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As we transition from the excitement of our all-ages Summer Discovery challenge to the start of a new school year, our focus at Sequoyah Regional Library System shifts to supporting our students, educators, and lifelong learners. While you are busy checking off items on your school supply list, we encourage you to add one more essential tool: a library visit. Whether you need a quiet place to study, access to Chromebooks for a school project, or just a great "back-to-school" read, your local library is here to help you succeed this year. Explore some of SRLS’s many educational resources below and dive into learning! LearningExpress Library Complete LearningExpress Library Complete is a great resource for students and adults of all ages. It has tutorials and practice tests perfect for every stage of your education and career. Some of the tutorials this online learning platform has to offer include: Math and English language arts lessons for elementary and middle school students Guided SAT and ACT preparation courses Graduate school admissions exam preparation for the LSAT, MCAT, and more Career certification and licensing exam preparation for the Postal Worker exam, the Commercial Driver’s Licence (CDL) exam, and more The Job and Career Accelerator center, which includes lessons on resume building and job interview skills You can access the LearningExpress Library by clicking HERE. Mango Languages Say Hello! Bonjour! Jambo! Nǐ hǎo! Salām! to Mango Languages! Mango offers language learning lessons for over 70 different languages including Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, American Sign Language (ASL), Latin, and many more. Mango Language courses are designed using a conversation-based methodology, so each lesson you complete will help you build your conversation skills. As you work your way through each conversation, you’ll also be learning grammar, vocabulary, and information about the language’s cultural context. Other useful tools in Mango include: The “Compare your Voice” function, which lets you record your pronunciation and align it with the pronunciation of a native speaker Vocabulary flashcards A translation engine that will help translate text from one language to another Visit Mango Languages by clicking HERE. ABC Mouse Have fun learning with ABC Mouse Early Learning Academy! This online learning platform has tons of fun games and activities to help children with math, early literacy, art, music, and social studies skills. ABC Mouse is designed for open-ended exploration. Once you log in, you travel around the map to destinations like the zoo, the library, or the pet park. Each destination is filled with fun learning activities. There is so much to explore and discover! ABC Mouse can be accessed from any of our library computers. The next time you visit your local SRLS library, log on to one of our computers, and have fun playing and learning with ABC Mouse. Chromebooks & WiFi HotSpots Need to study on the go? You can check out a Chromebook Laptop or a WiFi HotSpot from our Library of Things! You can see all of the wonderful offerings in our Library of Things by clicking HERE. If you would like to learn more about borrowing one of our Chromebooks or WiFi HotSpots, contact your local library. We'll be happy to help! Books! And last, but never least: books! When you want to learn something new, explore our collection of books. Our books can help you answer your research questions, satisfy your curiosity, or inspire your next creative adventure. Whatever you’re interested in, there’s a book for that! We’re here to help you find that book. You can start searching for your next great book in our CATALOG. These are just a few of the educational resources we offer at Sequoyah Regional Library System. Find even more in our E-Library. Happy learning!

Sequoyah Regional Library System is proud to announce no-cost access to Google Career Certificates and the Google AI Professional Certificate for cardholders, made available through a partnership between Georgia Public Library Service and Google. These courses will help Georgians build essential job skills in high-growth fields, including flexible, online training to support career advancement and business growth. The Google Career Certificates program enables users to earn professional certificates in areas such as AI, cybersecurity, data analytics, digital marketing and e-commerce, IT Support, project management, and user experience (UX) design. Individuals can secure their free license by completing a registration form on the Georgia Public Library Service website, georgialibraries.org/grow-with-google, which can be accessed directly or through their local library's page. Patrons will be able to check out licenses for up to six months at a time, allowing them to learn at their own pace. Central to this initiative is the Google AI Professional Certificate, which will teach users fluency in foundational AI skills, best practices, and how to use AI responsibly. Learners will move beyond the basics with hands-on practice, gaining the in-demand skills and confidence to apply AI. After completing the course, patrons will earn a certificate from Google to share with their network. The program includes a consortium of over 150 national employers, including AT&T, Deloitte, and Google, that consider graduates from these courses for roles in the certificate fields. According to a 2025 course graduate survey, over 70% of Google Career Certificate graduates in the United States report an improvement in their career trajectory, such as a new job or career, promotion, or raise, within six months of certificate completion. Learn more at georgialibraries.org/grow-with-google.

