Hardy County Public Library

In 1927, the Moorefield Women's Club began a free public library loan service with a shelf of books in the home of a member. Open only on Saturday evenings, this public loan library soon became so popular that it was moved to a second floor room of the McCoy Theatre, and in 1939 was incorporated.

In 1952, WV Governor Okey Patterson came to Moorefield to dedicate the first ever library building in Hardy County. Under the leadership of Mrs. Margaret Allen, the former Mamie Alexander Candy Store property was acquired and refurbished at a cost of $12,206.39

This new library was open 12 hours a week with the very first paid employees--Mrs.Marjorie Zirk and Mrs. Nell Toohey.

To fund the costs, the annual "Home and Garden Tour" (today's Heritage Weekend),began in 1953, and six years later the library was "in the black."

A bookmobile service was begun in the 1960's with delivery and pick-up at country schools and stores, and at churches throughout the county. The library hired it's first full-time librarian, and annual circulation climbed to 12,000 volumes.

The first "Outpost Library" of the nation was dedicated by WV Governor Jay Rockefeller in 1976 with the opening of the branch library at Baker.

Continued growth of library services in the county led to the acquisition of property on Main Street in Moorefield for a new library. In 1978, Majority Leader and U.S. Senator, Robert C. Byrd dedicated this $300,000 library with a collection of 16,000 volumes and a circulation of 24,000.

By the turn of this century, the library offered nearly 60,000 printed volumes, 500 audio cassettes, and some 900 video cassettes. Electronic format materials increased dramatically with an extensive collection of historic data preserved in the library archives.