What I Learned Today

Today I attended a volunteer orientation at the Monrovia library. There were about 15 of us, mostly women, and mostly much older than me, but all very friendly and motivated. The volunteer coordinator is a warm and enthusiastic leader, and our first activity was a tour through the brand-new library. As we walked under the entrance arch and the ceiling opened up above us in the main circulation area, I felt a shiver of delight. The library was empty of people, but filled with an expectant air, awaiting its grand debut on Saturday. All of the books and tapes and movies and CDs and computers were in position, seeming almost eager for new hands and new uses. We walked past the stacks, and I tried to stay focused forward, but there were books on every side, calling out for attention with colorful covers and intriguing titles. I could dive right in and swim happily through this library for days on end.

We came back to Earth after our tour and discussed what our duties will be. Their prime need right now is for greeters (referred to as Library Orientation and Support Technicians, or “LOST” volunteers, I kid you not) to guide patrons to the right areas of the new library, answer basic questions, point the way to the restrooms, and so on. After doing this for a few weeks, we can keep doing it or move on to other volunteer needs around the library, such as sorting and mending books, helping out in the Friends of the Library bookstore, literacy tutoring, etc. The great news is that I can immediately start as a greeter, while they are still processing my application and figuring out when best to inject me with tuberculins. The other jobs await full application review. We passed around a signup sheet, and my first stint as a volunteer will be 3-5 p.m. on May 22.

I learned that:

• The new library offers both computer workstations and (free) wireless access (library card required).
• There are self-checkout machines!
• Volunteers agree to a minimum of 5 hours per month and a 6-month commitment. Not a problem, as I’ve reserved all of Fridays for as much volunteering as I like.
• There is a confidentiality requirement in library assistance; you are expected not to share what questions a given patron has asked, unless you anonymize the query. Good to know.

I’m very much looking forward to the library’s grand opening on Saturday. Not only is Ray Bradbury speaking at 3:30 p.m., but they are also holding a children’s spelling bee at 11 a.m.! I’m tempted to go along and see what kind of words show up at this one. :)

Today I visited the brand-new Monrovia library to interview with their volunteer coordinator. We discussed their various volunteer needs and settled on what could be a good fit for me: sorting, mending, and pricing donated books (“We need people with good research skills for this”), greeting visitors at the door (“The library is brand-new and no one knows where to find anything”), and possibly helping in their computer center (“We have such a need”). I’m absolutely thrilled to get a chance to work with library books behind the scenes. The idea of helping people use computers gives me flashbacks to my time as a computer lab assistant as an undergraduate, but hey, I have no doubt that the need is there.

Satisfied with our discussion, the coordinator gave me an application to fill out. She glanced at my educational history and said, “Ah, so you finished school last year?” Without thinking, I replied, “Well, unless I decide to go back again,” and she laughed and said, “Yes, it’s always good to be open to more schooling!”

I think I’ll fit right in.

There is a volunteer orientation to attend next Tuesday, during which we’ll work out scheduling and all of the volunteers will get to meet each other. It might take a while before I actually get to dive in, though, because the Human Resources department apparently needs about a month to process my application. This not only involves calling my references but also getting my fingerprints and testing me for drugs, alcohol, and TB.

Note: the library’s grand opening is next Saturday, May 16, and Ray Bradbury will be attending! He’s giving a speech at 3:30 p.m. I’m so there.