Sequoyah Regional Library System's current Strategic Plan is coming to an end and we're seeking community input to help create our new one. While the current Strategic Plan was for 2022 through 2026, the new Strategic Plan will be for 2027-2031. SRLS invites all community members, with and without SRLS library cards, to stop by at our upcoming Drop-In Community Input Events. Attendees will move through different stations of information at their own pace, with staff present at each station to help answer questions. Event Dates & Times August 1, 10:00am - 12:00pm | Pickens County Library August 1, 2:00pm - 4:00pm | Gilmer County Library August 4, 5:00pm - 7:00pm | Gilmer County Library August 6, 5:00pm - 7:00pm | Woodstock Public Library August 8, 10:00am - 12:00pm | R.T. Jones Memorial Library August 11, 5:30pm - 7:30pm | Pickens County Library

Pickens County Library Branch Manager Katie Dobson (center) helps bury the America250 Time Capsule. On Wednesday, July 1, Pickens County Library Branch Manager Katie Dobson participated in the City of Jasper America250 Time Capsule Burial at Perrow Park in Downtown Jasper. The time capsule was filled with items from local organizations, including Sequoyah Regional Library System. SRLS contributed one of our limited edition America250 library cards and a rack card detailing the America250 celebrations at the library. Other participating organizations include the Sequoyah Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Jasper Lions Club, Keep Pickens Beautiful, the Pickens Progress, the Rotary Club of Jasper, Pickens County Schools, and many more. The time capsule will be re-opened in 2076 for the USA's Tricentennial anniversary.

