LIBRARY LINES

Pocahontas County Free Libraries (PCFL) is appreciative of the generous financial contributions of its many donors. These contributions are a vital part of the funding that enables PCFL to offer quality service.

Below are those who have contributed since our PCFL spring fundraiser beginning in June. Contributions during this time frame are also listed for Linwood and Durbin projects, and in honor of Sally Hatmaker and Butch Perry.

John and Lois Airgood; Emery and Rose Anderson; Margaret Baker; Richard and Julia Bird; Burwell and Phyllis Boykin; Peggy Brill; John and Betty Jo Buly; Capt. Phillip B. Bush, II; Herman and Louise Butcher; Hubert and Virginia Callison; Michael and Joyce Carpenter; Citizen's Bank of WV; Stella E Collins; Ray and Luann Creager; Fred and Marguerite Crews; Mary Jarvis Currence; Mr. and Mrs. George Deike; Dick and Sarah Emery; Patrick Gatens; Gesundheit! Institute; Alice Guire; Jane Hamed; Linda Hawkins; David and Rebecca Holmes; Homer R Hunter; David B Horne; Joseph and June Jonese; Leona M Kenney; Gibbs Kinderman; Jay Kniceley; Glenn and Katherine Langston; Ron and Nancy Maddalena; Linda McCoy; Forrest and Doris McLaughlin; MHS-Class of 1965; National Radio Astronomy Observatory; Elizabeth and Devon Nease; Donald and Patricia Nottingham; James M Nottingham; Pocahontas Co. Landmarks Commission; Jessie Beard Powell; Patricia A. Richards; John and Sharon Rockefeller; Theodor Schuchat; Marietta Stemple; Larry Sutton; Mr and Mrs Hoil Underwood; Eugene Ward; Donald and Connie Waybright; Leroy and Virginia Webb; Helen Woolridge; Anne Workman; Solomon Workman; Wayne B. Worth; Charles and Carol Young.

The following donations to PCFL made in "memory of" or dedication to" are highlighted in parenthesis.

Hope McComb Andrick (Charley and Eldridge McComb); Samuel J. Barlow (Maude Evans); Emma Beard (Moro Beard); William Buzzard (Loren Buzzard); Denise Campbell (Logan Campbell); Jack and Carol Casey (Anna M. Boothe); Allen and Opal Chamelin (Tom and Selma Clutter); Betty Cutlip (Richard Cutlip); Doss Reunion Attendees (Children's Books for McClintic Library); Dorothy Fendt (Virginia Ruth Shinaberry); Nina H. Fowler (Nina Marie Conner); (Friends and Neighbors on Hamilton Hill (Brenda Beverage); Mary-Linda Hampton (Mrs Frances Finnin); Gail Hyer (The Hammons Project); Robert and Patricia Keller (McClintic Library); Kenneth Kellerman (Henny and David Kellermann); David and Jean Lovelace (McClintic Library); Herbert and Dolly McClure (Brent Withers); J Bruce and Freda McKean (Omar Bowyer and Glen Guanieri); Jack O. Moore (Mary Dare Moore); Orland and Heather T. Moses (Michelle Sattler); Carolyn Phillips (George Phillips); Pocahontas Center (Medical Books for McClintic Library); Dr. Jane R. Sharp and Charles R. Rardin (Mrs. Jane Price Sharp); Ray and Sue Schultz (Evelyn Withers); Priscilla Sheets (Dr S. Allan Ruckman); Thomas Shrader (Raymond Shrader); Dorothy Sutton (Dreama Lambert Jackson); Steven and Ronda Swenson (Dewey E. Ross); Carter Zerbe (Fanny Zerbe Carter).

Donations in honor of Sally Hatmaker were made by the following: Renick and Betty Adkins; Ruth Baker; Buffalo Cabin Quilt Guild; Raymond and Wanda Fayo; Donald and Rosemary Oquist; Rev. Thomas H. Bay Trust; Raymond and Norma Rice; Stephen and Dorothy Rice; Elinor E. Roberts; The Anspach Effort, Inc.; Daniel and Gail Weeks.

