Library Services For Marlinton And Hillsboro Elementary Schools Continued For Remainder Of School Year

Marlinton, WV – The Library Education Programs for Marlinton and Hillsboro Elementary schools will continue through the end of the school year. In light of the savings derived from the resignation of the Head librarian at Durbin, and a recalculation of the budget for the Hillsboro program, the Board of Directors of the Pocahontas County Free Libraries decided that they could continue the program for the remainder of the school year. There is a small short fall and the Board intends to petition the Board of Education to help make up that portion.

PCFL Executive Director Allen Johnson says that with better scheduling, they can potentially reduce the costs of the elementary programs for next year. He says that he would be happy to work with the Board of Education with planning and scheduling for next year.

Sue Ann Heatherly President of the Library board, says that the Barn Raising for the new Durbin Library will be Saturday May 21st. Construction on the pad and heating system will get underway as soon as the weather permits. She says they met with Michelle and John Connor from Habitat for Humanity, and architect Clay Carter. They determined that while Habitat can provide some material, their primary contribution will be in providing organizational expertise and supervision of the construction process.

Heatherly says that Habitat for Humanity is expanding its operations into Pocahontas County. They are looking for a place to use as sleeping and living quarters to support their operations when they are working the county. Habitat proposes trading expertise and labor on the Durbin Library for permission to use the Library as a Headquarters. They would require use of the Community Room for sleeping at night, as well as using the kitchen for meal preparation. Habitat says they would need to use the facility for up to 14 weeks per year.

Heatherly says that as Habitat would be purchasing food, fuel, and other materials locally, the local economy would benefit. She says that Habitat feels that they would be compensating the community for the use of the facilities.
The Durbin Library Building Committee wants to develop a Memorandum of Understanding with Habitat. The MOU would be for two years, 2012 and 2013. After that both parties could review the MOU to see if the relationship should be continued.

The Board authorized the Durbin committee to work with Habitat to develop a mutually beneficial Memorandum of Understanding for approval by the Board at the next meeting. The Board wants to ensure that everything is in writing and it must address such things as reimbursement for utilities, liability, no alcohol or parties and cleaning the facility.

Regarding the Linwood Library, the Board expressed its dissatisfaction with the Linwood Library Association. Heatherly says she doesn’t think the Association realizes the seriousness of the situation. She says that if more funding for Linwood is not assured, it may be impossible to maintain the Library. Heatherly says at the last Library Board meeting, they had requested some specific information from the Association. One month later, they still have not received that information.

The Board feels that the Association should have approached the Homeowners Associations at Snowshoe last year. Heatherly suggests that a series of slides be developed to present to all the Homeowners Associations. The presentations must be consistent and clearly state the objective to secure more donations to operate the Linwood Branch. Meetings with the homeowners start on the 19th of March, and continue throughout the summer.

The next meeting of the Pocahontas County Free Libraries Board of Directors will be on April 18 at the Green Bank Library.