“Most everybody responds to old books,” said Frances O’Brien, dean of West Virginia University’s libraries. “Any librarian will tell you that one of the most fun things we do is introduce people to old books. They can actually hold in their hands something that was around when Ben Franklin was alive.”

But is that dusty old tome actually worth something? Would-be collectors can find out Friday when old-book guru Jack Walsdorf brings his Book Lovers’ Road Show to the James Robinson Reading Room at WVU’s Charles C. Wise Jr. Library in Morgantown.

Walsdorf, a retired librarian, bookshop proprietor and collector, will offer book collecting advice and stories and appraisals of old books beginning at 5 p.m. About 50 people have already called the library to say they plan to attend the event, said O’Brien.

Like the cast of the similarly named “Antiques Road Show” TV series, Walsdorf travels the country looking at old books and offering opinions about their value. He takes the show to Marshall University at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

While some signed and rare books can be worth thousands of dollars — and carry price tags to prove it — old and valuable books still pop up in the most mundane places.

Walsdorf likes to talk about the thrill of finding a valuable book nestled in a stack of more or less ordinary titles. “You can still find rare and unique things by just going around used bookshops,” O’Brien said.

WVU’s own historic book collection, which will not be on display Friday, includes some volumes dating from Elizabethan times. “We have some nice Milton first editions,” O’Brien said, as well as a collection of prints illustrating scenes from Shakespeare’s works.

Books don’t have to be quite that old to be valuable, if only to their owners. “All of us have books around our homes that are old and are special to us,” he said.

O’Brien plans to bring two of her own old books — an antique cookbook and a picture book about the Civil War — for Walsdorf’s studied eye.

“They’re special to me, but I don’t know if they’re valuable,” she said. “It will be interesting to see what he has to say about them.”

For information on the road show, call 293-4040.

Pick up an old book at a yard sale for 25 cents and think you found a treasure? Have a cherished volume your grandfather passed on to you? Curious what they’re worth?

If it’s a signed first-edition of Ernest Hemingway’s Old Man and the Sea, it could net up to $1,000. Other signed volumes by Papa Hemingway could fetch between $2,000 and $3,000.

Such a find is rare, hence the lofty price tag. But similar jewels can be found on bookshelves and in boxes everywhere. Just ask Jack Walsdorf, an antiquarian book appraiser and collector, when his traveling book show hits campus.

The Friends of the WVU Libraries will host the Book Lovers’ Road Show at 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 1, in the Robinson Reading Room of the Charles C. Wise Jr. Library. Walsdorf will talk about the joys of book collecting and provide individual book appraisals. The event begins with a reception in the library atrium.

“This event is a splendid opportunity to learn more about books, talk with others who share a love for books and discover if you have a hidden treasure at home,” Libraries Dean Frances O’Brien said. “I’ve heard Mr. Walsdorf before. He’s a knowledgeable and captivating speaker.”

Walsdorf is the author/editor of 15 books relating to the history of printing and bibliography. He earned his master’s of library science degree from the University of Wisconsin and has more than 30 years of bookselling experience.

The bibliophile credits a teacher for turning him on to reading back in high school. By the end of college, he was an ardent collector and the fever never receded.

Today, he lives in a Portland, Ore., house filled with books. He figures there are at least 7,000 books and 1,000 of them are signed first editions. However, he admits, none are penned by Hemingway, who’s among the top five most sought-after authors.

“I’m still a real book hunter,” said Walsdorf, who estimates his collection grows by 500 books a year. “I only read 100 books a year, so I’m running a 400 book-a-year deficit.”

That galloping pace is not for everyone, still Walsdorf is quick to stress that book collecting is for everyone and that finances should not be an issue. He believes someone could build a great library with a couple hundred dollars. The larger investment would be time poring through stacks of hardbacks at used bookstores, Goodwill, library book sales and yard sales. And then there are the online sites. But before setting out, do some research, he suggests.

“There’s an interesting phrase in book collecting: ‘It’s not the early bird that gets the worm; it’s the bird that knows the worm that gets it,’” Walsdorf said. “It doesn’t matter if you and I are both looking at the same time. What matters is what we know and our interests.”

Persistence also plays a part, says Walsdorf. One must be willing to pick up literally hundreds of books before finding that sought-after book.

“There’s always something buried, but you have to look,” Walsdorf advises.

The event is free to members of the Friends of the WVU Libraries, and there is a $2.50 charge for nonmembers.

West Virginia University Libraries – including the new Downtown Library Complex – will remain free and open to the public, officials said Wednesday (July 2).

Recent news reports and headlines were somewhat misleading on this issue.

“While it is true that escalating costs for books, journals, subscriptions and access to online databases has forced the University to charge a $50 fee for residents and a $75 fee for non-residents to check out materials, individuals can and should feel free to just walk in and use our services and most materials at no charge,” library officials said. Individuals also can use guest computers to access materials for free.

This new fee for a library card applies to the general public only. Students pay a $30 fee each semester as part of the University fee structure; faculty and staff are not charged a fee.