Donations in honor of Butch Perry were made by the following: Mary Sue and Mike Burns; Rick and Maralea Cole; Brenda Doss (for Durbin Building Fund); John and Hayes Eilers; Maxine M. Elbon; Friends and Neighbors on Hamilton Hill; Duane and Sarah Gibson; Roy and Ernestine "Teenie" Gibson; Kelly and Steve Green; Mike and Trish McNaull; J.M. McNeel Jr.; MHS-Class of 1964; Mary "Tootles" Nottingham; Harriet Ottaviano; Blanch and Fitzhugh Perry; Janet Perry.
Donations toward Green Bank Library were made by the following: Christopher Alonso; Jack and Judith Clark; Bruce and Nina Elliott; Janet Reynolds; Willard Shears.

Donations toward Linwood Community Library were made by the following: Maria T. Busick; Richard L. Campbell; W. H. and Elsie Carter; Citizen's Bank of WV; Michael G. Cumashot; John and Hayes Eilers; Karen Friel; Linda Gibb; Martha Giddings; William and Sharon Gouchenour; Michele Grinberg and James K. Withrow; Russell G. Holt; Edward and Judith Johnson; Cree Lahti; Land's End Homeowners Assoc.; James J. Lanter; David and Claire Litsey; Kathy White Loyd; Mountain Valley Properties; Tolly W. Peuleche; Barbara Ann Postek; ReMax Old Spruce Properties; Snowshoe Summit Condominium Assoc.; Soaring Eagle Lodge; Barbara and Harold Tyson; Steven Wampler; Gil and Mary Willis; Woody's BarbQ Shack.

Donations toward the Durbin Library Building Fund were made by the following: Emma Beard; Charles and Patricia Bryant; Gracie F. Collins; Maxine M. Elbon; Yvonne H. Gum; Sue Ann Heatherly; John and Diana Holliday; Bill Keaveny; National Radio Astronomy Observatory; Alton A. Palmer; Mary L. Paul; Gary and Dorothy Phillips; Frank and Pat Proud; Michelle Riemer; Marvin Schuhmann; William Simmons; The Whistle Stop; George R. Triplett; Dale and Margaret Whiteis; Jennifer and Peter Whiteis.

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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 is the purpose of Pocahontas Libraries?" In other words, "What are we about?"

Thus our board has worked on PCFL's mission. Adopted at our October 19 meeting, PCFL's mission is as follows:

"The mission of the Pocahontas County Free Libraries is to serve as the principal resource for the informational needs of all the citizens of Pocahontas County and its visitors."

"Our goals are intellectual stimulation, lifelong learning, cultural enrichment, and recreational reading, by providing inviting environments in our libraries and then reaching into the communities to expand the library beyond its physical boundaries."

There is, of course, a vast distance between words and implementation. One can quibble about wording, but the bottom line is that PCFL is about implementing high quality resources in our community. Information comes in various formats, including books, periodicals, recordings, videos, maps, internet and group meetings. Purposes for information vary as well, and include recreation as well as skill development and knowledge attainment.

Specialists might need their own extensive personal libraries to serve their specific personal informational needs. Such esoteric information is beyond a small public library's scope. However, public libraries do offer the distinct advantage of a community pooling its resources for the availability of all.

In a sense, libraries are service oriented. Libraries do not extract raw materials or manufacture widgets. We serve people. We are customer driven. Therefore, friendly, adaptable, skillful librarians are essential. Finally, PCFL reaches out to its community beyond its institutional walls in community partnerships.

Several of our policies need further development. One of these involves our materials collections-books, magazines, videos. We need more specific criteria on how these materials are selected, who is responsible for selection, handling of controversial materials, and weeding and discarding of materials. We also need clear policy on gifts such as books.

Other policy considerations include unattended young children in the library, petitions and solicitations in a library, closing for inclement weather, what constitutes patron behavior problems and how addressed, and a patron's right to privacy.

The PCFL board welcomes input from the community as policy is developed or revised. Interested people can contact me, a branch librarian or a board member or attend our regularly scheduled meetings held at 6 p.m. the third Tuesday of every month, rotating between our five branches.