Have you ever wanted to participate in one of Sequoyah Regional Library System's reading challenges but didn't know where to start? You're in the right place! In this blog, we'll introduce you to the Beanstack App, guide you through the steps of creating an account, and share some extra tips that even regular Beanstack users may not know. Tip: Interested in learning more about Beanstack with a SRLS staff member? Schedule an Ask Us! session for one-on-one assistance in person, by phone or email, or through a virtual meeting. What is Beanstack? Beanstack is an app that lets you track what you're reading and earn badges along the way through reading challenges provided by your library. At Sequoyah Regional Library System, we have multiple challenges for community members to participate in, such as: Summer Discovery Challenge Winter Literacy Challenge Seasonal Challenges Beanstack Basics and more! How do I create an account? Download the App To get started, you'll need to download the free Beanstack app. You can download the app by clicking the button below or by searching "Beanstack" in the app store of your preferred device. Signing Up Once downloaded, you'll need to create an account. To get started, first select "Find your school or library" In the search bar, type "Sequoyah Regional Library" and hit enter. Then, select "Sequoyah Regional Library (GA)" to set SRLS as your home library. Once selected, Beanstack will ask if you already have an account. If this is your first time with Beanstack, select "Sign Up" at the bottom. Next, you will be asked if you have previously used Beanstack to participate in a reading challenge. If you have not, select "no." If you're unsure, you can call any SRLS location for assistance. Now it's time to sign up! You'll need the following information to continue: Username Email Password Lastly, you'll need to enter your first and last name. Congratulations! You now have an account in the Beanstack app. Next, you'll need to create a reader profile. You can create a profile for yourself or for another reader, such as a child. How do I create a reader profile? Once your account is created, you'll need to add a reader profile to register for one of our many reading challenges. To create a reader profile, you'll need to enter the reader's first name, last name, and age. Next, you'll need to choose your local area. Your local area is the county that you live in. For SRLS, the local areas you can choose from are: Cherokee County Pickens County Gilmer County Out of Service Area Once you choose your local area, you have the option to upload a profile picture to your reader profile. This is completely optional and can be updated later in settings. Next, you can add your reader's school information. If this profile is for an adult, you will select "Adult." This information is completely private and will not appear publicly on your profile. SRLS only shares the total number of readers registered for each school, never the readers' names or private information. For each reader profile, you can choose your home branch. Your home branch is your preferred SRLS location. Our locations include: Rose Creek Public Library Woodstock Public Library Hickory Flat Public Library R.T. Jones Memorial Library Ball Ground Public Library Pickens County Library Gilmer County Library Next, you can choose whether or not you want this reader to receive weekly book recommendations. To complete your reader profile, register for one of our reading challenges. You can scroll through this page to select the challenge you'd like to begin with. Some challenges have set start and end dates, while others can be completed at anytime. Tip: Register for our Beanstack Basics Challenge to continue getting to know the platform. Once you've registered for a challenge, your Reader Profile is complete! From here, you can add additional Reader Profiles or continue to the homepage by selecting "I'm done adding readers." What can I do in Beanstack? Once your Reader Profile is complete, you're officially ready to explore all that Beanstack has to offer! On the homepage, you can see the following: Your Reading Streak Your Current Challenges Recent Titles You've Logged Badges You've Earned Reviews You've Written Your Reading Stats On the Log tab, you can view your reading log dates, titles you've read, badges you've earned, and achievements. On the Discover tab, you can explore all of the reading challenges currently available. Tip: You can register for multiple challenges at one time! By clicking the "plus" icon on the bottom of the screen, you can quickly log your reading, an activity, or add a review. When logging reading, you can search for a specific title to log or log without one. If a reading challenge that you're registered for includes a reading list, you can quickly view those titles under "Reading List Challenges." Under the community tab, you can quickly see information from your library and your friends. In Beanstack, you can also add your friends! You and your friends can compete in your own leaderboard to see who reads the most. How can I earn badges and prizes? Each challenge in Beanstack includes the opportunity to complete different activities to earn digital badges. Some challenges also provide the opportunity to win prizes. There are two different ways that community members can win prizes: Registration Prizes: Some challenges include prizes just for registering. These prizes are available while supplies last. If a challenge features a registration prize, Beanstack will notify you that you've earned a prize once you've registered and that you can visit your home SRLS location to pick it up at a given time. Not every challenge features a registration prize. Prize Drawings: Some challenges include prize drawings. For these challenges, you will receive a digital ticket that you can allocate toward any listed prize for each digital badge you earn. You can spend your tickets on one prize or split them among different prizes. All tickets earned must be allocated toward a prize / different prizes before the challenge ends.

Discover new adventures in Cherokee County when you check out an experience pass from Sequoyah Regional Library System! Experience passes allow community members admission to local attractions at no cost. Enjoy the arts and explore our local history with three available Experience Passes to Cherokee County locations! Woodstock Arts Experience Pass This pass serves as a ticket to admit up to 4 persons into a Woodstock Arts theatre production at no cost. There is so much to enjoy this year at the Woodstock Arts Theatre! Check out a Woodstock Arts Experience Pass this summer to see upcoming productions of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Musical (June 10 - June 24) and Annie (July 10 - July 26). Visit their website here to see their entire season. Funk Heritage Center Experience Pass This pass serves as a ticket to admit up to 4 persons into the Funk Heritage Center at no cost. Take a day trip to Waleska and visit the Funk Heritage Center, located on the beautiful Reinhardt University campus. The Funk Heritage Center is Georgia’s Official Frontier and Southeastern Indian Interpretive Center, and a certified National Park Service Trail of Tears Interpretive Site. With a Funk Heritage Center Experience Pass, explore the galleries of art and artefacts to discover what life was like for our ancestors, both in ancient times and in the more recent past. Learn more about the Funk Heritage Center here. While there, stop by our Sequoyah Spot at Reinhardt University's Hill Freeman Library to check out books, return SRLS materials, and more! Learn more about our Reinhardt University Sequoyah Spot here. History Cherokee Museum Experience Pass This pass serves as a ticket to admit up to 4 persons into the History Cherokee Museum at no cost. Celebrate America250 by learning more about our local history at the History Cherokee Museum in Downtown Canton. Enjoy the outdoor Etowah River Exhibit and the Sculpture Garden, then explore the detailed galleries inside. Each gallery is full of artefacts, and together they span centuries of life in Cherokee County, from ancient times to the present day. Find out more about the History Cherokee Museum here. Check out our full list of Experience Passes, including ones to the Center for Puppetry Arts and Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites, on our website: sequoyahregionallibrary.org/experience-passes

