Governor proclaims March 10 'Georgia Library Day'
GPLS News, April 2010
From left: Carol Stanley; Judy Serritella, coordinator of library media services for the Georgia Department of Education; and Dr. Lamar Veatch accept Gov. Sonny Perdue's Georgia Library Day proclamation.
On the heels of a two-week postponement due to a legislative break, nearly 150 library advocates braved a series of morning downpours March 10 to voice their love for and support of libraries with members of the Georgia General Assembly.
With Georgia Library Day originally scheduled for Feb. 25, the event's sponsors -- Georgia Library Association (GLA), Georgia Association for Instructional Technology, Georgia Library Media Association and Georgia Public Library Service -- had to scramble for a makeup date when the General Assembly adjourned Feb. 18 and began a two-week break from the legislative session to work on balancing the Fiscal Year 2011 budget.
All worked out in the end, however, with even Gov. Sonny Perdue joining in the festivities by signing a proclamation declaring March 10 Georgia Library Day. State Librarian Dr. Lamar Veatch formally accepted the proclamation from the governor at 11:00 a.m. in the Capitol.
A number of speakers addressed the crowd, including Sen. Jack Hill (D-Reidsville), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Sen. Seth Harp (R-Midland), chairman of the Senate Higher Education Committee.
"With good libraries, we can do anything," Harp said, as he explained Georgia's need to build and maintain a highly educated work force. "We compete with the world, and an educated Georgia is the linchpin in our future success. Libraries are critically important as a source of knowledge, and knowledge is power."
Following the morning presentations, attendees visited the state Capitol to speak with elected officials, then returned to the Floyd Building for lunch with their legislators. According to Carol Stanley, president of GLA, the sponsoring organizations hoped to convince legislators of the need to maintain FY2009 budget levels for the state's public libraries and to recognize all types of libraries and the value of their combined services to all citizens.
"We have wonderful advocates across the state," said Veatch, "and their presence at Georgia Library Day this year, especially in light of tight budgets and troubling economic times, made a powerful statement to our elected officials that Georgia's citizens believe in the value of their libraries."
