WV Reads 150

West Virginia Librarians, Supporters, Book Sellers and Others:

We are very proud to announce the launch of West Virginia Reads 150, a reading challenge that celebrates West Virginia’s 150th birthday in 2013. This program is being sponsored jointly by the West Virginia Center for the Book at the West Virginia Library Commission and the Kanawha County Public Library. Additional support comes from the West Virginia Humanities Council and the U.S. Institute for Museum and Library Services.

The year-long reading initiative encourages West Virginians to read 150 books in any format (printed book, e-book, audiobook, downloadable text, etc.) from any source, during the course of 2013, West Virginia’s sesquicentennial year. Books can be on any topic, fiction or non-fiction; they must be read between January 1 and December 31, 2013.

People can read 150 books individually, or create teams to read 150 books collectively. Libraries across West Virginia are encouraged to form teams to compete. Teams, which can have up to 15 members, must choose a name and select a leader to keep track of the books read by team members.

All ages and groups can participate – friends, coworkers, book clubs, classmates, seniors, etc. If children are too young to read on their own, kids can have their parents read to them. Families can use their Summer Reading Program reading toward their West Virginia Reads 150 tally.

WVLC, with the support of KCPL will provide libraries with West Virginia Reads 150 artwork, templates, window clings, reader’s advisories, a Good Reads web site, social media support and program ideas. Libraries are free to customize West Virginia Reads 150 for their own needs and/or develop their own programs and initiatives. Prizes, certificates, etc. will be up to participating libraries and sponsoring organizations.

The program is not limited to public libraries – bookstores, school and academic libraries, literacy organizations, youth services providers and more are encouraged to participate in West Virginia Reads 150.

For complete details about the program, guides, and other information, please visit the program website. If your library, school, bookstore, or agency decides to join us in WV Reads 150, please let us know and provide us with contact information so that we can include your information in the program website and in program mailings. Please also let us know of your West Virginia Reads 150 programs and activities so that we can help publicize them as “sanctioned” events.

Electronic Resources- Fiscal Cliff

Do talks of the Fiscal Cliff make you want to jump off a cliff? Did you come down with a case of the post-election fiscal blues? Do you want a deeper understanding of the subject than the soundbites from the talking heads?

Look no further.

Public understanding and engagement is key to a solution. To that end, Dr. Karen Kunz, Assistant Professor at West Virginia University, Division of Public Administration, has put together a list of electronic resources to aid you in gaining a better understanding of all the talk.


Urban- Brookings Institute
http://www.brookings.edu/about/centers/taxpolicy

Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget
http://crfb.org/

Bipartisan Policy Center
http://bipartisanpolicy.org

West Virginia Center on Budget & Policy
www.wvpolicy.org

Congressional Budget Office
www.cbo.gov

Office of Management & Budget
www.omb.gov

Wonkbook, Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/

House of Representatives
www.house.gov

Senate
www.senate.gov

New Library Update Available to View

The newest episode of Library Update is up on YouTube. This is part one of Episode 15, Electronic Resources. Make sure to catch parts 2 and 3 of the episode as well.

The West Virginia Library Commission is committed to promoting, assisting, and supporting high quality library services and information resources to all West Virginia residents. This includes getting relevant information out to library directors, their staff, and patrons through various formats. Currently the Library Commission uses its website, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, e-bulletins and now YouTube to disseminate information. 

WVLC plans on bringing you current programs, topics, and trends. This broad spectrum includes partnerships, training, programming, and service. We want this program to be a useful, entertaining resource for you. If you ever have any questions or comments regarding topics on this show, please do not hesitate to call us at 1-800-642-9021. 

This program is not intended to act as a calendar of events, but as a vehicle of ideology and practical tips. Specific event information can always be found on our website www.librarycommission.wv.gov and at your local libraries.

The video in this post is the first segment of the episode. Check it out, then view parts 2 and 3. Make sure you subscribe to the West Virginia Library Commission YouTube channel so you don't miss the newest episodes!