Young readers and their families celebrated their early literacy accomplishments at the annual Sequoyah Regional Library System 1000 Books Before Kindergarten Graduation and Celebration ceremony on May 19, 2026. The 1000 Books Before Kindergarten initiative supports young readers and their families in fostering a love for reading at an early age. Those who succeed in reading 1000 books before starting kindergarten are celebrated at the annual 1000 Books Before Kindergarten graduation. In past years, the graduation was held in the community room of R.T. Jones Memorial Library. With the program's success and continued growth, the 2026 graduation was held at the Ball Ground Elementary School STEM Academy cafeteria to accommodate more graduates and their families. "We really appreciate everything the library does to encourage reading for kids" said one family member in attendance. "It's really special to see." Community members in Cherokee, Pickens, and Gilmer counties can join the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten Challenge on the Beanstack app at any time. The challenge is available at no-cost with a SRLS library card.

Sequoyah Regional Library System has received a $250 donation from State Representative Rick Jasperse to support prizes for the Slice of Summer Challenge. The Slice of Summer Challenge encourages community members to read for 30 minutes every day during the month of May for the chance to win a $10 gift card to a local pizza restaurant. With the $250 donation from Representative Jasperse, SRLS has purchased 10 $10 gift cards from Night Train Pizza in Marble Hill and 15 $10 gift cards from Pappas Pizza House in Jasper. “We're incredibly grateful for this generous donation from Representative Jasperse,” says Angela Cortellino, Executive Director of SRLS. “It allows us to expand our reading program to more community members, expanding our impact. Support like this makes a real difference”. Additional prizes for the challenge include $10 gift cards to Pizza King (Ellijay), Peace, Love, and Pizza (Woodstock), and Primo’s Pizza & Italian Kitchen (Woodstock). Community members can join the challenge through the free Beanstack app by registering with a SRLS library card.

The Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce Education Committee, in partnership with Coosa Valley Credit Union, has donated $1,000 to Sequoyah Regional Library System in recognition of retiring educators from the Cherokee County School District. The donation will be used to purchase materials for the library locations in Cherokee county.

By Cat M., Youth Services Specialist - Ball Ground Public Library For many folks, finding delight at your job feels akin to finding a needle in a haystack. But as I approach my seventh (seventh?!) summer as an SRLS staff member, I can confidently say that I get to see joy happening around me at work everyday. But you don’t have to take my admittedly-biased word for it. Our library system has its own feedback tool called Sequoyah Stories, where patrons can share their positive experiences with us. Here are just a few stories from our community about how the library has made a joyful impact in their lives: “The community events it hosts really helped me feel better oriented in Woodstock as a place to live - felt much less isolated and a comfortable entry point into meeting new people. The library of things that it offers is pretty spectacular, and a really useful concept to support its community members. The events they plan help me get out of the house since I work from home.” Jenny, Woodstock “It has become like a second home for my daughter & I. We love to spend our days here. I take my daughter here weekly, it truly has become a home away from home for us. We love the story times and just coming to enjoy the library itself.” Julie, Rose Creek “I can research local history and feel connected to my community in new ways. I love how friendly and helpful the librarians are!” Adrienne, R.T. Jones “The library is a place for me to come and find a quiet place to escape the noise of the world and be surrounded by books. Also a place to bring my daughter and let her enjoy the love of books and be entertained with all the activities they have for children.” Lucas, R.T. Jones If you have your own Sequoyah Story, we’d love to hear from you! You can share your story here. If you haven’t had the opportunity to take advantage of the good things happening at the library lately, we invite you to join us today for a joyful adventure. Having fun isn’t hard when you have your library card!

