The folks at the LaFayette-Walker County Library admit they “stole” the idea from another library and it turned out to be a good one.

During the library’s summer reading club, a large, inflatable shark was placed inside the library and a challenge posted on Facebook: Sneak the shark out of the library, get a picture of yourself with it and return it -- without getting caught -- and you win a piece of candy.

Library manager Tim York says the challenge was a hit. “Quite a few kids were successful at it,” he says, but he admits that once in a while, staff turned a blind eye to a shark-napping.

“It had some surprising consequences, too,” says York. “A grandmother called to tell us that her granddaughter participated in one of the shark-nappings and spent the next week talking about nothing else. The family are regular patrons now.”

Making the library fun is something York and his staff like to do. Inside the library at the circulation desk stand two tall columns, each with a slot where people can return books. York will sometimes hide behind the column and as kids drop books into the chute, York will push them back out or sometimes pull them in suddenly, taking kids by surprise.

The LaFayette-Walker Library has a great variety of children’s programs, as one might expect of any public library, but York says it has much more to offer patrons than most people realize.

For instance, there’s the poster printer. The library can print posters up to 24 inches by 36 inches. There is a cost, but York says it’s much less than many other places. The library also offers copy, fax and scanning services at reasonable rates.

The library has computers people can use in-house and laptops, Chromebooks, Kindles and other devices people can borrow.

And what about people who are low-tech? The library might be able to help you. York says an elderly couple wishing to get married and told they must apply online was referred to the library for help. “It took us about two hours,” says York, “but we were able to get their application done so they could tie the knot.”

The library is also the location of various clubs: reading, knitting and crocheting, game night for adults, Legos, Pokemon, S.T.E.A.M. topics and more. There’s a weekly story hour for young children. There are study rooms and larger rooms for meetings.

York, who worked for 25 years with Family and Children Services and has been with the library for 14 years, says there’s never a dull moment at LaFayette-Walker. “Between our regulars, all the activities and new people showing up, you can’t get bored.”

Recently, he says, the library has been seeing people moving into the area from California, Texas, Florida, Virginia and other states. “One of the first things they do is find the public library and sign up for a card.”

One of the most popular services the library offers is audio and e-books. “A growing number of people,” says York, “want to read or listen to books on their devices. We are constantly trying to expand the titles and availability of these items for people.”

An upcoming purchase the library plans to make is a Cricut, a machine that can cut intricate patterns in a variety of materials. The library already has a die cut machine that cuts simple patterns from paper.

York says that in 2020 the LaFayette-Walker County Library won Georgia Library of the Year for being the first library in the state to restore in-person service and allow people to come inside as lockdowns kept much of the world closed. “We opened up three days a week. We masked and wore gloves and face shields and we disinfected key boards constantly, because people really needed to get out and back to a more normal life.”

The list of services the library offers could fill a book. In addition to all the things already mentioned here, there’s the genealogy room stock full of resources, a long list of creators spaces for the artistic and the techy, and the Georgia Library Service for the Blind & Print Disabled. Online students can take proctored exams at the library.

Tamara Wolk is a reporter for The Catoosa County News in Ringgold, Ga., and Walker County Messenger in LaFayette, Ga. 

To get a full picture of what the Lafayette-Walker Library has to offer, visit its website -- or go in person. Here’s some info to help.

305 S. Duke St., LaFayette, GA 30728

Website: https://www.chrl.org/lafayette-walker-county-public-library

Monday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Thursday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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