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. Judge Zakaib declared null and void a special legislative law requiring Kanawha School Board to provide financial support to the county library. This ruling is setting off a metaphorical tsunami wave throughout West Virginia public libraries, especially among several large libraries that have such special laws.

This ruling will save the Kanawha Board of Education about $2.5 million, or 1 percent of its budget. However, that sum is about a third of the library's budget, a cut it cannot weather.
Kanawha BOE contended that since 46 other counties have no special act requiring schools to fund public libraries, their children were being cheated through inequitable funding.
In 2007 the Kanawha BOE won a similar lawsuit. The state supreme court ruled in favor of the BOE on legal grounds, yet recommended that the legislature fix the funding vacuum facing the libraries. The legislature then enacted legislation that included adding 8 percent local share tax revenue to every school system in the state, thinking that this huge increase would easily cover any required school funding laws for public libraries. Nonetheless, Kanawha BOE was not satisfied, since it was required to fund Kanawha Public Library while most other counties had no such requirement for their public libraries.
Approximately two-thirds of local property tax revenue is mandatorily collected by the state and redistributed throughout all county school boards according to a state formula that includes student enrollment, etc. Local share, however, is property tax revenue that goes directly to the local school system. In effect, the new legislation provided significant additional annual funds for every school system in the state. For example, 8 percent of total property taxes in Pocahontas County should add up to several hundred thousand dollars annually.

The West Virginia Library Association has a legislative committee, which I happen to chair. We are seeking legislation that would provide local funding for all public libraries in our state. After all, many public libraries receive very little local support. Indeed, West Virginia ranks at the bottom of national state rankings for average local library support. Pocahontas County does better than many other libraries due primarily to county commission support via Hotel/Motel tax revenue. On the other hand, our funding from our county board of education has dropped from a high of $59,000 a decade ago to $18,000 for this current fiscal year. Our school board cites cutbacks in Title 1 funding and uncertainty about continuance of federal funding from SRSCA for this year's 25 percent cutback from the previous year.

What is especially rankling about Kanawha BOE's lawsuit is that it disparages the important role public libraries perform in the education of children. Public libraries serve people of all ages and aptitudes who want to learn. And while "education systems' managers" might feel that learning only occurs within the parameters of their schools, true educators value the contributions of parents, youth organizations, libraries, churches and the positive attitude of communities that so much develop the minds, bodies, attitudes and motivations of our children.

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 wanted resources and contacts for a piece on Welch in McDowell County. That county's population has gone from a high of almost 100,000 in 1950 to about 22,000 today.

Later that month West Virginia writer Denise Giardina and I met up with Hedges along with his co-producer and acclaimed illustrator-author, Joe Sacco. I was pleased to lend them some of our extensive collection of materials on Appalachia and West Virginia. Several weeks later Hedges mailed back the books, and in appreciation sent along a copy of nine of his own published books for our library collection. These are now catalogued and available for the public at McClintic or any other branch with a few days' notice.

I took the opportunity to read Hedges' books, all non-fiction culture critique. He is a skillful writer, typically immersing himself into his own storyline. Hedges spent 20 years as a war correspondent for the New York Times in Latin America, the Balkans, Sudan, West Africa, Iraq and Israel, and acknowledges his own Post-traumatic Stress, and exudes a dark realism about the state of the world. Hedges grew up as the son of a Presbyterian minister, and initially planned to follow in his father's footsteps, even graduating from Harvard University Seminary. His moralistic tone resonates throughout his works. Hedges was also an amateur boxer, and his feisty pugilism is evident in his books (and even more so when in personal conversation).

