Mark Moran checks out some bowls.
“Pretty nice bowls,” he says.

The words “historian,” “antiques” and “PBS” generally don’t conjure up suspense and excitement, but if you’ve ever spent much time watching Antiques Roadshow you know exactly what I’m talking about. The long-running program brings in average citizens with antiques from around their homes and pairs them with knowledgeable historians to give them some context, insight, and a value. Now the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library will present our own local version of Antiques Roadshow with its annual “What It’s Worth” event on Jan. 18. The library will be bringing in appraiser Mark Moran, who has decades of experience buying and selling antiques and is the author of more than 25 books on antiques and collectibles. If you have a piece you’d like appraised, you have to call for a reservation in advance, but anyone is welcome to stop in to listen to Moran make his appraisals. Moran has focused on vintage folk art, Americana, and fine art in his career and will be open to appraising everything from furniture to toys to vintage photographs. He will not be appraising weapons, coins or paper money, jewelry or musical instruments though (so leave that washboard at home).

What It’s Worth • Saturday, Jan. 18 • L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library, 400 Eau Claire St. • 10:15am-1:15pm • FREE • 839-4834 • ECPublicLibrary.com