PARSONS – A library represents a place of knowledge, with tons of books for reference and enjoyment, computers, maps, videos and many other items. This weekend, the Five Rivers Library located in Parsons, celebrated 40 years of serving the community’s needs.
Marvin Canfield, president of the board, welcomed the board members, trustees, staff, patrons and library supporters to the Sunday celebration.
“Services provided by this library have been numerous,” Canfield said. “To name a few activities are Story Time Classes, summer school programs, book clubs, computer classes, tutoring classes, movie times, training programs, crafts, ancestry, genealogy and technology use and training. The addition of a meeting room to the Five Rivers Library has provided opportunities for community use of the facilities.”
Canfield said the library is a vital resource and has added a higher quality of life to the community of Parsons and Tucker County.
“While we celebrate the last 40 years of the library, we need to keep in mind the vision we have for its future and the services it will provide for its patrons,” Canfield said. “We feel the decisions that have been made over the course of the last 40 years, the additions that have expanded the library and the technology that has been installed and utilized have taken the vision of Five Rivers Public Library well beyond the original 40 foot carousel library’s vision. We can each be proud of that and appreciate its accomplishments.”
Nancy Moore, director of the Five Rivers Library, said folks in Parsons began traveling to Charleston in 1973 with the hopes of getting a local library.
“The first board got the instant carousel,” Moore said. “They did this all over the state to get libraries in communities quickly. They were supposed to be temporary – we are one of the few that still have that.”
Moore said in 1985 an addition was put on the Five Rivers Library.
“The 1985 flood came before there were any books in the addition, but everything in the original part was lost to the flood,” Moore said. “In 2011, there was an expansion which included a community room. It was one of the board’s vision to have the room for use by the community.”
Moore said she has served for 21 ½ years, and the current library assistant, Kathy Phillips has served for 21 years.
Past and present board members and trustees include H. Dale Ridgeway, Francis M. Wagner, Mary Shiflet, Edward McDonald, Stanley Hehle, Nola DeVilder, George A. Smith, Gail Blume, Ruth Ridgeway, Marvin Canfield, D. Randall Moore, Mardean Barb, Eleanor Frazee, Patricia Michael, Stephanie Ours, Donell McCoy, Jeanette Crosten, Marvin “Bud” Parsons, John Morrison, Carroll Precht, Rebecca Moore, Dennis Filler and Dorothy Carr.
Past and present staff members are Helen Gilmore, Sandra Triplett, Twila Lewis, Joy Fansler, Elizabeth Ledden, Grace Wamsley, Helen Kisamore, Jane Leard, Amanda Marshall, Nancy Moore, Kathy Phillips, Ellouise Smith, Glenda Hinkle, Stephanie Fitzwater and Angela Johnson.
Each day this week, there will be a drawing for a gift certificate which includes a certificate for Little Andi’s on Monday, Sheetz on Tuesday, Shop n’ Save on Wednesday, Subway on Thursday, CJ’s Pizzeria on Friday and McDonalds on Saturday.
Five Rivers Library is also offering two movie nights featuring, “Heaven is for Real,” at 6:30 p.m. on the 11 th and, “God Is Not Dead,” at 6:30 p.m. on the 12 th. Snacks and drinks will be provided.
The Five Rivers Library has 1,893 patrons and offer 15,290 materials. The library houses eight public computers with an annual computer uses of 4,110.
The library offers Wi-Fi with a user name and password, and has an ancestry library edition available for use on the library computers. Materials available for check out include books, DVDs, magazines, audio books, puzzles and reference materials. The library houses copies of the Parsons Advocate on microfilm dating back to 1896.
The Five River Library is located at 301 Walnut St. in Parsons. Additional information is available by calling 304-478-3880.
