The Zoo Atlanta Partnership with Georgia Libraries Ends May 31

After 14 years and over 500,000 circulations state-wide, Zoo Atlanta is ending its Library Pass partnership with Georgia Public Library Service (GPLS). 

“We are sad to learn that this partnership is coming to an end,” said FCPL Director Adrianne Junius. “Our patrons love the Library Pass to Zoo Atlanta and it provided an opportunity some families may not have had otherwise." 

The Zoo Atlanta passes will be removed from our collection at the close of business on Saturday, May 31, 2025. Library Passes and vouchers that are checked out through May 31 can be redeemed at Zoo Atlanta through June 30, 2025.

“It’s always checked out from my library anyway,” said one person on the GPLS Facebook announcement today. 

That tracks. This was definitely one of our more popular partnership passes! In fact, the first two items checked out from the Denmark Library just minutes after it opened on March 27 were both Library Passes to Zoo Atlanta! 

Although we are sad to lose this opportunity for our patrons, we would like to remind you that we have eleven other museum and park passes in our collection, and new partnerships are added all the time. Just last year Alliance Theater, Shakespeare Tavern Playhouse Family Theater, and Mimm’s Museum of Technology and Art (formerly known as the Computer Museum of America) were added to this program. 

We at Forsyth County Public Library would like to extend a sincere thank you to Zoo Atlanta and GPLS for providing this opportunity to so many of our patrons over the years. 

Check out all our current partnership passes at ForsythPL.org/passes

Leslie Marinelli
FCPL Communications Manager

Picture books about the Hawaiian Islands for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

During Asian Pacific Islander Month, Forsyth County Public Library highlights Asian and Pacific Islander cultures. These picture books from our Easy collection feature inquisitive young girls living in the Hawaiian Islands. 

Aloha Everything by Kaylin Melia George and Mae Waite

A young girl learns about her island home and heritage in a picture book that depicts vibrant scenes of native Hawaiians alongside the island's breathtaking scenery. This beautifully illustrated book describes Hawaii's colorful plant life and animals of the land and sea.  

Staff Picks: Rental Person Who Does Nothing by Shoji Morimoto

I've always been fascinated by the unique culture of Japan. Here are two of my favorite recent reads from the Land of the Rising Sun.

Rental Person Who Does Nothing by Shoji Morimoto

When Shoji Morimoto’s boss criticized his job performance and accused him of doing nothing, Morimoto wondered if doing nothing could become his life’s work. In 2018 he started accepting requests to show up and do nothing. It’s a unique hobby that’s proved worthwhile as thousands of customers in and around Tokyo have requested Morimoto’s humble presence. 

Morimoto candidly describes the types of requests he receives. He’s been asked to share meals with strangers, wave to departing vacationers, visit people in the hospital, and accompany people on various outings.  

Morimoto rejects the idea that one's worth dereives from their productivity and says, “people have a value even if they do nothing.” 

This slim memoir is an interesting look at modern Japanese culture and the universal desire for human connection. I love the fact that Shoji Morimoto found people who would appreciate his presence in silence and that he was able to author an international bestseller while “doing nothing.”