West Virginia Library Association 2005 Conference

A Tour of Historic Martinsburg

Tuesday, October 4, 2005, from 1 – 4:30 pm

Catch the bus at the Clarion Hotel in Shepherdstown to go to Martinsburg

• The bus loads from 1:00 to 1:30 pm


• limit of 25 persons


• sign up at the WVLA registration table

• Visit the Adam Stephen House,
  Home of Martinsburg’s founder
  (A colonel of the French & Indian War and a general during the American Revolution)



• Visit the Belle Boyd House,
  Childhood home of Confederate spy of Civil War
  (Housing museums and the Berkeley County Historical Society)



• Visit the Martinsburg Public Library,
  Recently renovated and reorganized
  (Light refreshments will be served)

And see many other sites of local historical importance along the way (including the old Baltimore & Ohio Railroad roundhouse and train station, the Apollo Civic Theatre building, the historic Berkeley County Courthouse, and more…)

Grab Some Popcorn for WV Films

Grab some popcorn and a soda and settle in for the show. Program organizers give this year’s selection of West Virginia films two thumbs up.

Steve Fesenmaier, Research Librarian for the West Virginia Library Commission, has assembled a selection of three films for conference attendees to enjoy.

The entertainment begins at 9 p.m. Oct. 3 with two films involving librarians. The first is After Twilight, Gary Watson’s Bush ear update to Fahrenheit 451. The film, which has a female protagonist, has been shown in film festivals around the country, receiving rave reviews. See its website: http://www.nu-classicfilms.com/.The other, The Man Who Wanted to Classify the World, focuses on Paul Otlet, a Belgium librarian who became a leading peace activist after World War I. Classify is a new film from Filmakers Library, a leading documentary distributor based in NYC headed by two women.

On the River's Edge, Francesca Karle's feature documentary about the homeless in Huntington, will be shown at 1:30 p.m. Oct. 4. Kerle made the film as a Girl Scout project. The CBS Early Show recognized her work by profiling her as an “American Hero.”

In conjunction, there will be two sessions dealing with the homeless and poor in libraries. One is based on Ruby Payne's book, A Framework for Understanding Poverty, and the other will be presented by Colleen Smith, Acting Director, Martinsburg Homeless Coalition.

Attendees will also have an opportunity to acquaint themselves with the PBS series The Appalachians and its creator Mari-Lynn Evans, who speaks at 9 a.m. Oct. 5. Evans grew up in Bulltown and was raised her grandparents on the family farm. The Appalachians, which is currently airing on PBS stations, has received great reviews from the New York Times, Washington Post, and other newspapers. DVDs of the series were sent to every public library in the state in July.

Film Night

Join us on Monday evening, October 3rd, at 9 PM for our traditional film night. This year's offerings promise to be exceptional.

The Man Who Wanted to Classify the World In 1934, a Belgian visionary named Paul Otlet conceived of a library with no physical books whose contents could be viewed on a screen. His obsession was to classify, encode and unify books and documents published all over the world. Over the years, he and his staff would fill in 12 million index cards.

This sixty minute film will be followed by After Twilight. Texas filmmaker Gary Watson uses a film noir style to tell his own local version of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. Jen Frazier is a librarian fighting for intellectual freedom in a world controlled by a theocratic Christian culture that bans opposing ideas. She joins the interfaith freedom fighters led by “Jessie the Liberator.” American Libraries had a story about the film in its April edition. 34 minutes. Great website at - http://www.nu-classicfilms.com/.

More Fun Activities

Walking Tour of Historic Shepherdstown
Monday, October 3, 200510:00 a.m. –11:00 a.m.

Visit historical sites in charming Shepherdstown, guided by Dr. Jim Price, local historian and Shepherdstown native. Tour begins in the lobby of the Clarion.

Reception at Rosebrake
Monday, October 3, 20056:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Unwind, enjoy food & drink, and meet the WV Library Commissioners at “Rosebrake,” home of WV Library Commissioner Katherine McAteer. Located across the street from the Clarion conference center.

Martinsburg Historic Town and Library Tour
Tuesday, October 4, 20051:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Tour local sites by bus with Keith Hammersla, head of reference services at the Martinsburg Public Library. Stops include the Stephen House, Belle Boyd House, and the beautifully renovated Martinsburg Public Library. Tour concludes with light refreshments in the library.Transportation for this event is provided by the Martinsburg Berkeley County Public Library Board.

WVLA Silent Auction
Tuesday, October 4, 20055:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m

Bid on unique items, many hand crafted.

WVLA Used Book Sale

Check the program for times. We can not live without books! Find an item for your library or personal collection.