By Vicky Terry - 02/02
When I was in the fifth grade, I decided I wanted to be an archaeologist. I read everything I could get my hands on concerning the tombs of the Egyptian Pharaohs, ...
By Vicky Terry - 01/26
Libraries are a hub of community activity, and quite often that activity revolves around the meeting rooms. You would be amazed at the number of groups that meet in ...
By Allen Johnson, Director - 01/12
This will be my last column I write for Library Lines as the Director of Pocahontas Libraries. I am stepping down, as will be noted elsewhere in this newspaper. Since ...
By Allen Johnson, Director - 01/05
Authors fascinate me. This, I suppose, is true for many people who really enjoy reading books and articles. Avid moviegoers are fascinated by the personal lives of ...
By Allen Johnson, Director - 12/29
Pocahontas Libraries swings into 2012 with new promise and refreshed hope. Activities and projects continue to swirl about in all five branches, with local community ...
By Allen Johnson, Director - 12/22
Books make excellent Christmas gifts. Not only are they great for book lovers, but almost anyone will appreciate a new book that deals with a subject they ...
By Allen Johnson, Director - 12/08
One of the ongoing debates in the "gender wars" is how much behavioral difference is due to conditioning and how much is in the chromosomes. From the day of birth, ...
By Allen Johnson, Director - 11/03
Introductory basic college courses are sometimes referred to by the number "101," such as English 101 or Economics 101. Such courses provide an overview, or framework ...
By Allen Johnson, Director - 10/27
Most of us have heroes who inspire us. One of my heroes is Ken Hechler. The first time I saw Hechler was at a Pioneer Days parade in Marlinton in the mid-70s. A ...
By Allen Johnson, Director - 10/13
About 30 children signed up for a monthly free book at the Imagination Library launch day last Saturday. There were games, a magic show, prizes, face painting, and ...
By Allen Johnson, Director - 10/06
A whirlwind of library-related activities is swirling through Pocahontas County. I say library-related, because these activities are co-sponsored and supported by ...
By by Vicky Terry - 09/29
What do you think of when someone mentions the Civil War?
I tend to think of battles: Bull Run, Shiloh, Gettysburg. Or I think of people: President Abraham Lincoln, ...
By Allen Johnson, Director - 09/08
I grew up reading magazines. Lots of ‘em. My dad and mom, struggling financially to put bread and milk on the table for their seven kids, might at any given time have ...
By Allen Johnson, Director - 09/01
Freedom of expression is the principal bulwark of American democracy. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an ...
By - 08/18
Several people have asked me to comment on Kanawha Chief Circuit Judge Paul Zakaib's ruling in Kanawha County Board of Education versus Kanawha County Public Library. ...
By Allen Johnson - 07/21
Early last January I received a surprising call from Pulitzer-prize winning author Chris Hedges. He was researching for a new book on post-industrial America, and ...
By Allen Johnson - 07/14
Pocahontas County continues to grow in community spirit, as evidenced by increasing numbers of small town festivals. Little Levels Heritage Fair and Pioneer Days are ...
By Vicky Terry - 07/07
"What is the scene or incident in American history that you would like to have witnessed-and why?"
This is the thought provoking question that Byron Hollinshead ...
By Allen Johnson - 06/23
As a member of the Pocahontas Tobacco Prevention Coalition, I had promised its coordinator, Karen Larson, many months ago, to write something that might discourage ...
By Allen Johnson - 06/16
Pocahontas County Free Libraries (PCFL) is appreciative of the generous financial contributions of its many donors. These contributions are a vital part of the ...
By Nancy Egan - 06/09
In the afterglow of the Durbin Library and Community Center barn raising and remembering the day as one of learning new skills; watching large sections of wall going ...
By by Allen Johnson - 05/26
The "barn-raising" last Saturday for the new Durbin Library and Community Center went remarkably well.
The weather was grand. After interminable rain all spring, ...
By by Allen Johnson, ... - 05/19
The exciting event in the local library this week is the "Barn Raising" this Saturday, May 21, for the new Durbin Library and Community Center. How often does a ...
By by Vicky Terry - 05/12
I have to say, genealogists are some of the most generous people I've ever met. I think it's because they know all about hard work and frustration. Working on a ...
By Allen Johnson - 05/05
Spring is arriving quickly now. Gorgeous blossoms waft fragrance through warming air. Green replaces white and brown. Every day newly migrated birds appear, filling ...
By Allen Johnson - 04/28
Volunteers are invited to help raise the new Durbin Library building on Saturday May 21. We will gather at the building site at 8 a.m. The site is situated along Rt. ...
