her on a hunt for an answer. Her favorite questions will always be focused on book recommendations. “The excitement of being able to match a person with a book is the best feeling,” exclaims Jessica.

Jessica studied abroad in Berlin in 2018 and calls it one of the best experiences she has had. She took classes on German history and language, involving daily field trips around the city and surrounding areas to historical sites. “I’ll never forget the day one of my professors brought a small group of us to a tiny park on the outskirts of Berlin,” Jessica recalled. “He led us to the entryway of a crypt where we could still see bullet holes from WWII, dating back to when a German soldier sought refuge from chasing Russian forces.”

In her spare time, Jessica enjoys hiking, kayaking, traveling, and spending time with her family, including her two rescue dogs. Before having her daughter last year, she had just started quilting, and hopes to pick that back up soon. Now that she lives further north, she is hoping to explore the nearby state parks.

After studying history in college, Jessica reads mostly nonfiction, particularly history and memoirs or biographies. Every now and then she will pick up a historical fiction, thriller, or horror novel as a palate cleanser. Jessica just started listening to This Land is Your Land: A Road Trip Through U.S. History by Beverly Gage, and recently finished The Hidden History of the White House: Power Struggles, Scandals, and Defining Moments by Corey Mead. Audiobooks are her go-to since her commute is an hour each way, though she still enjoys a physical book when she is on vacation and has time to sit down and read.

Thank you, Jessica, for sharing both your journey towards joining FCPL and the experiences that make you unique! We appreciate your dedication to tracking down the answers to patron questions, helping out across departments, and bringing your knowledge of history to FCPL.

Sara Higgins 
Communications Specialist

Celebrate Georgia 250 with Library of Congress’ Roadmap to Reading

Every year, a list of books representing the literary heritage of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands is distributed by the Library of Congress’s Center for the Book during the National Book Festival. 

Each book is selected by a local Center for the Book or state library. Books may be written by authors from the state, take place in the state, or celebrate the state’s culture and heritage. This list began with mostly books for young readers, but an adult list was added in 2022, so each year, states pick both a Young Readers’ Selection and an Adult Readers’ Selection.

With the National Book Festival approaching in August, we are taking a look back on last year’s selections for Georgia.

Young Readers’ Selection 2025

The Peanut Man by Carmen Agra Deedy is a picture book that tells the story of a Cuban refugee and her joy in an unexpected encounter that connects her beloved home in Havana with her new home in Atlanta, based off of Carmen’s own life. 

With luminous illustrations by the award-winning artist Raúl Colón, this story of immigration, of being displaced and finding a connection to home, reminds us how much alike we humans are, regardless of culture, color, or creed.

Adult Readers’ Selection 2025

There is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America by Brian Goldstone is a nonfiction book telling the story of the working homeless. 

In this gripping and deeply reported book, Brian Goldstone plunges readers into the lives of five Atlanta families struggling to remain housed in a gentrifying, increasingly unequal city, illuminating the true magnitude, causes, and consequences of the new American homelessness–and shows that it won’t be solved until housing is treated as a fundamental human right.

Visit Georgia Center for the Book to see previous years’ honorees.

Jessica Dillard
Information Specialist
Denmark Library

Unreadable Podcast Transcript - July 2026

In this episode Ross speaks with Brandon Mull, bestselling author of the middle grade fantasy series Fablehaven. Brandon talks about his writing career, his many different novels and series, as well as his newest middle grade epic fantasy Forbidden Mountain which came out this year. Brandon Mull will be visiting the Forsyth Conference Center in person on July 25th at 3:00 pm. You can reserve your spot via our website.