Author Archives: mgtlibrary
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Swiftie Party (Morgantown)
Leave a CommentAre you ready for it? Shake it off and join us at our Tween & Teen Swiftie Party on Wednesday, December 6th from 5:30-7:00pm in Meeting Room A at the Morgantown Public Library. Tweens and teens (ages 10-18) are invited to celebrate Taylor’s birthday with us by making friendship bracelets, decorating bags with your favorite lyrics, and creating birthday cards for Taylor — all while listening to her music and enjoying Taylor-themed snacks! Never go out of style by dressing up in your “Eras” outfits and stopping by our photo booth to capture your best “1989” pose!
Don’t miss out on this enchanted evening — mark your calendars now! -
Kids STEAM Explorers (Morgantown)
Leave a CommentEmbark on a journey of curiosity and creativity at our brand new STEAM Explorers program at the Morgantown Public Library! Here kids (ages 6-9) can unravel the mysteries of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) one exciting topic at a time.
Our first meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, December 13th from 6:30-7:30pm in Meeting Room A. The theme for this kick-off session is a Christmas Engineering Challenge — fixing Santa’s sleigh!
Mark your calendars as the adventure continues with our upcoming STEAM Explorer meetings:
- Christmas Engineering Challenge on December 13th: Let your young engineers immerse themselves in the holiday spirit as they take on the exciting task of fixing Santa’s sleigh!
- Science of Snowflakes on February 21st: Join us to learn more about the fascinating science behind these icy wonders!
- Intro to Birdwatching on April 17th: Our explorers will spread their wings into the world of birdwatching — blending science and appreciation for the natural world.
We aim to spark curiosity and ignite a passion for STEAM subjects through engaging activities that will be a whole lot of fun!
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We’re Hiring! (Morgantown)
Leave a CommentWe are hiring! Join our team at the Morgantown Public Library as a part-time Library Assistant! We are currently seeking two enthusiastic and team-oriented individuals to join our Public Services team. Library Assistants provide direct customer service at both the circulation and reference desks by completing basic circulation functions and assisting patrons in the use of library materials and services. Other duties include shelving, helping with special projects, and light housekeeping. Successful candidates will be passionate, creative team players with excellent communication, interpersonal, computer, and customer service skills.
These positions would be scheduled for approximately 15 – 19 hours per week at $12.00. The schedules for the positions will resemble the following:
Position 1
- Monday 9 am – 1 pm
- Wednesday 9 am – 3 pm
- Friday 9 am – 4 pm
- Saturday 9 am – 4 pm (2 alternating Saturdays per month)
Position 2
- Tuesday 9 am – 3 pm
- Wednesday 11 am – 4 pm
- Thursday 9 am – 3 pm
- Saturday 9 am – 4 pm (2 alternating Saturdays per month)
Help foster a love of reading at the Morgantown Public Library as a Library Assistant! Send your resume and job application to assistantdirector@mympls.org to apply.
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1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Celebration
Leave a CommentJoin us at the Morgantown Public Library on Tuesday, November 7th from 6:00-7:00pm in Meeting Room A to celebrate all 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten participants — even the first graders who have completed the program this year are welcome! We will have stories, music and dancing, cupcakes, and lots of fun. We can’t wait to see you there!
Not registered yet? Come learn more about this program for our youngest patrons! The Morgantown Public Library is committed to creating lifelong readers from the start with a fun approach to establishing strong early literacy skills. The goal is to read 1,000 books (yes, you can repeat books) before your precious one starts kindergarten.
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Elevator Replacement Starts 11/20/23
Leave a CommentWe will be replacing our elevator at the Morgantown Public Library — thanks to a generous grant from the City of Morgantown! Starting on Monday, November 20th the elevator will not be available for use until the replacement is completed. This project is estimated to last from 11/20/23 through to January so please be aware that there will be stairs only access to the second floor of the library during that time.
Library staff are happy to retrieve materials from the second floor for you during this process! We will also have a limited use public computer station available on the first floor.
We are excited for this update to our building and we appreciate your patience as the elevator is replaced!
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Local Author Fair
Leave a CommentLocal Author Fair: Saturday, November 18th
Join us for an engaging afternoon at our Local Author Fair! Come out to the Morgantown Public Library on Saturday, November 18th from 1:00-4:00pm on the 2nd floor to meet with local authors and creators! Books and art will be available for purchase, so don’t miss out on this opportunity to shop local for the holidays. We will also have light refreshments and a door prize raffle held at 3:00pm.
