Introduction
Ross Gericke: Hello and welcome to Unreadable, the official Forsyth County Public Library podcast for library news, upcoming programs, and recommendations. I’m your host Ross Gericke, Branch Manager at Hampton Park.
In this episode I talk with Sarah Brubaker, Information Services Supervisor at the Cumming Branch, about our Pastime Pursuits series of programs for adults happening at all of our branches throughout January. Make sure to check out our program calendar at www.forsythpl.org for all of the details.
Now on with the show.
Interview
Ross Gericke: Hello, Sarah, welcome to the podcast.
Sarah Brubaker: Hi, it's great to be here.
Ross Gericke: So New Year's is right around the corner, starting here in January, and a lot of people come up with New Year's resolutions, new stuff they want to do or new hobbies they want to start, and we have a pretty cool series of programs for adults about starting a new hobby or getting deeper into a hobby that you already have. Why don't you tell us a little bit about this series of programs?
Sarah Brubaker: Yes, this is our first year trying out Pastime Pursuits, which is our opportunity to share the introductory materials for a number of different hobbies with our patrons. So, it's a chance to get to meet experts in a wide variety of fields so that you can learn what is involved in starting a new hobby.
Ross Gericke: So, what's the first one that we have coming up next year?
Sarah Brubaker: At Sharon Forks, we're kicking things off on January 7th. That's going to be on a Sunday. Most of these programs are on the weekend so that you can use your free time to come and attend. And we're gonna be learning about hiking. Take a Hike! Prepare for Your Adventure is going to be presented by Robert Bobinski, who is an Appalachian Trail maintainer and ambassador. So he is extremely knowledgeable about what is involved – what materials and supplies do you need, how do you plan your hike, how do you hike smart and still enjoy the ride so that you stay safe outdoors. So that can be a little daunting for people who are interested in going outside. But, gosh darned, if there aren't a lot of trails and they're all different lengths and difficulties. So, we want to make sure that everyone is prepared to do that in a safe and enjoyable way.
Ross Gericke: And that one's going to be at the Sharon Forks Library, right?
Sarah Brubaker: That's right.
Ross Gericke: So these will be across all of our different branches?
Sarah Brubaker: Yes, we want to make sure that every branch offered something different, so that people can come and learn about all these different pastime pursuits.
Ross Gericke: So, what's next up on the list?
Sarah Brubaker: Up next at Cumming, we're going to have a program on Saturday, January 13th that's called Is Film Photography for You? And this is presented by Chris Dant from the University of North Georgia who is from the Department of Visual Arts. So he's going to be talking about what is involved when you want to take pictures and the smartphone just isn't cutting it. You want to get back a little bit, you know, more classic with some cameras that actually do involve film – getting that developed. What supplies do you need in order to pursue that hobby? Is it going to be expensive, or can you kind of dabble? So we'll learn more about film photography next.
Ross Gericke: I love that everything old is new again.
Sarah Brubaker: Yeah.
Ross Gericke: So what's up next?
Sarah Brubaker: Then we have something I'm a little partial to, because I will be presenting, and that is The Beginner's Guide to Cosplay. This is going to be at Cumming on Saturday January 20th. And, I have been cosplaying for several years now and have made now over 20 costumes. I have now just won my 10th award for costuming in the cosplay contest circuit. So I'll be talking about what is involved in creating your own costumes mostly from scratch, but, of course, there's certainly a lot of people who do closet cosplay, and they put things together from their closet or from Amazon purchases. So I will be talking about how much time and money goes into that hobby, because it can be expensive.
Ross Gericke: Are you going to come dressed up?
Sarah Brubaker: Absolutely.
Ross Gericke: Oh, I can't wait. That's gonna be fun. What do we have after that?
Sarah Brubaker: Then we have the one program in our series that isn't exactly a lecture; rather, we are going to have our Craft Supply Swap Fair at Hampton Park, and that's going to be on Saturday, January 27th. And this is an opportunity for people who have craft supplies that they aren't using to come and bring those in to donate and then take some supplies. So, bring a little, take a little. And that way if you have a hobby that maybe you did not end up pursuing then you can bring those supplies and start something new, or you could just trade out your materials so that you can get something fresh.
Ross Gericke: And I know, since I'm over here at Hampton Park and have been involved in the planning a little bit, [that] you can actually come and bring your crafts early. So you can bring them in, pretty much at any point in January between January 2nd and January 25th, if you wanted to drop stuff off early and then come back on the 27th to do the swap. It's a great way, to like you said, maybe start a new hobby [or] get rid of an old hobby that didn't quite work out.
Sarah Brubaker: Yep, there is never any shame in swapping out what hobby you are focusing on year to year month to month week to week.
Ross Gericke: Absolutely, and we have one more program in this series, correct?
Sarah Brubaker: That's right. So the Atlanta Lace Group is going to be coming to the Post Road Library on Sunday, January 28th for our program Beautiful Bobbin Lace. Now, this is another everything-old-is-new-again kind of pursuit because these crafters have studied these techniques to create handmade lace. And it is a very delicate and detailed craft, very interesting to watch, and also can be daunting if you're interested in getting into it. So we have several experts who will be coming to give a demonstration and talk through what's involved.
Ross Gericke: That's a pretty cool mix of possible hobbies to get involved in this year.
Sarah Brubaker: That's right. And for anyone who's anticipating getting into something new we also have a digital resource here that is called Craft & Hobby. Very on the nose. And it's something that our library users can explore. And, it's through our website, and it has lots of videos and tutorials on a number of different hobbies, everything from sewing to cooking to photography. So several of the same things we will have programs on, but it gets to explore those in more depth. So if you are wanting to prepare for your New Year's resolution, that is something that you can explore as well.
Ross Gericke: Some great online resources you can use. So, Sarah, anything you've been reading recently that you've enjoyed?
Sarah Brubaker: Absolutely. I listen to audiobooks all the time. I'm driving a lot. And so, my most recent read was The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers. And this is a very futuristic science fiction – alien species, space travel, creating wormholes through space – all that good stuff, and I had a blast listening to that on audiobook.
Ross Gericke: Cool, that sounds like a fun one. I love science fiction, too. Well, thank you for coming on the podcast, Sarah.
Sarah Brubaker: Of course.
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