From the Director’s Chair
As winter and the holiday season approach, sedentary activities, such as sewing, crafting, and reading become more popular. School has started and students are reading textbooks and researching various topics. All of these activities increase library usage.
This is also a perfect time to focus on life-long learning, one of the library’s missions. With Hedgesville Day, the Apple Harvest Festival, and the anniversary of the founding of the Martinsburg Public Library all falling in October, this month is the perfect time to delve into local and state history.
The Martinsburg Public Library has a collection of almost 2,500 local history and genealogy titles in the C.E. Campbell Beall Local History & Genealogical Research Room. This room is named for a local businessman and community leader who was president of the Martinsburg Public Library Board for 44 years, as well as chairman of the West Virginia Library Commission for 40 years. A strong advocate for public libraries, he was instrumental in the construction of the Martinsburg Public Library building in 1967, its addition in 1981, and the creation of the combination of a high school and public library, the Musselman-South Berkeley Community Library, in 1998.
The local history collection is a combination of local, county, state, and regional history as well as genealogical information. Some items deal with the history and peoples of Virginia, as West Virginia was part of that state until 1865. Other items focus on the surrounding counties in the nearby states of Maryland and Pennsylvania.
Many items in this local history collection are original source material. The microfilm collection includes newspapers of Berkeley, Jefferson, and Morgan Counties in West Virginia from 1791 to the present. None of these materials are circulated, although copies may be made on copiers or microfilm printers or saved onto a USB drive.
We also have a circulating collection of almost 1,000 items that address West Virginia history and biography and works written by authors from the state. These materials, located in the West Virginia collection (WV Shelf) on the top floor of the Martinsburg Library, may be taken home and read at your leisure. For example, if you prefer short stories, read Doors by Charleston native, William Hoffman. To learn more about our diverse culture, read Memphis Tennessee Garrison: the remarkable story of a black Appalachian woman, by Memphis Tennessee Garrison. Peruse this collection to discover the many unique and surprising titles that reflect the talent and impact of West Virginians on history over the decades.
Our branches also have a local history and a circulating West Virginia history collection which continues to increase as interest for this type of information grows stronger. Each branch tries to focus on topics specific to that area. North Berkeley Public Library concentrates on the information surrounding the Battle of Falling Waters while Hedgesville Public Library houses the history of Hedgesville. The Musselman-South Berkeley Community Library focuses on the apple industry. All four libraries are continuously looking for quality material to add to their collections.
From its various industries to its role in the United States Civil War, Berkeley County and the surrounding areas are rich in history. This month, read to explore and to appreciate your West Virginia heritage—either by birth or by choice.