By by Allen Johnson - 04/21
We have a great idea for our organization. But we need money! Everyone who runs a group says that. And often someone pipes up with a possible solution. Well, let find ...
By - 04/14
The current buzz in the book world involves e-books. For centuries, especially since the invention of the Gutenberg Press, people have read books in printed form. An ...
By By Bonnie Gifford - 04/07
Libraries are much more than places to check out books. Libraries also have educational resources including, but not limited to, special collections, magazines, ...
By Nancy Egan - 03/31
Hello, this is Nancy Egan, librarian for Durbin Library and this is an exciting week. The footings and the slab will be poured for the new Durbin Public Library and ...
By by Vicky Terry - 03/24
I received a phone call a few weeks ago from Sonia Rider, who works at the Family Resource Network here in town. She told me that she had some books to give away-was ...
By - 03/17
The West Virginia Library Association (WVLA) holds an annual reception during the West Virginia Legislature. This event provides a relaxed, informal setting for ...
By Bonnie Gifford - 03/10
I think that I shall never see
a poem lovely as a tree. - from "Trees" by Joyce Kilmer
When faced with the prospect of reading, writing or listening to a poem, ...
By by Vicky Terry - 02/17
Space-the Final Frontier.
All you Star Trek fans will remember that spine-tingling phrase. But guess what: Turns out, space is not the final frontier. In reality, ...
By Bonnie Gifford, ... - 02/10
Imagine - a radio production studio in the heart of a public library. Local citizens using the studio to spread the word about their civic organizations, charities, ...
By Allen Johnson - 02/03
LIBRARY LINES
The Snowshoe Foundation gave us the good news last Tuesday that it was awarding $5,000 for the Linwood Community Library at Snowshoe. Besides granting ...
By Vicky Terry - 01/27
Newscaster Tom Brokaw once said, "It's easy to make a buck. It's a lot tougher to make a difference."
I think of this quote often when it comes to the group of ...
By Allen Johnson - 01/20
Writers value libraries. For one thing, writers are voracious readers themselves, a practice invariably developed as children. As every parent who has a book-hungry ...
By Allen Johnson, ... - 01/13
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday is trivial if we do not pause to reflect upon the heart and soul of our nation. "Liberty and justice for all" with hand clasped ...
By Allen Johnson - 01/06
The New Year brings about all sorts of lists, whether reflections on the past year or resolutions and predictions for the upcoming year. Here are some reflections on ...
By Vicky Terry - 12/23
Good books make travel possible—without leaving your chair
There is nothing I enjoy more than a good book that pulls me into another time and place, and makes me ...
By Vicky Terry - 12/16
We quite often get questions from patrons concerning how and why we do certain things in the library. I thought it might be helpful to list a few of those ...
By by Vicky Terry - 12/16
Library FAQWe quite often get questions from patrons concerning how and why we do certain things in the library. I thought it might be helpful to list a few of those ...
By by Vicky Terry - 12/09
I have recently developed a real passion for memoirs. Not biographies: a person's entire life story told by someone else...and not autobiographies, someone's life ...
By Allen Johnson - 11/10
LIBRARY LINES
Pocahontas County Free Libraries (PCFL) is appreciative of the generous financial contributions of its many donors. These contributions are a vital ...
By Allen Johnson - 10/28
The Pocahontas Libraries board will be reviewing and updating policies during the next year. The best thing to do before reviewing policies is to ask ourselves, "What ...
By Allen Johnson - 10/21
A thought swirled in my head as I drove from Hillsboro to my home in Frost last Saturday night. “Pocahontas County has produced some incredible women.” Not to say ...
By Allen Johnson - 10/14
Subscription databases are one of the valuable library services offered to the public. While Google, Yahoo and other powerful search engines do indeed provide ...
By Allen Johnson - 09/23
Linwood Community Library will hold an open, all invited, huge yard sale on Saturday, October 2. Most of us have things that are too nice to throw away that we ...
By Allen Johnson - 09/22
Linwood Community Library will hold an open, all invited, huge yard sale on Saturday, October 2. Most of us have things that are too nice to throw away that we just ...
By Allen Johnson - 09/02
“A good time was had by all,” as the local saying goes. Dozens of folks milled around, danced, ate, and simply enjoyed being together. Linwood Community Library ...
By Allen Johnson - 08/19
My own interest in genealogy came early in life through my deep interest in early American history. I remember listening to my great-grandfather, Clyde Johnson, tell ...
By Vicky Terry - 08/12
Not too long ago, I acquired a book that I knew my daughter would love. I was right; she called me when she was about halfway through, told me she just couldn’t put ...
