Each year Pocahontas County Free Libraries sends out a newsletter to let everyone know what its been doing for the past 12 months and to ask for your financial support. We get support from our County Commission and the state, but it doesn’t cover our entire operating budget. The donations from library users and supporters are crucial to keeping our doors open and our services available to residents of Pocahontas County.

Let me give you an idea of what it takes to run the five branches. If you donated $5, it would pay for all of our magazine subscriptions for one day; $10 would pay for our daily telephone costs; $25 buys a day’s worth of postage and supplies; $50 would pay our utilities for one day; $100 would buy a best-selling hardcover book for each branch; $500 would pay our hard-working and dedicated staff for one day; $1,000 would cover our total operating expenses for all five branches for a day and a half.

I know these are tight economic times; it’s a challenge for all of us. It’s during these hard times that your public library becomes even more important, as more and more people turn to us for our free Internet access, books, movies, e-books and more. Your contribution to PCFL is an investment in the future. Supporting your library means you believe that the work we do and the services we offer are important. It means that you see and understand the importance of free access to reading materials and the Internet for everyone, regardless of social and economic standing. It means that you want to invest in the children of Pocahontas County, because they are our future. With your help, we can maintain our level of service. With enough help, we can increase our services to reach even more people.

If you are not on our mailing list and would like to be, please contact me at 304-799-6000 and we’ll add you to the list. If you would like to make a donation, you can do so by mail to 500 Eighth St., Marlinton, WV 24954 or by using Paypal. Go to www.pocahontaslibrary.org click on Info, and you will see a Paypal link. It’s easy and quick and your donations are tax deductible.

As you can see, whatever amount you can give is helpful and greatly appreciated! We truly appreciate your support of the PCFL.