Lunch with Local Author TOMORROW

The West Virginia Center for the Book will host Charleston author Jim Wallace on Friday, November 16th at Noon in the Library Commission's State Library in the State Culture Center. Wallace will be discussing and autographing his new book "A History of the West Virginia Capitol: The House of State." Bring a brown-bag lunch and we will provide drinks/dessert. Please join us!

Capitol Reads

November's Capitol Read is Rocket Boys: A Memoir by Homer H. Hickam, Jr.

The #1 New York Times bestselling memoir that inspired the film October Sky, Rocket Boys is a uniquely American memoir—a powerful, luminous story of coming of age at the dawn of the 1960s, of a mother's love and a father's fears, of a group of young men who dreamed of launching rockets into outer space . . . and who made those dreams come true.

With the grace of a natural storyteller, NASA engineer Homer Hickam paints a warm, vivid portrait of the harsh West Virginia mining town of his youth, evoking a time of innocence and promise, when anything was possible, even in a company town that swallowed its men alive. A story of romance and loss, of growing up and getting out, Homer Hickam's lush, lyrical memoir is a chronicle of triumph—at once exquisitely written and marvelously entertaining.

More information about Capitol Reads selections can be found on the WVLC website.

New Library Update Available to View

The newest episode of Library Update is up on YouTube. This is part one of Episode 14, Adult Services. Make sure to catch parts 2 and 3 of the episode as well.

The West Virginia Library Commission is committed to promoting, assisting, and supporting high quality library services and information resources to all West Virginia residents. This includes getting relevant information out to library directors, their staff, and patrons through various formats. Currently the Library Commission uses its website, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, e-bulletins and now YouTube to disseminate information. 

WVLC plans on bringing you current programs, topics, and trends. This broad spectrum includes partnerships, training, programming, and service. We want this program to be a useful, entertaining resource for you. If you ever have any questions or comments regarding topics on this show, please do not hesitate to call us at 1-800-642-9021. 

This program is not intended to act as a calendar of events, but as a vehicle of ideology and practical tips. Specific event information can always be found on our website www.librarycommission.wv.gov and at your local libraries.

The video in this post is the first segment of the episode. Check it out, then view parts 2 and 3. Make sure you subscribe to the West Virginia Library Commission YouTube channel so you don't miss the newest episodes!

Do we still need the Electoral College?

Do we still need the Electoral College? was the question under discussion today when Dr. Tera McCown of the University of Charleston came to the West Virginia Library Commission. The lunchtime discussion was well-attended and lively.

For more information about the Electoral College and other election-related resources check out the NARA Federal Register and U.S. Electoral College homepage website.

Watch the WVLC blog, website, and Facebook page for more lunchtime programs.

Events are free and open to the public.

Capitol Reads

October's Capitol Read is The Memory of Old Jack by Wendell Berry

In a rural Kentucky river town, "Old Jack" Beechum, a retired farmer, sees his life again through the shades of one burnished day in September 1952. Bringing the earthiness of America's past to mind, The Memory of Old Jack conveys truth and integrity of the land and the people who live from it. Through the eyes of one man can be seen the values Americans strive to recapture today.

More information about Capitol Reads selections can be found on the WVLC website.

WVLC at Conference

Banned Books Week Screening

The West Virginia Library Commission screened the film "The Day They Came to Arrest the Book" to wrap up Banned Books Week. The film, though 25 years old, is surprisingly modern and relevant.

Check to see if your local library has a copy of the film. You can also view it on YouTube.

Banned Books Week Turns 30

Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Typically held during the last week of September, it highlights the value of free and open access to information. Banned Books Week brings together the entire book community –- librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types –- in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.

The Library Commission will be celebrating Banned Books Week by showing the classic "The Day They Came to Arrest the Book." The film is approximately 45 minutes long. Join us for the lunchtime showing on Friday, October 5, at noon, in the Childers Room. This event is free and open to the public. Bring your own lunch. Cookies and beverages will be provided.

For more information on Banned Books Week, click here.