Of utmost importance is PCFL's need to be responsive to its community.

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A thought swirled in my head as I drove from Hillsboro to my home in Frost last Saturday night. ﾓPocahontas County has produced some incredible women.ﾔ Not to say that our county has not fashioned some incredible menﾗit has. However, for me several events last Saturday just hammered home the valuable contribution of our local women.

That evening I had attended the Fall Social at Hillsboro Library, wonderfully planned and implemented by the Hillsboro Library Friends Group. The theme was literary, ﾓPoets Of The Pocahontas Hills: Louise McNeill To The Present.ﾔﾠ The program included traditional Appalachian music, a keynote address by Concord University Professor James Baker, and well-written and performed original poetry and storytelling by local people.ﾠ Folks brought in food to share. All of us basked in the warm community spirit that is in such rich abundance in the Hillsboro community.

A number of people gave inspiring renditions of selections from Louise McNeillﾒs poetry. Her poems, more than any other poetry that I know, comes vibrantly alive when read aloud with expression and movement.ﾠ Her poems tap deep roots into the soils of our local people and history and tradition and soil.

Jaynell Grahamﾒs article in last weekﾒs Pocahontas Times provides an excellent sketch of Louise McNeillﾒs life. To quote Graham, ﾓThe love of the land and agriculture are in the blood of this family, and McNeill found her voice and lifeﾒs work in putting words, not plows, to the soil.ﾔ

Earlier in the day, I had attended the funeral of Emma Beard. She lived her 101 years to the fullest. Story after story kept flooding back into my memory of this extraordinary woman. The seeming contradictions synthesized so wonderfully. Elegant yet down-to-earth; particular but never petty; personally frugal yet magnanimously generous to her community; friend to the powerful while equally friend to the small. Even though I only occasionally visited Emma Beard, I realize I could fill pages of stories and memories. And maybe I will.ﾠ Some people have such charisma and life-force that every encounter is memorable and life-impacting.

One of Emma Beardﾒs dearest friends has been Jessie Brown Beard Powell. At 95, Jessie is a trove of historical knowledge, has a sparkling wit, and is graciously hospitable.ﾠ Spending a bit of time with Jessie at the funeral, I realized the treasure we have in our countyﾒs remarkable and grand older people.ﾠ We impoverish ourselves when we do not hear their stories, drink from their wisdom, take counsel from their advice.

I drove home proud to make my life in Pocahontas County, a beautiful place with a legacy of some extraordinary people.

Subscription databases are one of the valuable library services offered to the public.ﾠ While Google, Yahoo and other powerful search engines do indeed provide amazing volumes of information, there remains vast worlds of information that are locked up by intellectual copyrights and only accessible through subscription payments.

To use a local example, The Pocahontas Times, our county newspaper, offers back issues online via a modest charge.ﾠ Many other newspapers, magazines, and journals do the same. After all, it does take publication money to compile news and information and to stay profitable.

Many publications can be found bundled together in large subscription databases such as EBSCO, a service provided to all public libraries and their cardholders by the West Virginia Library Commission.ﾠ For example, often when I am reading research articles I will find reference to a journal or magazine article that I can find in full on EBSCO. I should mention that some periodicals only have abstracts (a summary of an article); others have their articles in narrative; best, in my opinion, are those periodicals that publish in PDF format, which essentially looks identical to the printed version.

Most library databases are accessible through oneﾒs own home internet-connected computer.ﾠ One can access through Pocahontas Libraryﾒs website (www.pocahontaslibrary.org) or through the state library commissionﾒs portal.ﾠ Ask one of our librarians for the user name and password, which is very simple to memorize.ﾠ But we cannot give it out in a public forum such as this newspaper column.

We often get requests from students or their parents asking for a book on a topic for a school assignment. Being that we are a small library system, we do not always have books covering specialized information. However, we can encourage the students to access one of our childrenﾒs or youth databases, such as Searchasaurus or Groliers.ﾠ These even have Lexile ratings for articles that can target a childﾒs grade reading level.ﾠ A teacher can explain their childﾒs level to parents.

