Did you know that National Library Week is April 3 – 9 this year? In fact, the American Library Association (ALA) sponsors the week of recognition encouraging community members to celebrate their library workers and spread the importance of these literary institutions.
With libraries being a central location for community members to gather, learn, and explore new cultures, ideas, stories, and more, it’s essential that they’re accessible for every individual—including those who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind, or have difficulty speaking.
In October 2021, our outreach coordinator, Brendan Underwood, connected with the Cobb County Public Library to organize an in-person Georgia Relay presentation for the managers of 15 branches in the county. The library’s leadership recognized the need for more accessible telecommunications and wanted to learn about Georgia Relay Partner—a free program that provides organizations of all sizes with the training and marketing materials needed to answer and receive Relay calls with confidence.
During the event, Brendan shared vital information with the library staff about how Georgia Relay makes communicating by telephone easy, accessible, and reliable for everyone with a variety of telecommunications services and solutions. “It was a true pleasure to give an in-person presentation with the managers within the system,” shares Brendan. “This was one of my only in-person presentations in 2021, and I thoroughly enjoyed giving it.”
Renaté Elliott, Accessibility Services Supervisor at Cobb County Public Library, complimented Brendan after the presentation, sharing how much she enjoyed it. “She told me, it seemed like you were having fun and, in your element, so I appreciated that positive feedback,” says Brendan.
After the first in-person presentation, Brendan also conducted a series of four webinar presentations on January 13 and 14, 2022. Those four webinars were attended by 41 people, with an additional 30 participants from the in-person presentation in October 2021. From feedback and post-webinar surveys, attendees shared that they found the information useful and had some great follow-up questions about Relay services.
Once all of the presentations were completed, Brendan was then able to conduct test calls with the Cobb County Public Library staff as the final step in becoming a Georgia Relay Partner.
Want to connect with a Georgia Relay Partner? Access our Online Partner Directory now!
