The Cobb County Public Library published a Read Around The World interactive map to introduce readers to books set in nearly every continent (Antarctica was the only holdout).
The map was created by Raymond Goslow, possibly the most well-known staffer at the library system after he advanced to the finals in the Jeopardy! National College Championship tournament.
The library’s website described the new feature as follows:
Our Cobb Library community has traveled to every continent except Antarctica through books!
Reading is a great way to experience new cultures and learn history from around the world. For some, books can even help them when they’re feeling homesick or to introduce family and friends to the place they grew up in.
Raymond Goslow, Senior Library Assistant for Periodicals, created this GIS (Geographic Information Systems) survey to create the Read Around the World interactive map showing all the different places books have taken people in Cobb.
“I thought of this survey because I believe the library is not just a resource for people to use, it’s a place for people to share,” said Raymond. “It’s also great to see the diversity of locations represented, with at least one submission from every continent except Antarctica.”
Plan your next great literary journey! Visit Read Around the World for an interactive map with books that have taken people places.
About the Cobb County Public Library
According to the Cobb County Public Library website:
Cobb County Public Library is a 15-branch system headquartered in Marietta, Georgia, where its staff members serve a diverse population of over 750,000 people. Cobb is one of Georgia’s fastest-growing counties, and Cobb County Public Library is dedicated to being a resource center in the community by providing equal access to information, materials, and services.
History of Cobb’s library system
The first public library in Cobb County was opened in the home of Sarah Freeman Clarke in Marietta. The first standalone library building, opened on Church Street in 1893 and was named for Clarke.
Libraries were opened in Acworth and Austell in subsequent years, and in 1959, the city of Marietta and several other Cobb County libraries combined to form a countywide system that began the Cobb County Public Library as we know it today.
You can read more about the history of the Cobb County Public Library by following this link.