Hedges' first acclaimed book, "War is a Force that Gives Us Meaning," draws upon his experience covering wars. Hedges' theme is that war acts like a narcotic that intensifies life for soldiers and the nation alike, while wreaking destruction in its wake. Hedges honestly confronts the addictive power that covering "hot spot" violence as a journalist had over his own life.
"Losing Moses on the Freeway: The 10 Commandments in America," peers into our nation's moral culture. A Phish band groupie provides a springboard for a discussion of idolatry. A Long Island strip bar becomes a laboratory for understanding "You shall not bear false witness." The story of the havoc wreaked on one child's life vividly illustrates the reason for the commandment, "You shall not commit adultery." (Amazon.com Review) The chapter on greed portrays a woman who has spent thousands of dollars attending self-help seminars in a vain attempt to make true her dream of becoming a multimillionaire. (Publishers Weekly)

"Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle," cries out against the degradation of American culture. He shows the seedy promotion side of professional wrestling. He laments the deranged pornography industry. He is outraged at the demise of American industry that cannot even fill a multi-billion dollar order for subway cars, CEOs receive millions of dollars in compensation in the face of an eroding middle class, and political favors are "legally" bought.

Although not stated as such, Hedges has written a trilogy of books that in sum critique both the political and religious left and right. In "American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America," Hedges draws parallels between 20th-century totalitarian movements and the highly organized, well-funded "dominionist movement that seeks absolute power in a Christian state." (Publishers Weekly)

After debating renowned atheists Sam Harris and Chris Hitchens, Hedges wrote "When Atheism Becomes Religion: America's New Fundamentalists." He accuses the new militant atheists of being as intolerant, chauvinistic, bigoted, anti-intellectual, and self-righteous as their archrival religious fundamentalists. (Booklist)

Out less than a year, "Death Of The Liberal Class," argues that the traditional beacons of the liberal class-the universities, media, church, labor unions, and arts-have sacrificed their integrity to the dominance of corporate greed. (Publishers Weekly)

Chris Hedges intellectualism, passion, personal introspection, and polemic style will often if not predominantly offend a reader. Yet his mark will be felt as it churns in the mind of the reader.

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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 now in the books for this summer. Durbin Days is going on this week. Cass, Dunmore, and Huntersville all have special events, with Frost looking to add its own to the county collection.

I write this to encourage people from the middle and southern portions of our county to attend Durbin Days. It's truly a community-spirited, upbeat, and fascinating slice of small town America. To drop in a library tie-in, our current facility on Main Street will be open on Saturday, and tours of our new building construction will be given during the day.

The Imagination Library is coming to Pocahontas County this fall. Founded in 1996, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is a non-profit organization that gives hundreds of thousands of books each month to registered children in participating communities all over the United States and Canada. "Promoting the love of early reading and learning as the building blocks for a strong foundation in education, the program believes in helping children dream more, learn more, care more and be more through its educational campaign."

The program is designed to provide free, age appropriate books monthly to all eligible children in specified counties. Eligibility factors are age (birth to five years) and residency in a participating county. There are no income guidelines.

The Imagination Library requires a portion of its funds to be matched by a state legislature. West Virginia started in 2007 with a pilot project of six of its more distressed counties. Twenty more counties were added later, but not Pocahontas County despite my nagging along with the advocacy of others in our county. Robin Taylor, who heads up West Virginia's program, promised that Pocahontas County would be added as soon as more legislative funds became available. I was pleased to receive her happy announcement a few months ago. This week two of our librarians are receiving training to promote the program. Parents will then sign their children for the program through any of our five county library branches beginning this fall.

The goals for the Imagination Library include helping parents read to their children through the supplied books; encouraging children to be excited about reading as they receive one book in the mail addressed to them every month at their homes; giving kids a solid foundation toward successful education by helping them develop a love for reading.

Country legend Dolly Parton started the Imagination Library based upon her own childhood. She writes, "Growing up in the Smoky Mountains was a real blessing. There were some tough times, but most of our life was full of the kind of riches money can never buy. One of my most precious memories is sitting in my mother's lap and listening to her read me stories from the Bible. If felt so warm and cozy. My imagination soared to places far beyond our little cabin. These wonderful moments with my mother inspired me to create my Imagination Library."

More announcements will be forthcoming as we prepare for the launch of the Imagination Library this fall in Pocahontas County.

"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 posed to 20 of our finest American historians, with an invitation to answer in essay form. Those essays were then gathered together and put into a fascinating book called "I Wish I'd Been There: twenty historians bring to life dramatic events that changed America."

