Originally from Savannah, Georgia, Brandi Resendez lives in Blue Ridge with her longtime best friend of 15 years and her friend’s son.

She has worked with library systems in Savannah, Albany, and Tallahassee for over six years before coming to Gilmer County in 2008. She holds a bachelor and master’s degree in History from Armstrong Atlantic State University and a Master’s of Library Science from Florida State University.The library is staffed by nine other people, excluding Resendez, comprised of people who have served for at least five years and some for over twenty years.

“People come and they stay because it’s just a really good place to work,” said Resendez.

Resendez has a zealous communicative passion for this community, particularly how it supports the local library.

“I was absolutely amazed with this place when I first came because I’ve never—having worked in three different library systems—I’ve never seen a library get the kind of support from the community that it does here,” she said.

Resendez insists she’s become a part of a well-oiled machine working with, “A great group of people who work together and just really love the library.”

Library

In 2007 the Gilmer County Library moved into a 20,000 square foot facility serving the literary needs of the 30,000 Gilmer County citizens and is also open to all Sequoyah Regional Library System libraries, made up of Cherokee, Pickens, and Gilmer County.

Through the “friends of the library” program, the Gilmer County library is the only library in the system with a bookstore with many books for sale donated by members, the public, and the library. It is independently operated and all proceeds are donated back to the library.

Due to economic pressure and budget cuts, the library is “Almost solely run by the support from the public,” said Resendez.

Programs like the “friends of the library” bookstore and donations from groups and individuals, like the Lion’s Club, the Rotary Club and the Genealogy Society to name a few, help fund the library.

“We don’t even have to solicit. They come to us,” she added.

The library has about 40 public computers. They have areas for children, young adults, and adults.

“We’ve got Adult Fiction, Non-Fiction—and if you can’t find it here we’ll get it for you—you can pretty much always get what you need,” she said.

The special collections room is devoted to the history of our county, state and the southeast and is almost solely stocked by the Genealogy Society, which meets at the library.

They also have wireless internet access, DVDs, and VHS tapes.

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BRANDI RESENDEZ, MLS
Librarian/Branch Manager
Gilmer County Library
Sequoyah Regional Library System
www.sequoyahregionallibrary.org

CONTACT
[email protected]
268 Calvin Jackson Drive
Ellijay, GA 30540
Phone: 706-635-4528