MOUNDSVILLE — The current COVID-19 pandemic is hardly the first time Americans have been frightened by an invisible enemy.

Hear Judi Tarowsky’s personal story of how a disease gripped a nation in a virtual presentation called “The Fifth Season.” The Moundsville-Marshall County Public Library will host Tarowsky at 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 3, on the Zoom platform and on Facebook Live. This Zoom webinar will discuss the fears around polio in the years leading up to the Salk vaccine.

Tarowsky, a local writer, editor and educator with a special interest in history, has been a professional storyteller for nearly a decade. She has been president of the West Virginia Storytelling Guild and also a member of the Ohio Organization for the Preservation of Storytelling. She has performed at numerous venues including the Grand Vue Park Storytelling Festival, The Three Rivers Storytelling Festival, the Arthurdale Heritage Site, the Cockayne Farmstead, as well as libraries and museums. Her repertoire includes historic programs, Appalachian tales, ghost stories and hilarious tall tales. The common thread is that her storytelling is captivating, heart-felt and well-researched.

The library is offering a variety of virtual events and extra digital resources since in-person programming was suspended due to COVID-19. The Zoom Webinar platform being used for this Aug. 3 event will permit you to join as an unseen audience member while the presenter offers an online performance. Find the Zoom link on the Moundsville Library’s Facebook page or website, or call or email the library. You may also watch the event live on Facebook (a Facebook account is not required) or listen in by phone. Those joining on Zoom will be able to ask questions or make comments through the platform’s chat or question and answer function. This program will finish within half an hour.

This online event is free, open to the public and aimed at adults and students.

For more information call the library at 304-845-6911.