This is such a fun book! First, I had to think about my own choice. If I could only pick one incident, which one would it be? That's a hard one, but I think I'd have to say I would have loved to sit in on the first Thanksgiving. Or maybe be at Roanoke Colony, right before everyone just disappeared. Then again, it would be so neat to sit in a crowded, darkened theater and watch Harry Houdini perform.

I don't know if the participating historians had as much difficulty as I did when choosing their one, single event to witness-but I do have to say they chose some great ones.

Mary Beth Norton, a professor of American History at Cornell University, chose the Salem Witch Trials. Of course! What really happened in Salem in 1692? Were the four young girls truly being tormented by witches...or just bored? To watch an entire community descend into panicked paranoia would be compelling. On the other hand, these accusations could have been made in order to seize lands and property, to benefit a few greedy men. Mary Beth Norton tells us what she knows, what she believes, and why she would love to have witnessed it all.
Thomas Fleming, historian and author of fine historical fiction, wanted to be with John Brown at Harpers Ferry. Being a novelist, his essay is a rich imagining of what it would be like if he had been...say, a journalist in 1859, assigned to follow Brown and report on the happenings. He drops the reader into that long-ago time, and brings us along on the raid that changed our country forever.

There are so many choices! We have essays on the day Abraham Lincoln was shot; the day Chief Joseph surrendered; the day Lewis and Clark first saw the Rocky Mountains; the day Jenny Lind debuts in America, courtesy of P.T. Barnum. Each historian chose a fascinating snippet of American history, and the enthusiasm and longing for that snippet comes through in each chapter. Not every choice was from our distant past, either; there are essays about sitting in on the meeting between JFK and his brother Robert when they discussed America's role in Vietnam; one historian wanted to march on Washington with Martin Luther King; one wished he could have been in the White House on March 13, 1965, when Lyndon Johnson confronted George Wallace. Read: at one point, Johnson says "Now look, George. don't think about 1968, think about 1988. You and me, we'll be dead and gone then, George. Now you've got a lot of poor people down there in Alabama, a lot of ignorant people.You can do a lot for them, George. Your president will help you. What do you want left after you die? Do you want a great big marble monument that reads George Wallace-he built? Or do you want a little piece of scrawny pine board that reads George Wallace-he hated?"

That meeting would have been something to see.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Each participating historian offers a well-written, well-reasoned explanation of the slice of history he or she wishes to have witnessed. And to be honest, I wish I could have been at each one of these events, too.

It certainly makes one think: which historic event do you wish you could have witnessed?

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 people from using tobacco. But what can I say? Anyone not snoozing the slumber of Rip Van Winkle knows that tobacco use is highly addictive, dangerously harmful and difficult to quit.

I do not want to come off as moralistic in tone. Or smug, just because I have never smoked or chewed. Neither did my parents or grandparents. And I commend them since they discouraged tobacco use in frequent family conversations as I grew up. I respected my parents enough to not rebel. Yet, my younger brother has smoked for years, and struggles to quit. He grew up in the same household, always appreciated our parents and is really a nice person. Most smokers and chewers I know are nice people.

Recently, I have been reading a fascinating book on addiction, "In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts," by Dr. Gabor Mat�, a physician who treats drug addicts in Vancouver, British Columbia. The book is not only deepening my understanding of addiction but is changing much of my thinking. Mat� writes with a fluid, accessible style that intersperses case studies with science. While Mat� concentrates his book on drug addiction, he emphasizes often and convincingly that other addictions have parallel traits. Mat� describes himself as a workaholic and compulsive shopper. While one might retort that such behaviors are of little societal consequence other than to the immediate family, Mat� nonetheless responds that his brain chemistry responds to one of his "shopping hits" like a user's brain chemistry does for hard drugs.

Mat� points out that many of us struggle with detrimental obsessive, addictive-type personal behaviors. Overeating is clearly rampant in our population, especially in the overuse of fatty and sugary foods and beverages. Gambling, pornography, binge shopping, smoking, alcohol and computer gaming are some of the prevalent legal activities that can become addictive with negative consequences.