Pocahontas Libraries also has a specialized database.ﾠ Ancestry.com is the most powerful program for genealogicalﾠ research.ﾠ Library users may access this database at any of our library branches.ﾠ If special help is needed, I suggest making an appointment with librarian Pam Johnson, our resident expert on genealogical matters.ﾠ She can show you how to make a family tree, connect into extended family trees, even possibly find famous ancestors you otherwise would not know you had.

I probably use Google or other public search engines a dozen times or more daily.ﾠ But I also appreciate the ability to use dedicated databases for more information not otherwise available, and to know that this information is a reliable source.ﾠ I encourage our patrons to familiarize themselves with these databases and to use them often.

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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 donﾒt use any longer.ﾠ And we donﾒt have a Craigﾒs List in our area. So we are inviting folks to load up their cars or pickups and drive to the Linwood Library (former Snowshoe Welcome Center), and set up a table or even several on the spacious parking lot.ﾠ And yard sale shoppers, what better drive to take on an early October day than to this lovely area of Pocahontas County?

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We encourage folks to bring their own tables; however, some will be available to rent if reserved ahead of time. Either way, do call librarian Cree Lahti at 304-572-2665 to reserve space and for details.ﾠ At this point we are looking at a time of about 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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We expect lots of special goodies for sale, including ski equipment, furniture, childrenﾒs items and lots of books. PCFL board member Debbie Goodwin is offering to sell for anyone who cannot stay, or who would like to leave some items with her during the day. We are only asking that unsold items be removed at the close of the yard sale. Again, call the above phone number for details.

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The Linwood Yard Sale will serve several purposes. We are asking vendors for a modest percentage of their proceeds to help Linwoodﾒs fundraising needs. Second, this event builds community spirit as friends and neighbors get together. Third, a large, well-attended yard sale helps sellers get some extra income and buyers some goods. Fourth, local musicians will be invited to entertain at the yard sale. And fifth, people can see and use the gorgeous new library. And yes, bathrooms will be available.

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The Linwood Community Library is a local initiative to provide the communities of Slaty Fork, Mace, Snowshoe and adjacent areas of Randolph County with infrastructure and services to enhance their quality of life. The library is now open and offering full services including books and related materials for borrowing, other services such as copier, fax, and Internet computer and programs and meeting space.

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So, please make plans for the Linwood Community Library Yard Sale on Saturday, October 2.

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On another note, in case you missed my column last week, Jane Mospan will be honored for her 30 years of library service at the Green Bank Library Thursday, September 23 from 2-6 p.m. Refreshments will be served. All are invited. Jane Mospan has given dedicated, conscientious library service to many thousands over the years. This is a special time to say ﾓthank you.ﾔ

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Poetry lovers need to mark their calendars for Saturday, October 16. Hillsboro Library Friends Group and the West Virginia Humanities Council are sponsoring ﾓPoets Of The Pocahontas Hills: Louise McNeill To The Present.ﾔ This special event runs from 4:30 to 9 p.m.ﾠ Local poets will give readings. Appalachian folk musician Corey Bonasso will perform. A good time will be had by all.

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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 donﾒt use any longer.ﾠ And we donﾒt have a Craigﾒs List in our area. So we are inviting folks to load up their cars or pickups and drive to the Linwood Library (former Snowshoe Welcome Center), and set up a table or even several on the spacious parking lot.ﾠ And yard sale shoppers, what better drive to take on an early October day than to this lovely area of Pocahontas County?

We encourage folks to bring their own tables; however, some will be available to rent if reserved ahead of time. Either way, do call librarian Cree Lahti at 304-572-2665 to reserve space and for details.ﾠ At this point we are looking at a time of about 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

We expect lots of special goodies for sale, including ski equipment, furniture, childrenﾒs items and lots of books. PCFL board member Debbie Goodwin is offering to sell for anyone who cannot stay, or who would like to leave some items with her during the day. We are only asking that unsold items be removed at the close of the yard sale. Again, call the above phone number for details.

