From left -- Eighth grade students Tabitha Turner, Bailee Longwell, and Hannah Morris study some of the libraries newest additions.

Dr. Barbara A. Gage, a former professor at Prince George’s Community College in Largo, Md., recently donated more than 25 science books to Tyler County libraries: 10 to Tyler Consolidated, at least 15 to Sistersville Elementary and three to Sistersville Public Library.

Gage and her husband moved to Sistersville from southern Maryland in December 2011. According to her, they fell in love with the town when they saw it four years ago while preparing for retirement.

Before retiring, Gage taught chemistry, astronomy, and science education in the Physical Sciences and Engineering Department for 34 years, eight of which were served as chairman. For the majority of her time at PGCC, she also worked year-round in science workshops and institutes.

Tracy Summers, media specialist at Tyler Consolidated Middle and High Schools, was happy to acknowledge Gage’s generosity.

“I enjoyed meeting Dr. Gage and I’m delighted that she took the opportunity to donate these books to the library. They will definitely enhance the science section of our collection.”

“Sistersville Public Library is very thankful for donations from patrons like Barbara Gage,” said Sabrina Kyle, librarian of Sistersville Public Library.

Gage has been donating books since she started teaching full-time in 1976. Faculty members often receive desk copies of textbooks to consider for adoption; any extra chemistry or astronomy texts she did not use went to students who could not afford them or to resource rooms or labs in the science building where students could access them. When she started reviewing books for the Science Books & Films magazine in 1990, she donated those books to her local K-12 science teachers or school libraries.

The titles donated to Sistersville Elementary were: Just Ducks!; Rachel Caron and Her Book That Changed the World; and The Beetle Book. To Tyler Consolidated: The Book of Blood: From Legends and Leeches to Vampires and Veins; Invincible Microbe: Tuberculosis and the Never-Ending Search for a Cure; and The World in Your Lunch Box: The Wacky History and Weird Science of Everyday Food.

She plans to continue donating books as she receives them. Since she is no longer teaching, she does not get textbooks anymore, but she hopes to continue working for Science Books & Films as long as they need her.

“I have always loved books and have been an avid reader all my life,” said Gage. “Shouldn’t books be explored and not just stored?”