A Season of Service, Celebration, and What's Ahead
The State of FoMPLandia - A Letter From the President
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
Dear, dear, amazing FoMPLonians:
From December 17 to February 19, 61 volunteers (not all FoMPL members) logged 490 hours of service. At $28 per volunteer hour, that represents a $13,720 gift to the Martinsburg–Berkeley County Public Libraries.
WOW! I hope that’s your reaction as you read this letter. What we accomplished in nine short weeks is nothing short of remarkable, and a powerful testament to how deeply our community values its library.
👉 Read the full Letter from Marlan
A Thank You from MBCPL: Friends, You Made It Happen
A huge thank-you to our amazing Friends for making the library opening possible! You assembled shelves, arranged furniture, and organized mountains of books , your energy and dedication inspired our staff when we needed it most. The ribbon-cutting was a fantastic success because of you! From fundraising and decorating to food service, you made the celebration unforgettable. You are truly the heart and soul of our library!
Sincerely,
Gretchen Fry, Director MBCPL
👉 Visit the MBCPL website to view the activity calendar and keep up with everything happening at your library!
FOMPL in the Community: A Big Start to 2026
January and February were an incredible two months for the Friends of the Martinsburg Public Library. Our members and volunteers showed up in a big way to help bring our library back to life.
🔧 Behind the scenes, Friends members worked alongside MBCPL staff to move stacks, relocate hundreds of books, plan the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and Reception, and help prepare the library for reopening, contributing an amazing 490 hours of volunteer service along the way.
🎀 On February 19, the community came out in full force for the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and Reception at the newly reopened Martinsburg Public Library. We were overwhelmed by the turnout and so grateful for every neighbor and supporter who joined us to celebrate this milestone.
🎨 The Berkeley Arts Council is now showcasing work from Eastern Panhandle artists at the Martinsburg Public Library. It is wonderful to see creativity and community come together in this beautiful, newly reopened space. Stop by and experience the exhibit for yourself!
🦋 Pollinator Garden Grant, In January FoMPL and MBCPL were awarded a grant to install a pollinator garden in the front plaza of the Martinsburg Public Library. The grant is from The Monarch Alliance, a program of the Potomac Valley Audubon Society, and it will fund 400 native plants to support our local ecosystem. The new garden will be installed in May, and the Library will begin hosting public activities for all ages designed for the community to learn about gardening.
Thank you to everyone who gave their time, showed up, and helped make this moment possible. Your dedication to our library and our community means everything. 💚
What's Coming Up: Events and Ways to Connect
Spring is here and we have some exciting events coming up! We hope to see you out and about with the Friends of the Martinsburg Public Library this month.
🍀 Tabling with the Friends at the St. Patrick's Day Festival Join us in the MBCPL Plaza on Saturday, March 14th from 11 AM to 3 PM as we table at the biggest St. Patrick's Day Festival in West Virginia, hosted by Main Street Martinsburg. Stop by the Plaza to celebrate with us downtown!
🌱 Intro to Gardening Workshop Ready to start your own vegetable garden? Join us at the Martinsburg Public Library on Saturday, March 21st from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM for an Intro to Gardening workshop led by WVU Extension Master Gardeners. Whether you're brand new to gardening or just need a refresher, this session will help you dig in with confidence! RSVP by calling 304-267-8933 or emailing [email protected]
📚 Spring Members Meeting Join us at the newly reopened Downtown Martinsburg Library on Thursday, March 26th from 5:00 to 7:00 PM for our Spring Members Meeting. Come connect with fellow Friends, hear updates, and help plan what's ahead for our library community. All members are welcome!
👉 Visit our Events Page to stay up to date on upcoming activities, volunteer sign-ups, and ways to get involved.
Mr. FoMPL's Corner: The Library is Open and Spring is Here!
Spring is in the air, and this little gnome could not be more excited! 🌸 What a few months it has been for our library community.
First, the big one, the Martinsburg Public Library is OPEN! 🎀 The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and Reception on February 19th was everything we hoped it would be. Seeing so many neighbors and community supporters come together to celebrate made my gnome heart so full. Thank you to everyone who showed up and made the day so special.
And the fun continues! 🍀 Come find the Friends tabling at the biggest St. Patrick's Day Festival in West Virginia on March 14th in Downtown Martinsburg. Then, stop by the library on March 21st for an Intro to Gardening Workshop led by WVU Extension Master Gardeners, a perfect way to get ready for spring! 🌱 Then, join us for our Spring Members Meeting on March 26th at the newly reopened Downtown Martinsburg Library, a great chance to connect, share ideas, and hear what is ahead. And last but not least, Pollinator Garden events are coming to the MBCPL Plaza this May! 🦋
Thank you for your continued support. This community is something truly special. 💚
-Mr. FoMPL
Your Friendly Local Library Gnome 📚🍀💚
PS: Have an idea for celebrating 100 years of the library this year, or want to share how you’re marking this special milestone? Send a note to [email protected] I might just feature it in a future newsletter.
Be Part of the Story at Your Library
There has never been a better time to get involved with the Friends of the Martinsburg Public Library!
📚 Follow us on Facebook and Instagram
💬 Like and share our posts
🤝 Invite friends to become members
Together, we can keep the library at the heart of our community. Join us at friends-of-mpl.org Questions contact us at: [email protected]