By Alayna N., Collection Services Assistant This National Library Week show your library love by checking out one or more of these titles all about the joy and magic of libraries. For Kids I’m So Happy You’re Here: A Celebration of Library Joy By Mychal Threets Illustrated by Lorraine Nam Mychal Threets – “The Internet’s Librarian” and the host of the newly relaunched Reading Rainbow – takes you on a tour of the library: a place packed with activities, games, books and more; a place filled with stories; a place where everyone is welcome. Perfect for introducing your little one to the library. Waiting for the Biblioburro / Esperando el Biblioburro (Spanish-English bilingual edition) By Monica Brown Translated by Adriana Domínguez Illustrated by John Parra The Biblioburro is coming! And Ana is so excited. She looks forward to every visit from the librarian and his two donkeys, Alfa and Beto. She knows each visit will bring reading lessons, storytime, and loads and loads of books that the children can borrow. Based on the life and work of the Colombian librarian Luis Soriano. Perfect for sharing and celebrating the love of reading. Library Lion By Michelle Knudsen Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes Miss Merriwether, the librarian, loves rules. She insists that everyone who visits the library must follow the rules. But what will she do when a lion visits the library? Read this heartwarming classic to find out. Perfect for young animal lovers. For Teens Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library By Chris Grabenstein First in a series Twelve lucky children win the chance to stay overnight in the town’s new library, designed by world famous gamemaker Luigi Lemoncello. But in the morning, when they try to leave, they discover all the doors are locked! In order to escape, they’ll have to work together to solve the puzzles and beat Mr. Lemoncello’s game. Perfect for middle school readers who love puzzles and games.  Voices By Ursula K. Le Guin Seventeen years ago, invaders from Ald took control of the city of Ansul, destroyed every book they could find, and made possession of the written word punishable by death. But there is still one hidden library, and Memer and her guardian are its protectors. And when the poet Orric and his wife Gry come to Ansul, Memer begins to hope that maybe, at last, her homeland can be freed from its oppressors.  Perfect for high schoolers who enjoy dystopian fiction Ink and Bone By Rachel Caine First in a series In Caine’s alternate history, the Great Library of Alexandria never fell. Instead it has grown to become a powerful force that governs the world and holds absolute control over knowledge and information. Jess Brightwell comes from a family of smugglers who trade books on the black market. It’s a dangerous life, one that Jess wants to escape. So when his father enrolls him at the Great Library’s training academy, he agrees to become the family’s spy. Perfect for high schoolers  looking for a page-turning fantasy series.  For Adults The Book That Wouldn’t Burn By Mark Lawrence First in a series At the center of Crath City stands an ancient and mysterious library. Its endless shelves contain all of the knowledge of the ages…if you can find the right book. Livira, an apprentice librarian, is looking for the knowledge that will save her people. Evar is just looking for a way out. He has been lost in the vast library for generations, trapped within the Mechanism, a device that can bring any book to life. But when the two meet and begin to work together, they realize their problems are only just beginning. Perfect for fans of epic fantasy that immerses you in another world and its mysteries. The Library Book By Susan Orlean This book is part true crime story, part love letter, and completely fascinating. In 1986 the Los Angeles Public Library burned for more than seven hours. The fire reached 2000 degrees. More than one million books were damaged or destroyed. Thirty years later, the mystery of the fire still hasn’t been solved. Orlean takes the reader with her through all the ins and outs of the investigation. Along the way she also shows how the Los Angeles Public Library and libraries across the country have been and continue to be such beloved parts of our communities.  Perfect for readers who love unputdownable non-fiction like that by David Grann or Erik Larson. The Book of Form and Emptiness By Ruth Ozeki One year ago Benny Oh’s father died, and now Benny has started hearing voices. At first the voices only come from objects in his house. But soon he hears these voices outside in the street, at school, everywhere. So Benny goes to the library, where the objects at least are polite and speak quietly. And it’s here at the library that he meets his very own Book, a talking book that begins to narrate Benny’s life.  Perfect for literary fiction fans who want a book that engages their hearts and their heads. Want more book recommendations from SRLS staff members? Fill out our What to Read Next form for personalized book recommendations tailored to your tastes: bit.ly/SRLS-WhatToReadNext

