State Archives and History Library will host a talk by labor historian Fred Barkey on "The Socialist Party in West Virginia" at 6 p.m. Jan. 8 at the Culture Center. The program is free. The first local branch of the West Virginia Socialist Party was established in Wheeling in 1901, and by 1914 several thousand West Virginians were dues-paying members of local branches. The library will close at 5 p.m. Jan. 8 and reopen at 5:45 p.m. Participants are encouraged to register, but advance registration is not required. To register, contact Bryan Ward at bryan.e.ward@wv.gov or at 304-558-0230, ext. 723. To register by email, send a name, telephone number and the name and date of the session.