| Support Libraries | Our Services and Programs
Georgia Library Public Information Network for Electronic Services (PINES)
PINES is the public library automation and lending network for more than 300 public libraries and service outlets in 146 counties. PINES serves patrons in all 159 Georgia counties, creating a statewide borderless library that provides equal access to information for all residents. Georgians who hold PINES library cards have access to a shared collection of more than 11 million materials that can be delivered to their home libraries free of charge.
Youth Services and Family Literacy
Georgia Public Library Service coordinates the annual statewide Summer Reading Program to encourage children and families to read during school vacations; this program is critical to prevent summer learning loss. Libraries also host literacy-based activities, and children receive rewards for achieving reading goals. About 1.7 million children and young adults attend at least one of the 48,000 programs designed for and offered to them by Georgia’s public libraries throughout the year.
Georgia Library Learning Online (GALILEO)
Georgia Public Library Service ensures that all Georgia public libraries and their patrons have access to GALILEO, the state’s virtual library that provides online access to thousands of periodicals, journals, books, business directories and government publications. Library users also can access many resources at home or wherever they have an internet connection.
Georgia Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (GLS)
GLS is the statewide network that provides library services for the blind and those whose physical abilities require materials in digital audio formats or in braille. GLS serves Georgia residents through a central library, a subregional library and a distribution center. Library users who are not able to visit one of the libraries in person may obtain talking books and other materials through the mail free of charge.
At a Glance (FY23)
Professional Consulting, Training and Facilities Support
Georgia Public Library Service provides a broad range of consulting services and technical assistance to libraries, such as resource sharing, outreach support and long-term facilities planning. Services also include professional consulting to library boards of trustees, assistance with recruitment and hiring of library administrators and leadership in advocacy and governmental relations. The agency also offers a diverse menu of training and continuing education courses for Georgia’s library professionals, from integrating technology into library services to techniques for attracting more teen readers.
Georgia Public Library Service administers more than $36.3 million in state and federal grant funds to public library systems and GLASS and for the support of other statewide activities. Grants support salaries and travel for professional librarians, the purchase of books and materials, the maintenance and operation of facilities and the purchase and development of technology systems for library staff and users.
Computer Networking and Technical Support
Georgia Public Library Service provides consulting services to assist libraries in the evaluation and selection of telecommunications vendors for the procurement of broadband services and helps to identify and negotiate with local vendors and provide technical support and E-rate application assistance. Georgia Public Library Service funds the non-E-rated portion of ongoing broadband costs to each library system, ensuring that citizens in all Georgia communities have access to online services and wireless Internet connectivity at their local library. In addition to email and Web hosting, Georgia Public Library Service also assists libraries with technical support for network, equipment and software technology and provides a range of training programs.
Every day, libraries in communities across Georgia are transforming lives as they offer opportunities for people to build new job skills, pursue degrees, stay active, learn to read, meet friends, and much more. Our annual Georgia Public Library Awards honor the outstanding service and achievements of Georgia’s public libraries, librarians and advocates.
Statewide Available Digital Resources
Build confidence and reading skills, and have fun, with eRead Kids, a new digital library available through all public libraries in the state. Young readers have access to almost 15,000 electronic and audio books.
Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative (ELI)
Entrepreneurial Mindset Training is an online, self-paced course focused on the attitudes and thinking that lead to entrepreneurial success.
Mango Languages is an online language-learning system teaching conversation skills for a wide variety of languages, such as Spanish, French, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, German, Mandarin Chinese, Greek, Italian, Russian, and more.
LearningExpress Library is an interactive online learning platform featuring over 770 practice tests, tutorials, and eBooks related to job search and workplace skills improvement, career certification and licensing exam preparation, college entrance and graduate school admissions exam preparation, GED exam preparation, and basic skills improvement in reading, writing, and math, for all ages. You’ll get immediate scoring, complete answer explanations, and an individualized analysis of your results.
LearningExpress Job & Career Accelerator™ provides personalized, step-by-step job search assistance – from exploring and matching suitable occupations from over 1,000 detailed occupation profiles to finding available jobs from a database of over 5 million up-to-date job postings. With Job & Career Accelerator, you can easily create professional and effective resumes and cover letters, master interviewing and networking techniques, improve your work skills, and prepare for occupation-related exams. It also helps you plan, tailor, and track your progress for multiple job searches while providing expert advice and tips at every step of the way.
HeritageQuest Online offers a collection of genealogical and historical sources – with coverage dating back to the 1700s – that can help people find their ancestors and discover a place’s past. It offers primary sources, local and family histories, and finding aids.
Gale LegalForms helps patrons understand common legal procedures through access to authentic, professional legal documents for businesses and it is the only electronic reference to offer legal forms that are truly state-specific. Useful for filing patents and trademarks, developing leases, creating bills of sale, delegating power of attorney, and more, these forms are ideal for supporting legal tasks that business owners need to manage. The forms in Gale LegalForms are drafted by attorneys.
