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I have volunteered at the library for about five years. I started covering shifts at the Grace's Book Nook, the used bookstore in our library, on the weekends. I then moved on to scanning and stocking donated books in the Nook and back room. In 2021, the Friends asked me to create displays in the library entryway to highlight the Nook. I also volunteer at second Saturday and biannual sales.
Volunteering at our public library brings me back to my roots. I fondly remember walking to the Point Loma Public Library with my grandmother. I loved the smell of books and using colored construction paper as a bookmark on pages of picture books I liked so I could go back and look at the marked page. Later, I grew into reading gothic fiction like VC Andrews's books and will never forget Down a Dark Hall by Lois Duncan. My dad would drive me to the old downtown library. I loved getting lost while he browsed. He let me check out as many books as I wanted. When I got older, I dreamed of returning to the Point Loma Library to help raise money for improvements, but now I get to do it in Scripps Ranch!
I enjoy helping people, being part of a team, and working to benefit the library and my community. It is satisfying to assist customers with finding a specific book or a book they didn't know they wanted but end up purchasing nonetheless. I love my volunteer peers and the librarians; they are all great people and fun to be around. Everyone is friendly and supportive of one another. I always leave the library feeling uplifted. It is incredible how much the proceeds from the Nook benefit the library and our community. I also enjoy planning and creating displays highlighting the books and seeing how they sometimes delight the customers, especially the kids.
Last, I am part of my neighborhood book club, Book Lovers of Forestview, and there is a Little Library in my yard. Volunteering on a regular basis helps me watch for books when it is my turn to choose for the group. I also find great books to restock my Little Library inexpensively.
I work full time and I am a parent. Volunteering only takes a few hours out of your week and it sometimes feels like a meditation away from all the chaos of life. There are different opportunities to use the unique skills you have to offer. Our public library is a vital resource and is constantly evolving. Volunteering is a great way to connect with people, keep the grey cells firing, and contribute to your immediate community. You will have fun and feel good about pitching in!
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