Friday, August 29, 2014

Staff Picks: A Hundred Horses

A Hundred Horses
Sarah Lean

A Hundred Horses by Sarah Lean is a book for children between the ages of eight and twelve. The main character is a girl named Nell who lives with her divorced mother in the city. Her father, an electrician, abandoned the family. Because of this, Nell feels she has to hide her interest in electronics from her mother, who is a very stressed-out working mom. 

When she has to go to a business conference over the spring holiday, Nell's mother sends Nell to stay with her sister, Nell's aunt, out in the country. At first Nell feels very uncomfortable in unfamiliar surroundings, but soon she makes friends with her aunt and cousins and the old lady who lives on a neighboring farm. 

Then enters the next important protagonist, an orphaned runaway girl named Angel. Angel is surly and unfriendly at first, but she has a way with animals, particularly horses. The way Nell and Angel devise a way to save a crippled foal and the way Nell saves Angel from going back to an unhappy foster home are blended to combine friendship, self-discovery, and just a little bit of magic! 

A really nice book with a happy and satisfying ending, it is available in our children's department with the call number JF Lean.S.

Marian 
Librarian
Martinsburg Public Library

Monday, August 18, 2014

College CAN be in your future!

Applying for college can be difficult, overwhelming, and even down-right scary! We're here to help! You are welcome to attend six FREE workshops with National Certified Counselor Dianne Keilholtz at the Martinsburg Public Library on the following Tuesdays from 6:30-8:00 PM:

Tuesday, August 26
The Who, What, When, Where, and Why of College Admissions

Tuesday, September 16
Which college is the best fit for you?

Tuesday, September 30
Applying to College

Tuesday, October 21
The All-Important College Essay

Tuesday, November 4
The College Essay, Part II

Tuesday, November 18
How do I pay for this? FAFSA and Scholarships

Contact Dianne Keilholtz at 240-285-1920 with any questions. Or call the Martinsburg Public Library at 304-267-8933. We look forward to seeing you this fall!

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Thank you!

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Our Summer Reading Program was a HUGE success! So many organizations and people have helped. A successful SRP takes an incredible number of hours planning then presenting a wide variety of programming as seen in all of the Martinsburg-Berkeley County Public Libraries this summer.

The Martinsburg Public Library would like to thank:

Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation
Martinsburg Public Library Board of Directors
Lizard Breath Communications
Adam Stephen House & gardening friends
Ellen Murphy and Potomac Valley Audubon Society
Jill Speelman and WV Extension Office/Berkeley County
NASA IVV of Fairmont, WV
Debbie Shaw and Leigh Ervine/Robotics Workshop
Our faithful volunteers, supporters, and patrons!

The Musselman-South Berkeley Community Library would like to thank:

Norman Cherner and the Inwood Rite-Aid
Many adult and teenage volunteers!

The Naylor Memorial Library would like to thank:

Friends of Hedgesville Library
Gail Siano

The North Berkeley Public Library would like to thank:

Angie Cox, retired teacher
Michael T, magician/author
Carla Kitchen from Kitchen's Farm Market
Bob Phelps, builder of awesome catapults
Wonderful patrons at NBL who donated plants, seeds, duck tape, tomato cages, top soil, nail polish, and lots of broken appliances (to disassemble in engineering club)


Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Hedgesville Public Library GRAND OPENING

The Martinsburg-Berkeley County Public Libraries proudly announces the opening of a brand new 4,000 square foot library building in Hedgesville. The Grand Opening is scheduled for Monday, August 11, 2014 at 11:00 am. The public is invited. 

Located at 207 N. Mary St. on Route 901 in Hedgesville, the library's new location almost triples the size of the current space in Naylor Memorial Hall. The new library boasts a completely modern heating and cooling system, plus a 17 space parking lot for our patrons!

Not only is the new Hedgesville Public Library directly adjacent to one of the main roads in Hedgesville, but it is also situated within sight of Hedgesville Middle School, within walking distance of Hedgesville Elementary School, and within a three-minute drive of Hedgesville High School. With this prime location and a greatly expanded facility, we are planning extensive collaborations with the school teachers of Berkeley County as well as providing numerous programs offered for students to further their education.

The Hedgesville Public Library is committed to appealing to the entire community. The library will host movie nights (with different themes: details coming soon!), LEGO clubs for all ages, READ dogs will visit twice a month, and more! For adults, we are working with local historians and authors to bring engaging and informative presentations to the library. We also hope to have a variety of other adult programs available to our patrons throughout the year. More details will be coming soon!

Have an idea for a program? Would you like to volunteer at the new library or just want more information? Contact the staff at 304-754-3949 or at 304-267-8933.

See you August 11th!

Sunday, August 3, 2014

We're jammin' @ the library!

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We're jammin' at the library! 

Join us on Thursdays in August at 6:00 pm for live music! 

Enjoy a variety of styles of music on the plaza, then ask questions of the musicians.

August 7
Solar Music with Graham

August 14
Blues with Alec

August 21
Female Barbershop Quartet -  "A Touch of Velvet"

Friday, August 1, 2014

August 2014: From the Director's Chair

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In the Spring/Summer 2014 issue of Read Aloud WV's newsletter, volunteer Trudy Oliver says, "...the most important [lessons she learned from the children is that no technology exists that can eradicate the power of the imagination."

Reading to children stimulates imagination and keeps it alive. Although most children can imagine even the most impossible thing, adults do not seem to retain this ability as they age. Imagination depends on a certain amount of freedom and as children's and adults' lives become more structured and filled with activity, there is less and less time to just imagine. When was the last time you or your child had time to daydream without the cell phone, television, or other people demanding your attention?

Which is why every community needs a good library. What, you ask, do libraries have to do with imagination?

Answer: EVERYTHING

Many people view libraries as warehouses of books no longer needed because, they say, all of this information is stored online. However, story times and other creative programs fuel the imaginations of both children and adults. From travel to inventions, picture books to magazines, the collections in most libraries stimulate your imagination and encourage you to dream.

Some children's first experiences with books are at a library, especially if the parents/guardians do not value reading in the home. By providing materials free of charge, and making them accessible to all, libraries offer people the chance to explore different worlds without judgment and stretch their imaginations.

Without access to free information in libraries, residents would have to depend on what they can find on their electronic devices (if they can afford them) or by word of mouth, which is rarely a reliable or unbiased source of information.

Thus, people depend on libraries as a place to ignite their creativity and provide information that is easy to find, reliable, and free of charge. Stop by your local library today and reignite your imagination!