The Elkins-Randolph County Public Library held a Grand Opening Open House on Thursday evening for its new Local History and Genealogy Room.
The room’s collections, local artifacts, area maps and new research tools were gathered and displayed for patrons to perform research and find local information easily in one location.
“Recent surveys indicated a strong desire by the community for more local information,” said library director Stephanie Murphy. “It was the number one request! We actually had the materials, but they were located in three separate and remote areas of the library. To make it easier for patrons to locate the documents, history and locally published works, we relocated them to one room, added a work table, new outlets for devices, and a dedicated chromebook for internet research and access to patron’s genealogy sites.”
The library features items such as local yearbooks from Davis & Elkins College and Elkins High School, programs from previous Forest Festivals, genealogical documents and guides, West Virginia authors and no longer published materials, local Civil War history, microfilm, and the Elkins Enterprise newspapers.
“We hope combining the materials in one location and adding digital resources will help our patrons find and use the materials better. It’s all about ease of access and what is good for our community.” said Murphy. Murphy also added that the library received assistance organizing the materials from the Allegheny Regional Family History Society.
The room is open and ready for researchers.
For more information, visit the library’s website at www.elkins.lib.wv.us, call the library, or follow the Event tab on Facebook at Facebook.com/erlibrary.