The Linwood Yard Sale will serve several purposes. We are asking vendors for a modest percentage of their proceeds to help Linwoodﾒs fundraising needs. Second, this event builds community spirit as friends and neighbors get together. Third, a large, well-attended yard sale helps sellers get some extra income and buyers some goods. Fourth, local musicians will be invited to entertain at the yard sale. And fifth, people can see and use the gorgeous new library. And yes, bathrooms will be available.

The Linwood Community Library is a local initiative to provide the communities of Slaty Fork, Mace, Snowshoe and adjacent areas of Randolph County with infrastructure and services to enhance their quality of life. The library is now open and offering full services including books and related materials for borrowing, other services such as copier, fax, and Internet computer and programs and meeting space.

So, please make plans for the Linwood Community Library Yard Sale on Saturday, October 2.

On another note, in case you missed my column last week, Jane Mospan will be honored for her 30 years of library service at the Green Bank Library Thursday, September 23 from 2-6 p.m. Refreshments will be served. All are invited. Jane Mospan has given dedicated, conscientious library service to many thousands over the years. This is a special time to say ﾓthank you.ﾔ

Poetry lovers need to mark their calendars for Saturday, October 16. Hillsboro Library Friends Group and the West Virginia Humanities Council are sponsoring ﾓPoets Of The Pocahontas Hills: Louise McNeill To The Present.ﾔ This special event runs from 4:30 to 9 p.m.ﾠ Local poets will give readings. Appalachian folk musician Corey Bonasso will perform. A good time will be had by all.

ﾓA good time was had by all,ﾔ as the local saying goes.ﾠ Dozens of folks milled around, danced, ate, and simply enjoyed being together.ﾠ Linwood Community Library celebrated its First Annual Porch Party Saturday August 14. A band from Beckley, ﾓLady D and the Mission,ﾔ provided outstanding soulful music.ﾠ

Thirteen months before, a group of about 30 local people had gathered at Shakey Jakeﾒs restaurant to explore the concept of a library for their local community.ﾠ Everyone spoke in favor.ﾠ People, businesses, and local government pitched in.ﾠ Snowshoe Mountain Resort offered the use of its Welcome Center for three years.ﾠ Pocahontas County Convention and Visitorﾒs Bureau offered half the utility expenses for shared space.ﾠ Parks and Recreation offered programs.ﾠ Numerous businesses donated carpet, furnishings, and support.ﾠ People donated time, books, supplies, and money.ﾠ Pocahontas Woods, Interstate Lumber, and Pocahontas High School Building Trades class all were involved in shelving.ﾠ The County Commission provided helpful startup capital. We opened for library services in April, an amazing feat to accomplish in nine months.

Two significant challenges face the Linwood Community Library Association (LCLA). One is to garner a steady financial operating base.ﾠ The association is contacting homeownersﾒ associations for steady support.ﾠ A suggested contribution is $36 per unit per year, basically equivalent to a dime a day. A strong library/community center improves property resale value, strengthens guest satisfaction, and provides continual services for employees and their families. The LCLA is also receiving contributions from long-term residents, businesses, and other supporters, as well as holding fundraising activities.

The other challenge is to construct a new library center in the vicinity. This will require locating suitable land, developing the building plan, and raising the financial capacity for construction.ﾠ The community has the leadership and funding capacity for this major endeavor.ﾠ A committee is now formed.

Linwood Community Library has a Facebook page. Please signup as a friend.ﾠ Just do a search on Linwood Library.ﾠ There is also a blog at www.linwoodlibrary.blogspot.com, which carries current information.

In other news, the Durbin Library Building Committee received the good news that $30,000 is in the pipeline for funds through the efforts of our local legislators.ﾠ Senator Walt Helmick and Delegate Bill Hartman recently delivered the good news to PCFL board president Sue Ann Heatherly and me.ﾠ With these funds added to existing raised money, we should be able to break ground.ﾠ We have awarded a contract for the foundation work.ﾠ We anticipate a barn raising with the help of Habitat For Humanity and local folks.ﾠ If all goes well, we would like to be under roof before winter.ﾠ Interior work to complete construction and open for services will be the next and final stage and will require further fundraising..