For more information about the Friday film event, contact Megan Tarbett, 304-558-2045

Lunch with Local Author

The West Virginia Center for the Book will host Charleston author Jim Wallace on Friday, November 16th at Noon in the Library Commission's State Library in the State Culture Center. Wallace will be discussing and autographing his new book "A History of the West Virginia Capitol: The House of State." Bring a brown-bag lunch and we will provide drinks/dessert. Please join us!

Capitol Reads

September's Capitol Read is Breakfast with Buddha by Roland Merullo

When his sister tricks him into taking her guru on a trip to their childhood home, Otto Ringling, a confirmed skeptic, is not amused. Six days on the road with an enigmatic holy man who answers every question with a riddle is not what he'd planned. But in an effort to westernize his passenger—and amuse himself—he decides to show the monk some "American fun" along the way. From a chocolate factory in Hershey to a bowling alley in South Bend, from a Cubs game at Wrigley field to his family farm near Bismarck, Otto is given the remarkable opportunity to see his world—and more important, his life—through someone else's eyes. Gradually, skepticism yields to amazement as he realizes that his companion might just be the real thing.

In Roland Merullo's masterful hands, Otto tells his story with all the wonder, bemusement, and wry humor of a man who unwittingly finds what he's missing in the most unexpected place.

New Library Updates Available to View

The newest episodes of Library Update are up on YouTube. This is part one of Episode 13. Make sure to watch all of the parts of Episode 12, Summer Reading Programs, and Episode 13, Assistive Technology.

The West Virginia Library Commission is committed to promoting, assisting, and supporting high quality library services and information resources to all West Virginia residents. This includes getting relevant information out to library directors, their staff, and patrons through various formats. Currently the Library Commission uses its website, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, e-bulletins and now YouTube to disseminate information. 

WVLC plans on bringing you current programs, topics, and trends. This broad spectrum includes partnerships, training, programming, and service. We want this program to be a useful, entertaining resource for you. If you ever have any questions or comments regarding topics on this show, please do not hesitate to call us at 1-800-642-9021. 

This program is not intended to act as a calendar of events, but as a vehicle of ideology and practical tips. Specific event information can always be found on our website www.librarycommission.wv.gov and at your local libraries.

The video in this post is the first segment of the episode. Check it out, then view parts 2 and 3. Make sure you subscribe to the West Virginia Library Commission YouTube channel so you don't miss the newest episodes!

September is Library Card Sign-up Month

Capitol Reads

August's Capitol Read was The Night of the Hunter by Davis Grubb

Inspired by serial killer Harry Powers, "The Bluebeard of Quiet Dell," who was hung in 1932 for his murders of two widows and three children. This best-selling novel, first published in 1953 to wide acclaim by author Grubb, (who like Powers lived in Clarksburg, West Virginia), served as the basis for Charles Laughton's noir classic .

Renamed "Harry Powell," the lead character in this book, with LOVE and HATE tattooed on his fingers, is remembered as one of the creepiest men in book and cinema history.


The Capitol Reads book discussion group not only talked about Grubbs' classic novel but also had an opportunity to view the classic film on the big screen at the Normal L. Fagan Theater at the Culture Center.

More information about Capitol Reads selections can be found on the WVLC website.

Borrow a Kill-A-Watt Meter Kit from the Library

State Library Services has two Kill-A-Watt meter kits available for checkout to Library customers. A Kill-A-Watt meter is a device that measures the amount of electricity used by household appliances. Kits include an operations sheet, worksheets to help users calculate energy costs associated with household electrical appliances and a kill-a-watt meter.

This service is brought to you by Appalachian Power in conjunction with the West Virginia Library Commission.

Library closed Monday September 3

The West Virginia Library Commission will be closed on Monday, September 3 to observe the Labor Day holiday.

Encyclopedia Britannica available outside of the library

The Library offers access to Encyclopedia Britannica Online for locations outside the library.  Contact the Library for more information on how registered Library card members can access this resource or to become a card holder.

Cabell County Public Library speaker location moved

We apologize for sending this to people that it does not necessarily apply to. However, if you would spread the word it would be greatly appreciated.

There has been a change in location for the author speaking at the Cabell County Public Library.  Michael Hingson event will take place on Thursday, August 2, at the Pullman Hotel on the second floor.

