Last Thursday I traveled to Franklin, WV and Piedmont, WV, with my two "sub-contractors" Grace and Clayton.Two towns could not be more different. Franklin nestles against the side of a mountain and serves a rural population, many of whom who are of strong German descent.
The Corner Cafe in Franklin still boasts a soda fountain. Clayton and Grace enjoyed our lunch there, especially the ice cream!
Okay, Granny indulges them a little bit. Grace is a little wired after blue raspberry rock candy!
A young participant in Franklin helps tell a story.
The library in Franklin is exceptionally situated with a stupendous mountain view. We presented two programs there, one for preschool-age children and one for older children and adults. I liked this format because I was able to tailor the program specifically for each age group. it meant swapping out props quickly between sets, but definitely worth the effort.
Librarian Virginia Bates was on hand to help set up and was present for the programs as much as her workload allowed. As with so many small libraries, she wears many hats, and on this day was working the desk as well as being our host. The well-planned set-up and great volunteers made this a fun and easy performance for me.
Librarian Virginia Bates was on hand to help set up and was present for the programs as much as her workload allowed. As with so many small libraries, she wears many hats, and on this day was working the desk as well as being our host. The well-planned set-up and great volunteers made this a fun and easy performance for me.
Piedmont, on the other hand, is industrial. Historically a paper mill town, today it struggles to stay viable. Oddly, in order to get to Piedmont I had to leave West Virginia and go into Maryland! Piedmont was the setting for Henry Louis Gates' National Book Award-winning book, Colored People.
The librarians at Piedmont go all out to attract children to programs. They offer evening movies in the park, and had refreshments for my program too. Although a heavy rain preceded the program, about 10-15 children arrived at the park to listen. I think this was due to the librarians--they know the children by name, call to remind them of programs, and make a real effort to make it an event. In a town with so many challenges, I think the library is a real bright spot for the community. Kudos to those librarians who make things happen with few resources but a lot of commitment and ingenuity!I've been working backward through the week, so that the posts read in order, top down, for the past week. I've missed a few things that will go into a catch-all post after I've got all the major events covered.
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