It should then follow that if, to use an example, tobacco use was to become illegal, that illegal tobacco enterprises would spring up with related violence and crime, while many smokers and chewers would continue their habits to the overflowing of jails. As it stands now, tobacco use is taxed, regulated and discouraged. Programs are available to help people overcome tobacco addiction. Laws are also in place to make it illegal to sell or distribute tobacco products to children, and educational outreaches aimed at children proliferate. The Pocahontas Tobacco Prevention Coalition is eager to help. Still, smoking is not illegal other than in restricted areas set aside to protect the health of others. I should point out that Mat� does not advocate for the legality of drugs, but rather suggests decriminalization for addicted users (but not for pushers).

The title of Mat�'s book defines the key to his thesis. Namely, addicts have emotional holes in their lives that their habits attempt to fill - unsuccessfully, he adds - which leads to downwardly spiraling entrapment. Mat� argues from science that human babies are born premature in order for the large-brained head to pass through the birth canal. For the next few years, a child's brain undergoes extensive development, influenced sharply by his or her environment. Stressful home situations can cause a brain's chemistry to develop in such a way that predisposes that child toward later addictive behavior. Mat� uses his own life's example. He was a stressed Jewish child born in Eastern Europe during World War II with his father in a concentration camp and his mother barely surviving on meager rations while under constant Nazi threat.

Mat� argues that the human brain has the resilience to rewire itself under favorable conditions. A compassionate, supportive society, along with professional treatment can offer hope for many drug addicts who seek help.

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.

Listed below are those who have contributed to PCFL's fundraising from November 2010 through June 8, 2011, exclusive of Durbin and Linwood projects. Donations to PCFL made in "memory of" or "dedication to" are highlighted in parenthesis.

Hope McComb Andrick (Eldridge McComb and Charley McComb); Margaret L. Baker; Emma Beard Estate; Samuel J. Barlow (Maude Evans); W. Sherman and Mary Alice Beard; Peggy Brill; James and Elizabeth Bullard; Frank Burkett (Elizabeth Eskridge Burkett); JoAnna Burt-Kinderman (Hillsboro Library); Joel and Stella Callison; Sandy H. Camper (genealogy); Michael Carpenter; John and Carol Casey (Anna M. Boothe); Allen and Opal Chamelin; Donald and Barbara Circosta (Bee Gladwell); Mark and Marilyn Clark; Pearl Clarkson (Russell Clarkson); Jerry and Linda Clifton; Cranberry Piecemakers Quilt Guild (McClintic and Hillsboro libraries); David Curry; Betty Cutlip (Richard Cutlip); Micky Deike (Emma Beard); Edray CEOS Club (McClintic Library); Barbara Elliott (School Library Services); Dick and Sarah Emery (Ann Eskridge); Dorothy Fendt (Virgina Ruth Shinaberry); Jenny R. Friel (Jo Ann Workman); Robert and Dorothy Garland (Grace Collins, Harold Collins); William and Elizabeth Gay (McClintic books); Christine Glaab; Leslie Jones Goodall (Jane Mospan); Jane Hamed; Virgil B. Harris (Virgil and Macel Harris); Linda Hawkins (Jane Mospan); Homer Hunter; Sue Hunter (Jennalee Meck and Autumn Vance); Virginia Weber Kavage (GBHS Class of 1957); Larry and Sharon Kearns; Leona M. Kenney; L. Jay Kniceley; Daniel R. and Carolyn Knight; Mildred P. Leffman (Warren Blackhurst); Linda R. Evans (genealogy); Jay and Elizabeth Lockman; David and Jean Lovelace; Ed and Jonelle Lowe; Pam Lund (McClintic Library); Herbert McClure (Wayne Jackson, Jr.); Linda L. McCoy; Bruce and Freda McKean; Donna and Jacob McNeel (Elma McNeel); William and Denise McNeel (School Services); Martha E. Meadows (Mary An Eader); R. H. Miller (Hillsboro Library); Minnehaha Springs CEOS (McClintic Library); Martha Mullet (Geraldine B. Dilley); Donald Nottingham; James M. Nottingham; D.C. Offutt, Jr. (Larry Offutt); Carolyn Phillips (George Phillips); Pocahontas Center (Medical books for McClintic Library); Mona Belle Puffenbarger; Walter Ralston; John and Christine Rebinski; Jay and Sharon Rockefeller; Martin Saffer; Ray and Sue Schultz (Evelyn Withers); Seneca Woodlands Women (Green Bank Library); Jane Price Sharp; Roland P. Sharp (in Honor of Family and Friends); Grace Sharpenberg (Edgar and Rosa Williams); Charles and Carolyn Sheets (Mary Margaret Offutt); Hilda Shelton (McClintic Library); Betty J. Smith; Luis Soriano; Marietta Stemple; Dorothy Strehlen; Dorothy Sutton (Dreama Jackson); Patricia Hefner Tallman; Town of Marlinton; Roger Trusler; Jean Cadwell Tyler (Lucinda and Cadwell Tyler); Hoil and Truda Underwood; Eugene J. Ward; Donald and Connie Waybright; Alesia Wayne (Emma Beard); Leroy and Virginia Webb; Rene White; David and Brenda Williams; Solomon Workman.