By Allen Johnson - 08/05
Would you like to borrow a nice pair of binoculars for a bird watching jaunt? Use a telescope on a starry night? Do you have some eggs to hatch and need an ...
By Allen Johnson - 07/29
A few days ago a column in the Charleston Gazette by Froma Harrop caught my eye. Her thesis is blunt. “The United States has shed two million factory jobs since 2007, ...
By Vicky Terry - 07/22
I commute to McClintic Library from the Mace/Mingo area, which in good weather is about a 40-45 minute drive. This means I have a good chunk of time to devote to ...
By Allen Johnson - 07/15
A packed crowd of about 100 people attended Friday evening’s event at McClintic Library. “Across The Yew Pine: The Hammons Legacy Project” is a multimedia presentation...
By Vicky Terry - 06/17
If you have always enjoyed photography, but never really quite understood all those little buttons on your camera, I’m here to tell you that you are not alone. ...
By Allen Johnson - 06/10
“Local foundations are among the most important attributes of strong communities. Weak communities on the other hand typically have few foundation resources.” I ...
By Allen Johnson - 06/02
Marvin “Butch” Perry died April 25 after a decade-long debilitating illness. His legacy as an active PCFL board trustee during the 1990’s will carry on for generations...
By Allen Johnson - 05/27
Pocahontas County Free Libraries is appreciative of the generous financial contributions of its many donors. These contributions are a vital part of the funding that ...
By Allen Johnson - 05/20
A few weeks ago libraries across the state were invited to take a photo “snapshot” of activities for one day. These photos were collected as a “day in the life of a ...
By Vicky Terry - 05/13
Janet Lynn Roseman wrote, in “On Writing Women’s Autobiography,” “Our histories, our experiences call to us, always speaking our truths in a deep and resonant voice; ...
By Allen Johnson - 04/08
Libraries across West Virginia face a five percent cut in state funding following Governor Joe Manchin’s line item veto of the legislative budget. Last winter the ...
By - 04/08
Dear Editor:Spring has sprung and nowhere better than Durbin. There is currently an active Durbin library/community building committee consisting of several local ...
By Allen Johnson - 04/01
Festivities are in the works for the Grand Opening of the Linwood Community Library (LCL) this coming Saturday, April 3. Everyone is welcome to visit the facility, ...
By Allen Johnson - 03/25
Grants are one of the chief funding mechanisms for nonprofit organizations to launch or expand programs. Grants also enable individuals with creative ideas to develop ...
By Vicky Terry - 03/19
I have always called myself (laughingly…sort of) a book hoarder. I may work in a library, but that has never prevented me from collecting books at home. I have five ...
By Allen Johnson - 03/04
The Institute of Museum and Library Services bestowed a National Community Service Award on Pocahontas Libraries in 2003. This prestigious award was presented by ...
By Vicky Terry - 02/26
I was having a conversation this past weekend with a few friends, and the topic of re-reading books that we loved when we were younger came up. One of my friends ...
By Allen Johnson - 02/18
“Congress shall make no law …abridging the freedom …of the press.” I cut out this clip from the First Amendment to the Constitution of The United States. Not because ...
By Allen Johnson - 02/12
The first shelving units are arriving at the Linwood Community Library. Pocahontas Woods, under the guidance of master furniture craftsman John Wesley Williams, has ...
By Allen Johnson - 02/04
In March 1993, I spent almost three weeks in Haiti with a Christian Peacemaker Team delegation. Haiti radically changed my life. The recent natural disaster that has ...
By Allen Johnson - 01/21
I spend hours most working days on a computer doing various reports, correspondence, and research. Many times every day I use a search engine such as Google. I ...
By Allen Johnson - 01/14
I attended the Durbin Library Building Committee monthly planning session last week. An energetic group is working to raise funds to build a new facility. As I often ...
By Allen Johnson - 12/14
Library LinesThe approaching Christmas celebrations stir many to show their appreciation and love to others through the giving of presents. Books are a common gift ...
By - 11/16
Everyone knows the matchmaker. The busybody older woman trying to hitch daughters to sons is a stereotype of legend. Perhaps every parent has felt the temptation, ...
By Allen Johnson - 11/09
It has been said that the first casualty of war is innocence. In her new book, Elke’s Memoir of Hamburg 1941: The Heartwarming Story of a Little Girl Born During WW ...
By Allen Johnson - 11/02
From time to time I face criticism on materials, meetings, or Internet computer use that someone feels is inappropriate. First of all, I appreciate folks bringing up ...
