Submitted photo Elkins Randolph County Library Director Ruth Mitchell and President of the Board of Directors Jennifer LaMora Morgan address the Elkins Rotary Club.

Submitted photo
Elkins Randolph County Library Director Ruth Mitchell and President of the Board of Directors Jennifer LaMora Morgan address the Elkins Rotary Club.

ELKINS –Jennifer LaMora Morgan, president of the board of directors, and Ruth Mitchell, director of the Elkins Randolph County Public Library, updated the Elkins Rotary club on the library’s recent activities.

In December, the library suffered a flood while roofing work was being done at the facility and has been closed since that time. Luckily, only 350 books were lost in the flood and all remaining books were put in storage. Now, however, the library has been able to open a temporary satellite location on Randolph Avenue in the former T.R. Ross law office. According to Mitchell, this location offers computer use, print, copy, scan and fax services, as well as the availability of a Notary Public.

The library also offers research services. They are able to locate ancestry information, obituaries and gravesites. They also offer technical education such as learning how to email and submit job applications online. Free WiFi is offered at this location and “[I]t is common for people to come and spend hours at the library using the WiFi as well as students using the WiFi to do homework” said Mitchell.

The library has a two-year contact with MicroLogic to provide free WiFi service for the communities at the Beverly fire department and the Coalton fire department.

“The children’s program is up and running,” according to Mitchell. The summer reading program at the Beverly Elementary School just concluded and the library staff worked with the school on family fun nights and library volunteers spent time reading to the students under the Read Aloud program.

Volunteers are currently working with the Beverly Bookmobile reading to students and providing a take-and-make craft for the students to do with their families. The summer reading program in Elkins is taking place in the Elkins City Park at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday mornings.

In February, a branch of the library opened in Beverly on the top floor of the Beverly Heritage Center. Like the Elkins location, this facility also offers computer use, print, copy, scan and fax as well as the services of a Notary Public. The Beverly branch is open on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 10:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Since last summer, the library has had an Americorp worker, Josh Wanstreet, digitizing older books in the library which can now be found on the library’s website. Wanstreet will be with the library another year and will be offering trainings and workshops for the community to provide digitizing of old photos and keepsakes.

Work has begun on the renovation of the main library building. The basement area and the main two-tier level will remain with an additional 2,000 square feet being added to the two levels. Windows and more lighting will be added to enhance the facility.

The front of the library will have an all glass facade and there is the potential for a coffee shop or cafe in that area. The children’s area will be moved to the upper tier of the main area of the library and a part of that section will be enclosed to cut down on the noise. There will be book stacks as well as a play area for the children.

The new upper floor will have more seating areas as well as a small conference room that will be available for group meetings, a West Virginia history section, a young adult area and tutoring rooms. The revamped lower level will have a larger conference room and kitchen space making the area appropriate for small parties and meetings. There will be a separate entrance to this area so that it can be utilized outside normal library hours.

The library board is continuing to seek input from the public on the plans for the library renovations. Anyone with comments or questions can contact Morgan at (304) 636-3560 or jmorgan@bztlaw.com. General questions relating to the library can be directed to Mitchell at 304- 637-0287 or r.mitchell@elkinslibrary.com.

The library will be undertaking a major fundraising campaign in the near future to support these extensive renovations. “We want to see this done as quickly as possible … we want to see this building up and running and meeting the needs of the community,” added Morgan.

Rotary is a global network of 1.4 million neighbors, friends, leaders and problem-solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to creating lasting change — across the globe, in their communities, and in themselves.

Visit www.Rotary.org to learn more about Rotary International, visit the club’s Facebook page — Rotary Club of Elkins — or contact club president Kristie Vandevander at k–ware@yahoo.com for more information about the Rotary Club of Elkins.