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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 up and being splined to those already standing, using glue, screws, and caulk to attach, stabilize, and seal. It reminds me of the rare times when we were kids and my father helped us put together dinosaur models. First, to see all the plastic pieces attached in sheets with numbers in the hundreds, wondering how they went together and how something 2-D would become 3-D.

In the case of the barn raising the pieces were 10 feet tall by four or eight feet wide SIPS panels and took four-to-eight people to lift into place. Each panel displaced a piece of the sky until the 10 foot rectangle box was complete and a door had to be sawn into a panel to allow everyone to come and go. It was a model coming alive in the hours between 8 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Before the day of the barn raising there were those who volunteered their time to get the materials off the flat-bed truck and build the base of wood sills on the foundation. A crew that came from Almost Heaven Habitat, the young people from St. Paul's of Ontario, Canada, one of which came to unload the large panels with Clay Carter, our building engineer, Jason Bauserman, Building Committee and veteran builder, Jeremy Bauserman, and Aaron Pugh, who was on break from West Virginia Wesleyan College.

It looked to me like a most precarious job of balance with so few to maneuver in the rain. The crew from Malvern Preparatory School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, worked in the rain to get the sills ready with their supervisor, Gerry Walls. Michelle Conner, Executive Director, and John Connor, Director of Development, for Almost Heaven Habitat made sure all was prepared for the day ahead in which they and their crew supervisors, Lester Ruddle, Chris Atkins and Steve Cook, would make it happen.

On that bright and shining Saturday, the following people came to build: Jason Bauserman, Gabriel Bosque, Jonah Bauserman, Jack Cummins, Spencer Carr, Denise Campbell (D. 37th District), LuAnn Creager, Dennis Egan, Carlos Figuerra, David Fuller, Judy Fuller, Mike Garrigan, Duane Gibson (PCHS construction teacher), Jocelyn Hanna (Greenbrier Co. HFH), Bill Hartmann (D. 37th District), George Hipes, Allen Johnson (PCFL), Kenneth Lehman, Ginger Must (HPL), Trisha Muratore, Melinda Mello, Cole Nelson, Luis Rodriquez Serrano, Joe Norris, Marilyn Norris, Kenny Queen, Jeffrey Santiago Riviera, Michael Smith, David Stennes, Phillip Whiteis and Jennifer Whiteis.

Those who came to cook were: Mary Peck, Leona Nelson, Frances Greathouse, Sue Ann Heatherly, and Joyce Varner. Those who provided food were: Roger Davis, Sandy Varner, Grace Collins, Donna Warner, Danny Arbogast, Erma Snead, Frank Proud and Pat Adams, Diane Elza, Theresa Curry, Donna Lambert, Gary and Doty Phillips, Mary Arbogast, Kathleen Colaw, Coonie and Daisy Wright, Linda Arbogast, Betsy Hendrick, Dick and Patty Hiner, Jim and Donna Gragg, Judy Fuller, Tara Bauserman and folks from Kinder's Market. Station Two Restaurant on Main Street, Durbin, made all the pizzas for dinner and for the lunches during the following week. Those who organized the supplies, the signs, the safety equipment, recruited the crews, and worried about the weather were the Building Committee, Pete Whiteis, Judy Fuller, Julie Bauserman, Jason Bauserman, Joyce Varner and me.