Stay tuned as these projects develop.ﾠ And better yet, get involved.ﾠ The welcome mat has a place for you.

My own interest in genealogy came early in life through my deep interest in early American history.ﾠ I remember listening to my great-grandfather, Clyde Johnson, tell stories of growing up in a sod house on the plains of Kansas, loadingﾠ sun-bleached buffalo bones from the great bison slaughter onto wagons to sell. I recall stories of my grandparents struggling through the Great Depression, and my own parentﾒs stories of their own early years.

As a boy, I was fascinated by dates. In church, I would thumb through the hymnbook looking at the birth and death dates of composers, mentally calculating how long they lived, and thinking in my mind what was happening in the eras during which they lived. Many decades later while working at the Pocahontas Center I would listen spellbound to elderly residents tell about their early years. My interest in genealogy then came not only from my own family connections but also from an overall interest in life as lived in the past.

Several years ago, Pocahontas Libraries helped to birth the Pocahontas County Genealogy Group.ﾠ The organization lifted off quickly, with a dozen or more active members almost from the start. The group typically meets at 6 p.m. the fourth Tuesday of each month at McClintic Library.ﾠ Visitors and newcomers are eagerly welcomed.

The local genealogy folk are engaged in a long-term project to inventory all cemeteries in Pocahontas County. They have now published a series of five books on local cemeteries. The most recent book, just off the press, covers cemeteries from Frost to Durbin.ﾠ Other books in the series cover Oak Grove, Mountain View, Back Mountain Road (Durbin to Cass), and certain historic cemeteries in the northern end. Books may be seen at local library branches and purchased at The Pocahontas Times and certain other venues.

Pocahontas Libraries has a subscription to the powerful online database, Ancestry.com/ﾠ Using the extensive resources and reach of this program, one can often develop an extensive family tree with supporting data. This database must be used at a county library branch.ﾠ An appointment is preferable if one is unfamiliar with this database.

The Pocahontas County Genealogy Group is building close ties with the Pocahontas County Historical Society, which in itself is expanding its membership to include representation from all parts of the county as well as including young people.

I am in a state planning committee, developing a consortium that can apply for funding for museum preservation projects. The Institute of Museum and Library Services, a federal agency, is concerned that much of Americaﾒs historical treasures are in rural areas with limited financial and professional services for long-term preservation.ﾠ Funding is available for well-conceived projects. Our planning committee is in the process of surveying museums, libraries and other collections of historically significant artifacts and documents. Following our research, our consortium will make an application for major funding to apply to local preservation projects.

Pocahontas Libraries is also involved in local historic records preservation.ﾠ Rebecca Clayton set up a database and archiving procedures. Now BJ Gudmundsson is going into the field to invite people to inventory documents of special interest to our larger population and to scan these into an electronic database. On another front, Geoff Hamill is reviving the Veteranﾒs Oral History Project.ﾠ Other oral and video projects will be forthcoming.

An important reflection for our lives is, ﾓWhere am I going?ﾔﾠ To answer well, we should reflect, ﾓWhere have I been?ﾠ And from whom have I come?ﾔﾠ To know ourselves, we do well to know our history.