Exhibitors include Pascha Adamo, Tom Bredehoft, Mary Lucille DeBerry, Geoffrey C. Fuller, Raymond Keller, S. James McLaughlin, Patricia Hopper Patteson, Elisha Rush, Don Stansberry, Thomas C. Stuhr, Lori Wilson, and representatives from the Morgantown Writers Group will be in attendance. Read on to learn more about these writers and artists!
Local Authors & Creators:
Pascha Adamo – Author of Cece & Roxy
Pascha Adamo began writing to fill a need for her family and found she was filling a need for all families. After looking for children’s books featuring interracial families (like her own) with a biracial female protagonist, she was at a loss, especially for children ages 0-5. So Pascha set out to write stories which were a loose reflection of her growing family and, thus, CeCe & Roxy Books was born. CeCe & Roxy Books shares the story of a Roxy, a dog fostered by CeCe’s family, and their adventures together. Pascha has published two award-winning books, sold out of her first, and is working on three more! You can follow the journey of CeCe & Roxy Books on Instagram or Facebook under CeCe and Roxy Books or on their website, paschadamo.square.site.
Tom Bredehoft – Author of Foote
After moving to Morgantown in 2007, Tom Bredehoft realized he’d been an Appalachian almost all his life. He grew up at the very edge of the Appalachian foothills in Ohio, and Morgantown immediately felt like home. Like many another Appalachian, Tom has had more than one career – English professor, antique dealer, and (now) writer – although he hasn’t yet figured out how to make that last one pay. But he’s enjoying the work of writing, even so.
Mary Lucille DeBerry – Author of She Was the Girl
Mary Lucille DeBerry is a long-time Morgantown resident. Her latest book titled She Was the Girl rounds out a trilogy of poetry collections that also includes Bertha Butcher’s Coat and Alice Saw the Beauty. She also has a chapbook: Frogs, Fog and Flourishes. Her poems are found in the anthologies Wild Sweet Notes: Fifty Years of West Virginia Poetry and Coal: A Poetry Anthology as well as literary journals such as Appalachian Heritage, Appalachian Journal, Voices from the Attic, and online at The Hamilton Stone Review, Issue 16 and Heartwood Literary Magazine, Issue 13.
Geoffrey C. Fuller – Co-Author of The WVU Coed Murders: Who Killed Mared and Karen?
Geoffrey Cameron Fuller has been a writer-editor in West Virginia for over 30 years. He’s written articles for many literary and commercial magazines, from Appalachian Heritage to Dirt Bike magazine. In 2012, he placed first nationally in Writer’s Digest 7th Annual Popular Fiction Writing competition for “Figure-Ground: Proof and Circumstance.”
Along the way, he was the only person in West Virginia awarded prestigious writing fellowships by the West Virginia Commission on the Arts in all three prose categories: fiction, nonfiction, and memoir. He has taught writing privately and conducted workshops at conferences for nearly 30 years.
Raymond Keller – Author of Venus Rising series
Dr. Raymond A. Keller, II, a.k.a. “Cosmic Ray,” a veteran and retired history professor, is the international awards-winning author of the Venus Rising series of books (Terra Alta, WV: Headline Books), seven to date and all fully illustrated. Dr. Keller’s books explore many facets of the conditions and life on Venus in many dimensions from a perspective of conspiracies, history, theosophy, ufology and current events, especially space research.
S. James McLaughlin – Co-Author of The WVU Coed Murders: Who Killed Mared and Karen?
S. James McLaughlin is a podcast producer and true-crime author living in Fairmont, WV. Appalachian Mysteria, written and produced in West Virginia, covers unsolved or unresolved cases in the Appalachian region, including the murders of WVU freshmen, Mared Malarik and Karen Ferrell, in 1970.
Patricia Hopper Patteson – Author of Second Chance Christmas
Patricia Hopper Patteson is originally from Dublin, Ireland and hails from a family of six siblings that is scattered across three continents. She holds a B.A. and an M.A. from West Virginia University (WVU). She received literary honors from WVU in addition to numerous awards from the West Virginia Writers’ annual competition. She is the author of women’s fiction, particularly historical fiction, romance suspense, and romance.
Elisha Rush – Local Artist
Elisha Rush creates animal and fantasy illustrations, often with a colorful and humorous flair. She shows her work in various galleries and shops in the region, and on Instagram under the name @springfoxstudios. Elisha grew up in rural West Virginia watching what she claims were “way too many cartoons.” When not watching cartoons or spending time in the woods, Elisha was honing her drawing skills, inspired by the mix of colorful media she was consuming and the plants and animals that surrounded her.
