PCFL gets new VISTA

 

The Pocahontas County Free Library network has a new VISTA volunteer helping out. Christine Holsinger is originally from Williamsburg, Virginia. She studied biology at VCU before her arrival here, and she said it was the laid back atmosphere that attracted her to the area.

“I guess I just like the setting kind of,” says Holsinger. “The fact that it was more rural, and there’s a lot of outdoor opportunities here. It was really appealing.”

Holsinger will be working at the all of the libraries in the county. Most recently she’s been at McClintic, trying to assemble a volunteer work force for the library network. She said they’re looking for a range of talents, not just someone to put away books.

“We’re trying kind of a lot of different recruitment methods,” she says. “Like getting things out on Facebook, in the paper, flyers. Some of the libraries need people to work the evening hours, and like here at McClintic, we have people to cover hours mostly, what we really need more people that are behind the scenes, doing things like gardening for the libraries, some building maintenance, graphic design, things like that.”

Holsinger said they plan on starting a couple of new community outreach programs at the libraries this year.

“Another program that we’re kind of trying to start up is with the animal shelter here, where the kids would, kind of in place of a tutor program, read to the animals instead of to a high school tutor, which has been shown in studies kind of reduces their anxiety about the situation,” she says. “So they feel more comfortable, and they get more into reading and it also helps socialize animals.”

Another idea they want to start would be kind of a delivery program so that home bound library members can take full advantage of what the library network has to offer. Holsinger said she’s glad to be here. She enjoys the outdoors and can’t wait to take advantage of what Pocahontas County has to offer.

“I can’t wait for it to get warm enough and I can actually go out and start doing some hiking and some exploring around the area,” says Holsinger. “I like it so far. The people are really cool and the area is really pretty, even though it has been mostly frozen over since I got here.”