Not too long ago, I acquired a book that I knew my daughter would love.ﾠ I was right; she called me when she was about halfway through, told me she just couldnﾒt put it down, and wanted to know if I had read it before giving it to her.ﾠ I admitted that I had notﾗmuch to her disappointment.ﾠ ﾓI wanted to talk to you about it!ﾠ I wanted to really discuss some plot twists.ﾔﾠ I pointed out that she could tell me anyway, and she replied that telling someone about a book and discussing a book are two entirely different things.ﾠ
Sheﾒs right.ﾠ I am pretty sure thatﾒs why book discussion groups were born; so people could all read the same book, and then get together in a small group and discuss it.ﾠ For those of us who enjoy reading, discussing the pros and cons of a book is just the next logical step.ﾠ If youﾒve never joined a book group, you should seriously consider doing so.ﾠ The McClintic library has a group that meets the last Thursday of every month, at 5 pm in the library, and we would welcome some new faces.ﾠ I borrow extra copies from other libraries around the state, so the book is provided for the group members each month.ﾠ
Our selection for August is ﾓThe Ghost Mapﾔ by Steven Johnson.ﾠ Itﾒs a non-fiction book about the cholera epidemic in London in the mid-1800ﾒs.ﾠ Itﾒs a fascinating blend of history, science, medical mysteries, and social studies.ﾠ I canﾒt wait to get the group together and talk about this one!ﾠ If you are interested in joining us, please stop by McClintic and ask for Vicky.ﾠ I can give you a copy of the book, and itﾒs not too long, so you would have plenty of time to finish it by August 26th.ﾠ (Historically speaking, sometimes members donﾒt finish the book, but show up to discuss it anyway.ﾠ Weﾒre pretty flexible that way.)
If McClintic is not a close or convenient drive for you, donﾒt despair.ﾠ There are other book discussion groups in the county, and if you contact the other libraries in our system, Iﾒm sure you can be put in contact with a group closer to you.ﾠ Or start your own!ﾠ I would be happy to help you get multiple copies of books for your very own discussion group.ﾠ The state Library Commission has a collection of book discussion groups that we may borrow, if you let me know in advance what you would like.ﾠ
I have to get back to ﾓThe Ghost Map.ﾔﾠ One of the questions I want to ask the group is, ﾓGiven the chance to travel through time, would you want to live in Victorian London?ﾔ and I havenﾒt decided on my own answer yet!ﾠ Ohﾅand in case youﾒre wondering, the book my daughter highly recommends is ﾓSecrets of Edenﾔ by Chris Bohjalian.

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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 incubator? Want to try out a night vision scope? Or a metal detector? Or a microscope?

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Pocahontas Libraries has these items and much more to lend.ﾠ All equipment is high quality. And the loan of equipment is free of charge, just like borrowing library books. Well, almost. Our nature equipment must be checked out by an established adult library cardholder who signs an agreement of responsibility. Oneﾒs library card then carries this endorsement in our database.

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Pocahontas County is nationally noted for its spectacular array of natural wonder. We live in an extraordinary place to enjoy nature. Technology can enhance the enjoyment.ﾠ For example, there are worlds to explore with a microscope on the end of smallness, and with a telescope on the other end of bigness. Using one of our night vision scopes or motion cameras opens up the life around us in the darkness of the night. Binoculars bring the speck of a bird into recognition. A metal detector finds a buried coin.

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Importantly, we need to inspire our children to love the outdoors. Under responsible adult supervision, children can use the equipment to develop observational skills and expand their knowledge of nature. The nature equipment is wonderful for a family activity, a church youth group program, a Scout or 4-H outing.ﾠ For example, geochaching using our GPS units makes for a fun group ﾓtreasure huntﾔ day.

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Pocahontas Libraries is unique in West Virginia in having nature equipment to lend. The equipment was purchased under a grant from the Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in West Virginia by the State Librarian of the West Virginia Library Commission.

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The equipment will be available for all of our branches at Linwood, Durbin, Hillsboro, Green Bank and McClintic. In many cases, we have multiple sets of equipment. For example, we have eight binoculars, four telescopes, four egg incubators. However, this project is a challenge to keep organized and stored. We therefore are keeping the bulk of the equipment at the McClintic Library. We recommend that a borrower make a reservation for equipment a few days in advance so that we have time to shuttle it to your local branch. We also insist that our library staff rather than volunteers handle the equipment checkout and check-in.ﾠ Each piece of equipment has special instructions on care, cleaning, battery use and a listing of attachments and pieces if applicable.

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Length of time for checkout will vary depending upon the use of the equipment and demand, and thus will be negotiable. For example, an egg incubator might be needed for a full month.ﾠ On the other hand, a family reunion that needs some of our fishing rods and reels may only need the equipment for a few days.ﾠ The important thing we want to emphasize is that we want the equipment used. A lot. Just not hoarded.

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On a related note, PCFL will soon have guitars and electronic keyboards for lending. This equipment is of decent quality. People can try out an instrument during beginnerﾒs lessons, and then purchase their own guitar if they want to continue.

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