It’s National Library Workers’ Day! From shelving your favorite books to planning no cost community events, your SRLS staff love connecting our community with opportunities to explore, learn, and create. Hear from some of our staff members about what they love about serving their community at the library! What is your favorite part of working at the library? “I love seeing all the library visitors who come from such different backgrounds and helping them find what they were seeking when they came to the library.” Joey, Woodstock Public Library Branch Manager “Being able to help individuals and provide accessible information/resources.” Lizzy, R.T. Jones Memorial Library Service Associate “Promoting literacy and lifelong learning.” Kelly, Ball Ground Public Library Public Services Specialist “Getting to teach people new things and provide them with resources they didn't have before.” Charlotte, Pickens County Library Public Services Specialist “I love helping people use services that make their lives easier and more successful, including maintaining the library as a comfortable third space for them to spend time in.” Sky, Hickory Flat Public Library Service Associate “I enjoy my job because it gives me insight into how to support parents in fostering a love of reading in their children.” Sharon, Gilmer County Library Youth Service Specialist “My favorite part of working at the library is being involved in the local community as well as learning more about it, my coworkers and patrons, and being around books all the time!” Maia, R.T. Jones Memorial Library Service Associate “My favorite part of working at the library is sharing resources with our community! It's the best.” Cory, SRLS Programming Manager What is something surprising about libraries that community members may not know? “People may be surprised to learn about our What to Read Next service. We love to give book recommendations on the fly, but this service lets us take a little extra time to find just the right books.” Joey, Woodstock Public Library Branch Manager “I think in general the things we have at our Library of Things are surprising. People are always surprised when I tell them they can check out sewing machines and stud finders .” Nimra, Hickory Flat Public Library Service Associate “Community members may not know that patrons can check out hotspots and laptops .” Lizzy, R.T. Jones Memorial Library Service Associate “Our E-Library Resources . ” Kelly, Ball Ground Public Library Public Services Specialist “The library of things is an amazing resource, and it always surprises people what they can check out from the library, including a tool kit and stud finder .” Charlotte, Pickens County Library Public Services Specialist “At SRLS, patrons can use two different apps ( Libby and The Palace Project ) to check out ebooks and downloadable audiobooks that are accessible from their devices.” Sky, Hickory Flat Public Library Service Associate “Over the years, many parents have been surprised to learn that the library offers so many free resources .” Sharon, Gilmer County Library Youth Service Specialist “A lot of patrons don't know about the extensive services they have access to because of their card, such as Mango , Novelist , access to genealogical records , and the experience passes are just a few that I've shared with patrons.” Maia, R.T. Jones Memorial Library Service Associate “While we will always encourage you to get a library card, you don't need a library card to participate in our programs --they're free and open to the public. From paint-alongs and trivia to crafts and workshops, there's something for everyone at the library!” Cory, SRLS Programming Manager