Library Hosts Resource Fair for Patrons with Special Needs

Forsyth County residents with special needs, along with their families and caregivers, can meet with local service providers and learn about programs and resources at the Special Needs Resource Fair, Saturday, September 21 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Sharon Forks Library, 2820 Old Atlanta Road, Cumming.

The event will include a dozen local service providers offering free information about resources and programs available to individuals with special needs.

“While parents and caregivers are speaking to service providers, children with special needs can participate in a sensory storytime and other activities led by library staff,” says Programming Manager Tracy Walker.

Representatives from Alexander Academy, Behavior Link Behavioral Consultants, Forsyth Autism and Special Needs Support Group, North Georgia Equine in Motion, and Parent to Parent of Georgia are expected to speak with participants.

“We’re also looking forward to having Debbie Dobbs, a local health care consultant, talk with families about ways to advocate for patients with special needs when working with doctors, therapists, and hospitals,” says Walker.

Several governmental organizations, including Forsyth County Parks & Recreation, Forsyth County Sheriff's Office, Georgia Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Disabilities, and Forsyth County Schools will also participate.

Leaders from such charitable organizations as Cumming Forsyth County Miracle League, Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, and Boy Scouts of America will provide information on local sports programs and social activities for children and young adults with disabilities or other special needs.

Information about the library’s own sensory and American Sign Language (ASL) storytime programs, crafting and computer classes, Special Needs Library Hour events, and services for patrons with visual impairments will also be available.

“We want to remind our community that our libraries are open and welcoming to everyone, including individuals with special needs. We hope that offering events like the Special Needs Resource Fair will make it easier for families to connect with each other and with the organizations that can give their loved ones the resources they need to live their best life,” says Walker.

Admission to the Special Needs Resource Fair is free and open to the public. For more information, please visit www.forsythpl.org.

Library Limelight: Jeff Fisher, Materials Services Manager, Library Headquarters

Library Limelight is intended to be a quick read to help FCPL patrons get to know our librarians, staff, and volunteers. We hope you enjoy learning about the people who make our libraries great!

Jeff Fisher
Materials Services Manager
Library Headquarters

Where is your hometown?

Dayton, Tennessee

How long have you been at FCPL?

Less than 6 months

What other jobs have you had at FCPL?

This one is the first.

Why did you choose to work in a library?

My best friend enjoyed working in a library and that got me interested.

Describe your job in five words or less.

Select Acquire Catalog Process Stuff

What is unique about your job?

Observing and monitoring the selection, acquisition, cataloging, and processing of materials.

What is your favorite part of your job?

I love seeing patrons get excited about a book.

What’s the most interesting place you’ve lived or traveled?

Paris, France (It's not necessarily my favorite, but it is the most interesting place I've traveled.)

What are your hobbies?

Family, action figures, exercise, reading, hiking, Dragon Con

What are you reading right now?

Dark Age, book five in the Red Rising saga by Pierce Brown

Paper books, eBooks, or audiobooks?

Paper

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

Hmmm . . . obscure trivia, pro wrestling terminology, irrelevant stories, dad jokes . . . nothing I can really think of offhand.

50% off all books at the Friends Bookstore inside the Cumming Library

Is your fall all "booked" up? If your to-be-read pile is looking a little short, visit the Friends Bookstore inside the Cumming Library for half-price books, September 1 through October 6!

Bookstore Closing for Renovation

The Friends Bookstore inside the Cumming Library will close on October 7 and will be under renovation until January. Over 12,000 books must be sold to clear the Bookstore and get ready for the renovation.

Stop by and stock up on fiction and nonfiction books for kids and adults at half price! Yes, you read that correctly, all books in the Friends Bookstore at the Cumming Library are 50% off!

Proceeds from the Friends Bookstore operated by the FCPL Friends & Advocates support programs at the Library, so stock up for your fall and winter reading!

Donations to the Friends Bookstore

Please note that FCPL Friends & Advocates can no longer accept donations at Cumming Library Friends Bookstore location during the renovation. Please take any books or materials you wish to donate to the Post Road, Sharon Forks, or Hampton Park library branches.

Friends Bookstore to Reopen in 2020

Thank you for your patience as the Friends Bookstore at the Cumming Library is renovated to better serve its patrons. We look forward to reopening in January 2020 and will post an announcement here when the official reopening date is set.