Since the barn raising, the professionals, working and retired, have volunteered their expertise to set the trusses putting in a nine-hour day on Wednesday, May 25, to compete the skeleton of the roofing, Buster Varner, of Varner Construction, Durbin, supplied and managed the crane and Jacob Meck, of Jacob S. Meck Construction, Green Bank, led the crew on ground and in the air. The time of carpenter and builder, Todd Wright, was donated by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. He supplied hard work in the heights as did Mike Garrigan, veteran Habitat volunteer. Clay Carter, our building engineer, Wayne Gillispie, David Fuller, Ed Phelps, Pete Whiteis (NRAO), and our own Allen Johnson completed the experienced crew.

There was a lot of sun and tired muscles, especially for those who are not in the business daily, but the results were tremendous. The skeleton roof soared above the apple trees. Friday, May 27, showed further development of the eave extensions and proper truss spacing, the work of Ed Phelps, Clay Carter, Dave Fuller, Jonah Bauserman (also of NRAO) and Allen Johnson.

The Pocahontas Libraries and the Durbin Building Committee appreciate the donations of time, hard work and equipment of the businesses and individuals, some of which are their community's own strength, and some of which are the reflection of hope for our county of Pocahontas and our country, and all show attributes of the best in people.

Of course, there is still construction work to do, still monies needed for the finish work, furniture, and equipment, still ways for the public to be part of the project and the progress is fast when many people work together.

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, Saturday was a blue-sky day. After the heavy morning fog burned away, people took off jackets and sweatshirts and enjoyed the "just right" temperature. Sunshine buoyed everyone's spirits, with the volunteer work crews all smiles throughout the workday.

Almost Heaven Habitat For Humanity was a major help. Habitat is based in Franklin and merged last July with Greenbrier and Pocahontas counties. Luann Creager represents Pocahontas County on the board. Creager, by the way, was one of the many capable work crew volunteers on Saturday. Earlier in the week Habitat brought several of its crew leaders and a team of volunteers from Canada to help install the plate and ready the SIPS panels for the Saturday building effort. Rain, heavy at times, made it challenging. Yet the preliminary work paid off as the work was lined out for the Saturday team.

Two of our delegates to the West Virginia Legislature participated on Saturday. Bill Hartman worked like a pro, clambering on the ladder to drive in the splines, putting on glue for sealing the SIPs panels to the plate and to each other, driving in screws and assisting others. Hartman said he enjoys working with his hands, and gets special joy in community volunteer service. Hartman clearly demonstrated his prowess in carpentry ability.

Delegate Denise Campbell also volunteered. Although she humbly admitted to no experience or skill, she quickly and capably caught on to using a portable drill to drive in screws to tie the SIPs panels together, a task she kept up throughout her stay. Campbell's cheerful enthusiasm was as bright as the blue-sky, sun-shiny day.

A number of guest workers from Puerto Rico have been working at Interstate Hardwoods in nearby Bartow, and often use the Durbin Library's Internet computers to check their Facebook pages and email. Five of these young men volunteered their considerable skills and hard work ethic to the project on Saturday, and worked wonderfully within the overall crew structure.

We all were delighted that Duane Gibson, who teaches building construction trades classes at Pocahaontas County High School, and several of his students, spent their day lending their skills. Many years from now, these students can look back to this day with pride.

Lunch was served at the adjacent BFD hall by a team of volunteer cooks led by Joyce Varner, with food donated by local people. The hungry work crews were greatly appreciative of the scrumptious eats while enjoying lively conversation during the lunch break. in the afternoon, work crews had pizza from the local restaurant.

Later this week, trusses will be set, followed by roof sheathing. This ,again, by all-volunteer crews. With the building enclosed, work will begin on the interior. Further funds as well as volunteer help will be greatly appreciated in completing the building that will be a great resource for the northern end of Pocahontas County.

