LEWISBURG W.Va. (WVDN) – During the recent kick-off event, the trustees, board members and Chairperson Mardi McMillan welcomed donations and the local community to The Greenbrier County Public Library. Trustees in attendance were Terry Thompson, Rich Ford, Jim Rowe and Barbara Elliott. Loyal library donors were gathered to kick off the fund drive for the 2023-24 year.
As McMillan spoke briefly about the evening, library staff were given a huge shoutout for always going above and beyond to help patrons. A musical trio called The Honey Drops regaled partygoers with lovely Christmas and jazz tunes. A light fare was served along with a wine bar. Delicate finger foods, such as bacon-wrapped dates, cucumber finger sandwiches, prosciutto-wrapped cantaloupe and goat cheese tarts.
Some fiscal notes from the past year were that 158 programs were offered with 3,412 people in attendance. Two incredibly successful programs were The Summer Reading Program and The Children’s Story Hour. A new program that is very attractive is assistance with passports. An impressive 492 passport applications were processed with the help of library staff.
The county library has 11 public access computers used regularly by community members, of which many need technical assistance from the library staff. Their collection now includes 35,635 printed items, 1,403 audio CDs and 2,060 videos. Patrons also have access to free e-books and audiobooks through the WV Reads Program. The library serves not only Lewisburg and Northern Greenbrier County, it is also a service center that supports 14 smaller libraries in 6 counties.
A new stone bench graces the entrance of the library in honor of Danny Boone, the predecessor of the Chair of the Board of Trustees. Another bench will soon be installed in honor of the late Dave Nalker, a former trustee and board chair.
McMillan stated, “We could not operate without the support we receive from the City of Lewisburg, The Greenbrier County Commission, The Greenbrier County Board of Education and The State of West Virginia. I want to acknowledge the hard work and generosity of The Friends of the Library, who raise money through their annual book sale and salad luncheon, that helps purchase equipment and supplies. We are also fortunate to receive support from the Hallowell Foundation and the Seneca Trail Charitable Foundation. We depend on additional support from donors like you who help us go beyond the basics, to offer longer hours and a higher level of service. The building is 16 years old now, so those expenses will only increase. Your gifts will help us continue to provide vital services and maintain this wonderful building, for the benefit of the entire community.”
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