We appreciate your patience in this matter! We hope you enjoy this inspirational author.

Capitol Reads

July's Capitol Read is The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

An enchanting New York Times and international bestseller and award-winner about life, art, literature, philosophy, culture, class, privilege, and power, seen through the eyes of a 54-year old French concierge and a precocious but troubled 12-year-old girl.

Renée Michel is the 54-year-old concierge of a luxury Paris apartment building. Her exterior (“short, ugly, and plump”) and demeanor (“poor, discreet, and insignificant”) belie her keen, questing mind and profound erudition. Paloma Josse is a 12-year-old genius who behaves as everyone expects her to behave: a mediocre pre-teen high on adolescent subculture, a good but not outstanding student, an obedient if obstinate daughter. She plans to kill herself on the sixteenth of June, her thirteenth birthday.

Both Renée and Paloma hide their true talents and finest qualities from the bourgeois families around them, until a wealthy Japanese gentleman named Ozu moves into building. Only he sees through them, perceiving the secret that haunts Renée, winning Paloma's trust, and helping the two discover their kindred souls. Moving, funny, tender, and triumphant, Barbery's novel exalts the quiet victories of the inconspicuous among us.

Visit the Capitol Reads page on the WVLC website for more information and future discussion titles.

Staff Pick of the Week

Megan's Pick

This week's selection is The Taker by Alma Katsu

This book started a little slow for me, but wow, once it got going, I just held on for the ride -Megan

True love can last an eternity . . . but immortality comes at a price. . . .

On the midnight shift at a hospital in rural Maine, Dr. Luke Findley is expecting another quiet evening of frostbite and the occasional domestic dispute. But the minute Lanore McIlvrae—Lanny—walks into his ER, she changes his life forever. A mysterious woman with a past and plenty of dark secrets, Lanny is unlike anyone Luke has ever met. He is inexplicably drawn to her . . . despite the fact that she is a murder suspect with a police escort. And as she begins to tell her story, a story of enduring love and consummate betrayal that transcends time and mortality, Luke finds himself utterly captivated.

Her impassioned account begins at the turn of the nineteenth century in the same small town of St. Andrew, Maine, back when it was a Puritan settlement. Consumed as a child by her love for the son of the town’s founder, Lanny will do anything to be with him forever. But the price she pays is steep—an immortal bond that chains her to a terrible fate for all eternity. And now, two centuries later, the key to her healing and her salvation lies with Dr. Luke Findley.

Part historical novel, part supernatural page-turner, The Taker is an unforgettable tale about the power of unrequited love not only to elevate and sustain, but also to blind and ultimately destroy, and how each of us is responsible for finding our own path to redemption.

This title, and others like it, can be found in the West Virginia Library Commission Reference Library. The Taker can also available for check-out on audiobook (CD)

Library eBook Accessibility Program (LEAP)

Accessible eBooks

This library, in partnership with Bookshare and OverDrive (our technology partner for this site) is pleased to introduce you to LEAP - the Library eBook Accessibility Program. If you have a print disability, are in need of accessible eBooks and are a patron of WV-READS, or WV DELI, sign in to your account, or call your local library, to learn if you may qualify for a free LEAP subscription at Bookshare.

New Library Update Available to View

The newest episode of Library Update is up on YouTube. This is part one. Make sure to watch all of the parts of Episode 11, Continuing Education and Professional Development.

The West Virginia Library Commission is committed to promoting, assisting, and supporting high quality library services and information resources to all West Virginia residents. This includes getting relevant information out to library directors, their staff, and patrons through various formats. Currently the Library Commission uses its website, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, e-bulletins and now YouTube to disseminate information. 

WVLC plans on bringing you current programs, topics, and trends. This broad spectrum includes partnerships, training, programming, and service. We want this program to be a useful, entertaining resource for you. If you ever have any questions or comments regarding topics on this show, please do not hesitate to call us at 1-800-642-9021. 

This program is not intended to act as a calendar of events, but as a vehicle of ideology and practical tips. Specific event information can always be found on our website www.librarycommission.wv.gov and at your local libraries.

