Aerial Photography by Dan Carter

The new chapter officially began on Monday, July 24th - welcome new Library Director Christy Hagerty!

Day One: tour of the facility, training begins, and Board President Terry Kramer drops by to show his support.

So far, so busy!

edition of The Journal.

Registering is easy! Download our Registration Form and drop it off at the library - 145 Higbee Lane in Shepherdstown - or scan the QR code to sign up online.

For probably the first time ever, all SPL staff (and their families) showed up to march in Shepherdstown's annual 4th of July parade. Special friends of the library - Board President Terry Kramer and many FOSL members - also joined us on this memorable day.

In June, we were so pleased to host the Jefferson County Chamber Mixer, a monthly event to encourage networking and promote individuals and businesses living and working in this community.

We heard so many wonderful comments about our new library from the Chamber members in attendance, but our favorite was from Freddy Allen of Allenomics who said, "This library is over the top!"

We are once again in need of materials, supplies, and other interesting things for our Children's and Teen Departments. Nothing on our wish list costs more than $44.99! If you want to make a purchase for us, click ---> Amazon.com.

Next featured dragon: Dragon of the Golden Hoard by Hap Henriksen. Drop by the library lobby to purchase one raffle ticket for $2 or 3 for $5. This current raffle will continue until we have raised at least $70 to purchase another much-needed acoustic tile for our Children's Department.

Congratulations to our previous dragon raffle winner Ellie Bankhurst (serendipity - she just loves dragons!) and our wizard raffle winner Lynne Holtzclaw. Proceeds from the two raffles totaled more than $140 and will enable us to buy two additional acoustic panels for our Children's Area! Thank you!

FOSL has been such an important part of our library family for so many years, we thought it might be nice to feature individual members of this amazing group. In the spotlight this month: President Rob Sisk. Rob has been president of FOSL for five years and has worked tirelessly to build FOSL membership and promote the library throughout the community. FOSL also sponsors several fundraising events throughout each year to financially support library programming.

Rob first began coming to Shepherdstown back in 2010 while he was working for Westinghouse Nuclear where he designed, marketed, and licensed nuclear power plants in the US and internationally. He became enchanted with Shepherdstown while traveling back and forth from Pittsburgh to Washington, DC. Says Rob, "This charming university town with a landmark library on the main street seemed like a great little get away with rivers, trails, wineries, and even some battlefields to explore. As a result, when it was time to retire; my wife and best friend Anita made the easy decision to move here, and we have been enjoying it ever since!"

Over the years, Rob has lived in or traveled through more than 30 countries on 5 continents. Today, he and Anita continue to travel, but they spend most of their time hiking and biking the local trails and checking out nearby historical sites and wineries. Again, says Rob, "Shepherdstown has also provided me with a musical adventure. Since I retired, I have decided to learn how to play the fiddle and enjoy musical duets with Anita, who plays the harp. Seemingly endless gardening digs and a good book are part of my daily agenda as well."

Rob has mentioned on more than one occasion that the new Shepherdstown Public Library is a Shepherdstown highlight, with its spacious reading areas, adult and children’s programming, and a rapidly developing outdoor natural habitat garden. "It is one of my favorite places to visit."

Rob and Anita have one daughter, Maria, who resides in Virginia, and two cats - Amber who likes to take long walks with Rob on her leash, and Tiffany who prefers to stay close to home. Rob's hobbies include reading (of course!), hiking, and biking.

Once more from Rob, "I would like to invite you to stop by one of our monthly FOSL meetings at the library, typically on the second Thursday of every month starting at 5:15 pm to meet some of our members and maybe get involved - we are always looking for new members! And don’t miss our Sweet Celebration Ice Cream Social on August 19^th from 1:00 to 3:00 pm on the patio celebrating the one-year anniversary of the new library. Join us for cake, ice cream, music, children's activities, and much more."

Over 90 kids and parents dropped by to meet the falcons on July 5th. Our thanks to Laurel Fork Falconer for making this event possible!