This Library Committee was established in 1985 to support the Southwest Virginia Heritage Library, a part of the Smyth-Bland Regional Library.  In late 1986 a Declaration of Trust was drawn up establishing the Frederick and Eve Copenhaver Memorial Library Fund to provide financial assistance to the Smyth-Bland Regional Library.  Over the years our family has contributed generously to this fund by direct donations, memorials, and profits from the sale of the book, The Copenhaver Family of Smyth County, Virginia.  This fund has been used to help obtain a security system for the entire library, furniture, books and other materials for the Heritage Library.  At a meeting of the Trustees and Committee on June 8, 2003 it was reported that the fund was $4,327.00.  Income for the past year was $125.00 in donations and $79.60 in interest.  $1,000.00 was allocated last year to construct a case for the Copenhaver family bible, and $100.00 was allocated to de-acidify, mat and frame pictures which had been on display in the Southwest Virginia Heritage Library room.  The committee, at this year’s meeting, voted to give the library $100.00 to subscribe to pertinent genealogical newsletters.   With a later contribution specifically for this purpose, a check for $122.45 was given to the Library for one year subscriptions for Augusta County annals, New River Historical Society, Orange County Historical Society, Wythe County Historical Society, Va. NC Piedmont Genealogical Society Newsletter, and Wilkes County, NC Genealogical Society Newsletter, and for the purchase of a CD of 25 years of the N.C. Genealogical Journal.

The Committee urges family members to consider this fund when planning donations and memorials.  It especially urges that family members consider remembering this fund in their wills.  The Southwest Virginia Heritage Library houses our family’s history which we are handing down to our children, our grandchildren, our grandchildren’s grandchildren, ad infinitum. 

It must be noted that many non-monetary donations have been made.  These donations help to document our shared Copenhaver history.

A recent survey shows that there were 505 visits to the Heritage Room in the year 2002 and that these visitors represented 28 states. 

Trustees are: Martha Bates, Chairman; F. Joseph Copenhaver, Treasurer; Donald E. Copenhaver, Frederick V. Copenhaver, and Lucy Grubb.  The Committee consists of these trustees and David E. DeBusk, Kathryn C. Davidson, Charlotte Dutton Warren; Eugene Copenhaver, and Betty Bane Tate.