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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 community get together to voluntarily put up its own building?

Habitat For Humanity is helping supervise the Saturday event, its first in Pocahontas County since the recent merger of Pendleton, Greenbrier and Pocahontas counties.

Materials will arrive prior to Saturday. Several people will do some preliminary preparation of the plate and SIPS panels. The concrete pad is now in place, as is the floor heat piping. Local contractor Mike Garber along with Danny Beverage did an excellent job with the pad once the weather gave them a break.

The Durbin Library Building Committee under the leadership of Judy Fuller, and the Upper Pocahontas County Community Cooperative under the leadership of Jason Bauserman, have been highly active in developing the building concept and raising funds. Clayton Carter is architect on the project, as well as Clerk of the Works. Carter has designed a number of libraries, including McClintic and Green Bank in our county.

People familiar with the libraries in Pocahontas County know these facilities are as much community centers as they are libraries. This makes sense in terms of our scale of economy. With our sparse population, people are going to check out only so many books. However, by opening up for a multitude of meetings and programs, the libraries are heavily used. Some counties in West Virginia, such as neighboring Pendleton County, have but one library, which makes for efficiency of operations yet limits services for those who live further away.

The Durbin Building is especially designed for a multipurpose library and community center combination. Approximately one half of the building will hold library functions, the other half will be a multipurpose room for meetings, recreation, community events and dinners. A nice-sized kitchen will be located near the middle of the building. Pocahontas Parks and Recreation will be one of our partners in operations.

The targeted completion of the facility is yet unknown. More funds must be raised. Volunteer help will greatly speed up the completion date. Habitat For Humanity hopes to utilize the facility for its work crews in 2012. While much will need to be done in future months, this Saturday and the following week should see the structure rise from the ground and be fully enclosed. That in itself will be cause for celebration while generating momentum for the interior work.

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 family tree involves a lot of time-consuming research and running into dead ends and brick walls. Once you find that bit of information you've been hunting for, you not only want to celebrate...but you want to share it, and save someone else the long hours of work.

And so, in this week's column, I would like to publicly acknowledge some very generous folks who have given McClintic Library some books that should help genealogists researching their family roots.

Ruth Wilfong Horner donated two items: the "1850-1860 census of Pocahontas County," and a three-ring binder titled "Cemetery Inventories of Pocahontas County, W. Va." She worked on these inventories over the past 40 years and generously gave the work to us to share with others. Sincere thanks to Ruth for letting all that work come to the library.

Roger and Jan Orndorff donated a beautiful book, "Highland County, Va. Death Records, 1853-1898," which was transcribed by Woodrow Clay Hamilton, Jr. As you know, if you've ever looked at some of those old records, they can be very difficult to read; having someone take the time to transcribe them all is a huge plus.

Curtis Curry has put together another book, a small volume called "The Churches of Pocahontas County." He features photographs and a brief write-up of the various churches that exist (or existed) in our county. This is handy information to have; church records of baptisms, marriages and burials can be invaluable for the family researcher.

Merne Nottingham Kelley donated a huge volume called "William Nottingham Sr. of Pocahontas County, Va. (now W. Va.) before 1759 to 1799 and his descendants." This work was compiled by Jan Nottingham Merklin and is more than 1,700 pages. This was truly a labor of love; I can't imagine how long it took her to finish this book. And if you might be a part of the Nottingham family, you are in luck!

Remember too: the libraries in the county have small, hand-held scanners that we allow people to check out. These are wonderful for scanning documents or photographs. Some old record books are large and cumbersome, making photocopying rather difficult. Or you may have found some photographs that the owner is willing to share, but doesn't really want to have you take somewhere to photocopy. All you have to do with the scanner is run it steadily down the page you want to copy. The scans are saved to a disc, and you can transfer the documents or photographs to your computer.

The libraries also have a membership to Ancestry.com which patrons can use. If you come to the library, we can log you onto our account. This gives you access to all kinds of records. If you've never used Ancestry before, stop in at McClintic. Pam Johnson or I will be happy to get you started on your search for your roots.

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