Dade County Public Library manager Marshana Sharp, left, Tasha Denton, seated center, and April Tinker assist visitors Friday afternoon at the front desk in Trenton, Ga. When Molly Burick's two children stepped through the doors of the Dade County Library on Friday, 7-year-old Ellie made her way to a bookcase to pick out the next "Magic Tree House" book she wanted to read, and 4-year-old RJ made a beeline for a tub of Legos in the back.
Burick has been bringing her kids to the library in Trenton, Ga., for years. They read books, pick out movies and play with the iPads or toys while Burick works or joins them in the dozens of programs the library puts together for the community.
"We've even gotten help signing up for health insurance here," Burick said.
The library offers a wide variety of services and resources, functioning more as a community center sometimes than a conventional library, and it has become an integral part of life for thousands in Dade County.
But now it will receive a welcome $10,000 leg-up after earning some recognition on a national stage.
The Dade County Library has won the cash award for being one of three finalists in Library Journal's 2016 Best Small Library in America contest.
Cherokee Regional Library Director Lecia Eubanks said, "The extent to which the library is used, the number of new patrons each year and the financial support of its funding agencies and patrons all made the Dade County Library stand out as one of the top three best small libraries in America."
The recognition "is huge," according to Marshana Sharp, manager at the library, and the money will go a long way toward helping with several projects that she's been keeping on a mental list for years.
She plans to jump-start a community health initiative, build a child abuse awareness program, and work with Dade County Jail inmates who have children who could benefit from learning with their parents.
Money also will go toward purchasing new work stations and learning materials, both paper and electronic, she said.
For Sharp, the library is more than just a collection of books and computers, it's a meeting place to build memories as a community.
She said, "You'll have a mom and a dad and a child playing or reading together, and that just thrills me."
The laundry list is long, and there isn't enough funding or time in the day to do everything Sharp wants. She credits the state of the library in large part to a network of groups and businesses in Dade that have come around it in support.
"The businesses around here are wonderful," Sharp said. "They paid for our summer reading program, and that had 385 kids last year."
At any given time, the wide range of people in the building is a snapshot of the diverse and whole-hearted support the library enjoys.
Burick's children played in the "Innovation Station" and outside a reading room while a dozen students from the local lineman's college worked on their resumes in the computer lab and helped another woman carry in encyclopedias she was donating.
"They believe in us," Sharp said.
Contact staff writer Emmett Gienapp at egienapp@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6731.