VALDOSTA – Georgia’s 62 library systems were recently represented in Valdosta for the first time at the spring public library directors meeting. 

The South Georgia Regional Library System hosted the conference at the Willis L. Miller Library Thursday through Friday. Pre-meetings took place Wednesday.

About 80 people registered for the event that gathered library staff and directors to collaborate on projects, according to organizers.

Wendy Cornelisen is the assistant state librarian for library innovation and collaboration at the Georgia Public Library Services.

“This is really a continuing education event for them and a chance to share the work that GPLS has been doing in the last few months and also hear from them, as well,” she said.

Meeting topics concerned strategic partnerships, personal values card sort, assault in the library and navigating public assistance after a disaster.

Faculty from Valdosta State University led a workshop that provided information on how to prepare new Georgia public librarians.

Cornelisen said VSU has the only library school in the state accredited by the American Library Association.

Directors presented librarian skills to university faculty and graduate students who have received a VSU library science degree.

“It’s really more of a visioning exercise around what the library school should be teaching the newest librarians, many of whom will be hired by these library directors,” Cornelisen said.

“We’re very happy to be able to facilitate that level of conversation between the people creating the new librarians and instructing librarians and also the people hiring librarians.”

Miguel Vicente, regional director for the South Georgia Regional Library, agreed the conference is a tool for directors to trade concepts and ideas to further the library system.

He said the meetings provide exposure for library systems in other areas.

“Most of the time, people think the library is just local. They don’t have an idea what is happening in other cities,” Vicente said.

“With this conference, they can see that the library is very strong here in Georgia and very strong in the nation.”

Cornelisen said there’s an economic impact for Valdosta in hosting this spring conference.

“We’re all staying at hotels. We’re all enjoying the wonderful restaurants that Valdosta has to offer; shopping opportunities downtown,” she said. “It’s been a lot of fun to really see what’s going on in Valdosta.”

The directors meeting is hosted three times per year and is a unit of the Board of Regents, University System of Georgia, according to organizers.