Library Hosts Aquarium

By Hans Fogle on July 31st, 2008

The Martinsburg-Berkeley County Public Library brought the ocean to down town Martinsburg on Thursday with the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center’s Oceans in Motion brought marine life from the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean to interact with local children and adults alike.30-feet of aquarium space was displayed right outside of the library and a touch tank was placed inside so people could see the animals close up. Jane Levitan, the Youth Services Director at the library says the aquarium visit is part of the summer reading program called It’s Easy Being Green that has helped area children learn about the environment with visits from various animals including llamas and birds of prey. Levitan explains that the program is important because all of the planet’s environments are threatened and children are important for its preservation. She adds that allowing children to see and touch helps them realize what is in danger of being lost.Susie McGinley, the Youth Services Consultant at the West Virginia Library Commission, was on hand for the event. She says the Martinsburg-Berkeley County Library’s Youth program is one of the best in the state. She said her visit is not a check-up, but is a good opportunity to see how grant money from the state is being spent.Educator for the Virginia Aquarium Carri Paulenich exhibited the animals in the touch tank. She says Oceans in Motion travels several days a week across Virginia and that this is the first time they have been able to come to West Virginia. She explained that the animals are from areas people might travel so they can see the creatures that they may impact. Paulenich says it is fun to watch children see and handle marine life they may have only seen in a book or museum.

Later in the month, the first children’s department community reading program will be held. The program involves everyone reading and discussing the same book and end with a live demonstration to show participants what they have been reading about on August 11, 2008.

Educator for the Virginia Aquarium Carri Paulenich Inside the Aquarium