Don Stansberry – Author of Vulture Bend
International Award-wining author, Don Stansberry, is a native West Virginian and an elementary school teacher. He is the author of Inky & the Missing Gold and Inky, Oglebee, & the Witches, and his children’s books — which he also illustrated, Koko & Stoney, winner of a Mom’s Choice Award and Crusty, named a Finalist in the USA News Best Book Awards. Don is the author of Secret Blood, a multi-award-winning book that took top honors for best spiritual fiction at the London Book Festival. It was named a Winner at the Next Generation Indie Book Awards at a reception at The Plaza in New York City during Book Expo America. His second novel, Vulture Bend, is a riveting good vs. evil award-winning story. Don is also part of the Headline Kids School Show Program.
Thomas C. Stuhr – Author of Commotion in Mingertown
Thomas C. Stuhr is an American author, actor, screenwriter and former U.S. Park Ranger. He resides in West Virginia with his wife Adrianna. Some of his passions are nature, hiking, film and music. His fiction work can be found on Amazon.com.
Lori Wilson – Author of The Dream Women Called
Lori Wilson is the author of the poetry collections House Where a Woman and The Dream Women Called, both from Autumn House Press. Thrice a Pushcart Prize nominee, and recipient of the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation Creative Fellowship at the Virginia Center for Creative Arts, Wilson for ten years taught a poetry workshop in affiliation with the Madwomen in the Attic of Carlow University. She lives in Morgantown, West Virginia, where she works as a software developer.
Morgantown Writers Group
Morgantown Writers Group (MWG) uses the latest technology to host virtual Craft Workshops with guest authors (and experienced members), and hosts occasional Write-Ins, annual Writer Challenges — and they have hosted weekend retreats. MWG has a proven 3-step process for review of manuscripts (to 5000 words) and follows a 5-page writers critique guide. Since 1994, an estimated 680 writers have been involved in Morgantown Writers literary activities at the Morgantown Public Library. For more information, contact George Lies and Patricia Patteson.
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Read Around the World: Japanese
Leave a CommentKonnichiwa! Get ready to Read Around the World with us on Saturday, November 4th from 1:00-2:00pm at the Morgantown Public Library in Meeting Room A. Join us to hear a Japanese children’s story read aloud and complete a fun activity about Japanese language and culture lead by WVU graduate student, Emily!
We will also provide a variety of tasty Japanese snacks, and you can learn about all of the Japanese language resources that the library has to offer. This event is designed for elementary-aged children, but all ages are welcome!
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Beyond the Book: Nightbooks (Morgantown)
Leave a CommentMake books come alive with us at our Beyond the Book night! Tweens ages 10-12 are invited to join us every other month for activities and crafts inspired by your favorite reads!
On Wednesday, October 18th from 6:00-7:00pm in Meeting Room A at the Morgantown Public Library, we will be exploring the world of Nightbooks by J.A. White. Make a graham cracker gingerbread house, a mini pudding graveyard, and your own nightbook! Don’t worry if you haven’t read the book — you will get the opportunity to take a copy of the book home with you!
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Star Wars Reads Day (Morgantown)
Leave a CommentJoin us in a galaxy far, far away to celebrate Star Wars Reads Day! We will be blasting off into the universe of Star Wars on Saturday, October 7th at the Morgantown Public Library. Whether you’re a Jedi or a Sith, we have something the whole family will enjoy!
11:00am: Showing of Revenge of the Sith in Meeting Room A
1:00-3:30pm: Mini lightsaber craft (while supplies last), bean bag toss, and more activities on the 1st Floor
1:30pm: Garrison Corellia of the 501st Legion and Amancane Base of the Rebel Legion Q&A, trivia, and photo opportunity
2:30pm: Outer Rim Praxeum lightsaber demonstration on the 2nd Floor
We can’t wait to see you there — may the Force be with you!
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Celebrate Library Card Sign-Up Month in September!
Leave a CommentGet in your element this fall with a library card!
September is Library Card Sign-Up Month! There’s something for everyone at the Morgantown Public Library System — including our physical and digital collections full of books, e-books, audiobooks, music, movies, language lessons, genealogical resources, games, and exciting events for all ages. Signing up for a library card opens up a world of exploration and discovery at the library! It’s elemental, really—everyone should have one!
Sign up for a library card today!