The public is invited to attend the ceremony dedicating the Hattie Gaines Wilson Youth Services Department at the Central Library on Saturday, February 9 at 1 p.m.

A leading figure for expanding library services to the African American community of Marietta and Cobb County, Mrs. Wilson served for 33 years as the branch manager of the library in the Fort Hill community located near the Marietta Square. The library, which was founded as a branch of the Marietta city library in 1947, was added to the Cobb library system in 1959. Mrs. Wilson was also a longtime volunteer for the Red Cross, PTA, Boys and Girls Scouts, and other organizations.

Mrs. Wilson led the library from 1951 to her retirement in 1984. She died in 2001, four years after the library she loved was renamed in her honor. The Hattie G. Wilson Library closed in January after the closing of the Fort Hill Homes.

The Cobb County Public Library System is honoring the contributions and legacies of African Americans throughout history with several events in February. All events are free and open to the public.

Other events include:

African American History Month Film Festival: Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella kicks off the African American History Month Film Festival at West Cobb Regional Library, February 2 at 3 p.m.

Film Screening: The first movie in Central Library's African American Heritage Month film series is Cabin in the Sky, showing Monday, February 4 at 5:30 p.m. A Broadway musical adaptation released in 1943, the film features an all African American cast, including Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Lena Horne and Ethel Waters.

Discover Georgia's African American History: Tuesday, February 7 at Powder Springs Library, 4 p.m. Explore history through stories, film, and art. Families are encouraged to attend together. Registration required. For more information, please call (770) 439-3600.

Our Nation is a Rainbow: Vinings Library presents a special program for young people ages 5 and up on our similarities and differences Tuesday, February 19 at 4 p.m. The program will feature stories and songs, and making a craft to take home. For information, please call (770) 801-5803.

Celebrate African American History Month: A special program at East Cobb Library for youths ages 3 and up is slated for Wednesday, February 27 at 3:30 p.m. The program will include African American folktales and stories, songs, a short film, and a craft. For information, please call (770) 509-2730.

Information on African American History programs at the library is posted on the library's web site. Click here to learn more.

Librarian Carolyn Crawford was recently recognized by the Cobb Landmarks and Historical Society for the outstanding service she provides to the community. Carolyn has overseen the Georgia Room at the Central Library for many years, and she is an expert in genealogy and local history.

We are proud of Carolyn and of the dedicated service she has provided to the community. Congratulations, Carolyn!

Various CCPLS offer introductory classes on using computers, downloading e-books, creating e-mail accounts, and more throughout the year. Registration is required, unless otherwise noted, and space is limited.

 Here are some of the classes in the February lineup:

• Wednesday, February 6: Free e-Books from Overdrive, 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., East Cobb Library. Requires valid library card number and PIN number, USB cords for eReaders, and Kindle users will need Amazon account information (email and password). Please register online or by calling (770) 509-2730. 
•  Tuesday, February 12: Computer Basics, 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., South Cobb Regional Library. Registration is required; register online or call (678) 398-5828.  
• Friday, February 15, Microsoft Word for Beginners, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., Central Library. Registration is required; please register by calling (770) 528-2320.
• Saturday, February 23: Downloading e-books to your Kindle , 11 a.m. to noon, Mountain View Regional Library. Registration is required and space is limited; for more information or to register, please call (770) 509-2725.
• Saturday, February 23: Download e-books to your Nook, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., Mountain View Regional Library. Registration is required and space is limited.
• Saturday, February 23, Downloading e-books to your iPad, 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., Mountain View Regional Library. Registration is required and space is limited.

Members of the Cobb County Public Library System's Board of Trustees recently elected a new Chair, Jim Croft, after the departure of long-time Board member Charles Switzer. Jim Croft is president of the architecture and planning firm Croft & Associates and is an active member of the Cobb community.

The Board also welcomed a new member at their recent meeting: Ellen Springer, who is a resident of Kennesaw and an author, educator, consultant, and president of the accounting firm Springer & Cobb, CPA. 

In January, the Sweetwater Valley Library hosted the exhibit In Her Father's Eyes, courtesy of the Kennesaw State University's Museum of History and Holocaust Education.   The exhibit told the story the short life of Kitty Weicherz, a Czechoslovakian girl who was born the same year as Anne Frank.  Thirteen year-old Kitty and her immediate family were deported to Auschwitz in 1942 but did not survive the camp.  Kitty's father kept a detailed and loving diary of their short lives.  The diary was rescued by her Aunt and is the basis of the powerful and poignant portrayal of daily life in Europe on the eve of Hitler's Final Solution.

The display consisted of eight free-standing fabric panels each 7' by 4', placed along the library's exterior glass wall, making it visible to all visitors to Austell's historic Threadmill.  In conjunction with the exhibit, the library created several displays to help customers of all ages gain a deeper understanding of the Holocaust.

The Sweetwater Valley Library is located in the Threadmill Mall Complex at 5000 Austell-Powder Springs Road, Suite 123, Austell, GA 30106. The library will be hosting a second Kennesaw State University Museum of History and Holocaust Education display in May highlighting the Tuskegee Airmen; this exhibit is currently on display at the East Cobb Library through February. 

 For more information about the Sweetwater Valley Library, please call (770) 819-3290.