The video in this post is the first segment of the episode. Check it out, then view parts 2 and 3. Make sure you subscribe to the West Virginia Library Commission YouTube channel so you don't miss the newest episodes!

Capitol Reads

June's Capitol Read is Bait and Switch by Barbara Ehrenreich

Americans’ working lives are growing more precarious every day. Corporations slash employees by the thousands, and the benefits and pensions once guaranteed by “middle-class” jobs are a thing of the past.

In Bait and Switch, Barbara Ehrenreich goes back undercover to explore another hidden realm of the economy: the shadowy world of the white-collar unemployed. Armed with the plausible résumé of a professional “in transition,” she attempts to land a “middle-class” job. She submits to career coaching, personality testing, and EST-like boot camps, and attends job fairs, networking events, and evangelical job-search ministries. She is proselytized, scammed, lectured, and—again and again—rejected.

Bait and Switch highlights the people who have done everything right—gotten college degrees, developed marketable skills, and built up impressive résumés—yet have become repeatedly vulnerable to financial disaster. There are few social supports for these newly disposable workers, Ehrenreich discovers, and little security even for those who have jobs. Worst of all, there is no honest reckoning with the inevitable consequences of the harsh new economy; rather, the jobless are persuaded that they have only themselves to blame.

Alternately hilarious and tragic, Bait and Switch, like the classic Nickel and Dimed, is a searing exposé of the cruel new reality in which we all now live.

Library Closed June 20, 2012

The Library Commission Reference Library will be closed on West Virginia Day, June 20.

New Library Update available to view

The newest episode of Library Update is up on YouTube. This is part one. Make sure to watch all of the parts of Episode 10, Letters About Literature.

The West Virginia Library Commission is committed to promoting, assisting, and supporting high quality library services and information resources to all West Virginia residents. This includes getting relevant information out to library directors, their staff, and patrons through various formats. Currently the Library Commission uses its website, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, e-bulletins and now YouTube to disseminate information. 

WVLC plans on bringing you current programs, topics, and trends. This broad spectrum includes partnerships, training, programming, and service. We want this program to be a useful, entertaining resource for you. If you ever have any questions or comments regarding topics on this show, please do not hesitate to call us at 1-800-642-9021. 

This program is not intended to act as a calendar of events, but as a vehicle of ideology and practical tips. Specific event information can always be found on our website www.librarycommission.wv.gov and at your local libraries.

The video in this post is the first segment of the episode. Check it out, then view parts 2 and 3. Make sure you subscribe to the West Virginia Library Commission YouTube channel so you don't miss the newest episodes!

WV Fifth Grader Donates $10,000 Prize to School Library

Darius Atefat-Peckham, a Letters About Literature winner at the national level, is featured in an article in School Library Journal.

WV Fifth Grader Donates $10,000 Prize to School Library

Letters About Literature is a national reading and writing promotion program of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, presented in partnership with Target Stores and supported locally by the West Virginia Center for the Book. This project is supported, in part, by the U.S. Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in West Virginia by the State Librarian and by the West Virginia Humanities Council.

Library Update now on YouTube

The West Virginia Library Commission is committed to promoting, assisting, and supporting high quality library services and information resources to all West Virginia residents. This includes getting relevant information out to library directors, their staff, and patrons through various formats. Currently the Library Commission uses its website, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, e-bulletins and now YouTube to disseminate information. 

WVLC plans on bringing you current programs, topics, and trends. This broad spectrum includes partnerships, training, programming, and service. We want this program to be a useful, entertaining resource for you. If you ever have any questions or comments regarding topics on this show, please do not hesitate to call us at 1-800-642-9021. 

This program is not intended to act as a calendar of events, but as a vehicle of ideology and practical tips. Specific event information can always be found on our website www.librarycommission.wv.gov and at your local libraries.

The video in this post is the first segment of the first episode. Check it out, then view parts 2 and 3. Make sure you subscribe to the West Virginia Library Commission YouTube channel so you don't miss the newest episodes!