Norcross Branch Manager Joshua Beasley, leading one of 15 Gwinnett County Public Library locations, shared updates on the city’s centrally located media center at an Aug. 26 PDC community forum.
Beasley said the Norcross Branch will celebrate its fifth anniversary in late October with a carnival-style festival at 5735 Buford Highway, next to Lillian Webb Park.
“We’re one of the busier access locations,” Beasley said. “Some days when I get there at 8:45 a.m., the building’s been open to people, and there are 30 to 40 people in it. We’ve had a lot of success … we check out about 100,00 books a year.”
Technology at the library
Beasley has been with the county library system for 17 years, earning a spot in the Historical Preservation Hall of Fame for his work on Gwinnett’s bicentennial anniversary and other educational projects. He is a Duluth native with a master’s degree in library and information science from Valdosta State University,
“We get walk-ins, about 250,000 people going into the building every year,” Bealsey said. “Programs, books, there’s a place to hang out, use our computers, what have you.”
Residents can rent gathering spots and learning labs at the Norcross Branch, including two study areas and a 120-person meeting room.
“My favorite room is the Makerspace Room,” Beasley said. “It’s got sewing machines; it’s got 3-D printers … Cricut [cutting machines] … soldering iron … heating press. We’ve had a lot of successful people coming in and using that. Especially that 3-D printer, I’m amazed at what people can do with that.”
Other rooms available for reservation include a podcast studio, gaming space, video recording studio with a green screen, and several meeting spots.
“If you don’t know how to use any of the equipment, we have a form called Book-A-Librarian,” Beasley said. “One of our specialists will sit with you and teach you … if you need to come in and learn about any skill set, the library might be able to help you.”
Gwinnett library system
Gwinnett County cut the ribbon on the library system’s new Norcross Branch between the city’s downtown park and Buford Highway (SR 13) in October 2021, relocating it from the corner of Stevens Road after about 50 years.
Mayor Craig Newton mentioned the city’s old library on Sept. 1 while celebrating the new Norcross Public Safety Building, which was built on the same site.
Terry Preston, newly named community engagement manager at Gwinnett County Public Libraries, said Norcross residents need to take advantage of the local branch because “they can go away.”
Preston, a former library volunteer, mentioned the county’s $325,000 grant from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation to teach English as a Second Language classes to adult learners and parents of public school students.
“When they learn English, they can better advocate for themselves [and] their children,” she said. “It’s a free program. Out of 14,000 [grant] responses, only 11 public libraries were chosen, which is a big deal to us.”
Other educational opportunities include an 18-month, non-GED diploma program, student mentoring and business development, senior activities, a host of early learning programs.
“There’s so much power in having a library card,” Preston said. “A library is a great place to meet people.”
