Parkersburg & Wood County LibraryNearly 166,000 residents use the Parkersburg and Wood County Public Library services each year through its main building, three branches, and bookmobile. Its resources include 173,872 books, 6,347 cassettes, 645 compact discs, 4,296 videocassettes, and numerous kits, CD rooms, pictures, magazines, newspapers, and talking books. In addition to Internet access and an extensive genealogy collection, the library also offers a number of other benefits, including materials for the blind and physically handicapped, story hours for children, and free notary service. Much has changed since the first public library opened in 1891 over a local bookstore with approximately 1,000 volumes for 100 subscribers. Parkersburg High School took over the collection in 1899, and it remained there until 1905. At that time, the Board of Education received $34,000 from Andrew Carnegie for a new library. The city and school collections were combined, and the School Board continued as its sole financial support. In 1967, The Board of Education, the Wood County Court, and the City of Parkersburg agreed to support a public library and a five-member governing board was established. Services quickly expanded, and by 1973, a campaign was underway to raise funds for a new building at 3100 Emerson Ave. The Parkersburg and Wood County Public Library opened its doors at its present site on Feb. 15, 1976. Hours at the Main Library are from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Vienna Public Library The Vienna Public Library, located at 2300 River Road in Vienna, is open to all residents of West Virginia and Washington County, Ohio. The library was founded in 1960 by the Vienna Woman's Club. For six years, club members operated the library on a volunteer basis for ten hours per week, first in the old Vienna School and then later in the old Neale School, both spaces donated by the Wood County Board of Education. All books, just 5,500 in 1967, were donated by individuals. In March, 1967, the Vienna City Council appointed a five-member Library Board of Trustees, which took over ownership of the library and responsibility for operations from the club. The Board, the Vienna Woman's Club and the Vienna Civitan Club joined forces in 1974 to mount a fundraising campaign for a new building. That building, a brick structure of 6,800 square feet located at 23rd Street and River Road on property again donated by the Board of Education, was opened in 1975. At that time, the library collection consisted of 10,000 books. In July, 1980, the library became a designate library, as defined by state library rules, organzed to operate independently. The library is funded by the City of Vienna, Wood County Board of Education, Wood County Commission, State of West Virginia, and Mid-Ohio Valley United Way. Following a community-wide fundraising campaign from 2002 through 2004, the library was remodeled and expanded in 2005 to a building of 11,600 square feet. The library collection now consists of 50,000 books, 2,000 books or music on audiotape or CD, 2,000 videos and DVDs and 72 periodical subscriptions. Services provided include children's story hour and summer reading program, local history collection, large print books, free notary service, free tax help during tax season, fax and photocopy service, a spacious meeting room availble for use by community organizations and two tutor rooms. The library also holds various ongoing programs and classes for children and adults. There are 15 computers with Internet access, online magazine and newpaper databases, and office software all available free for public use. Hours are 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Friday, 10:00 a.m to 4:00 p.m Saturday and 2:00 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday (closed on Sundays during the summer). Telephone number is 304-295-7771, fax number is 304-295-7776, online address is http:// vienna.park.lib.wv.us and email address is viennapl@park.lib.wv.us. Everbody is welcome to visit the Vienna Public Library, either online or at our beautiful new library in Vienna |