LAKEPORT >> Volunteers are an important part of the Lake County Library team, recording more than 100 hours of work per month at Lakeport Library alone. Between 20 and 25 volunteers assist library staff at all branches and about 80 volunteer literacy tutors teach other adults to read.
Loyal volunteers like Jenny Ornellas often spend years serving as volunteers. Ornellas pulls requested books, checks requested items in and straightens shelves. She says that being a volunteer is “a huge help” to the library staff, whom she regards as almost family. In her words, “Christopher (Veach, library director) is a cool boss.”
Barbara Swanson will complete 19 years of service in November. She enjoys the library staff, she likes keeping her skills up and feels it’s important to give back to the library. Swanson is a member of the Clear Lake Trowel & Trellis Garden Club and she maintains planters at Lakeport Library. She also pulls books and checks books in.
Some library tasks work well for social people, others work for introverts. Some tasks require standing, and others are sit-down jobs. Some tasks require lifting and carrying books and moving cartloads of books.
Volunteers search for books that are requested, are on trace or missing, and search for books that need to be cleaned, repaired or discarded, while other volunteers shelve books or straighten and organize shelves. The library has a volunteer who arranges proctoring appointments with students. “Dr. DVD,” who buffs scratched library DVDs and CDs, is a volunteer. Volunteers check in requested items, sort donated books, prepare craft kits for storytimes and inventory the shelves. Volunteer tasks include folding, cutting, stapling library brochures, handouts and other materials. Some volunteers learn to work at the circulation desk and sort book deliveries. The library receives four courier deliveries per week, each bringing 15 to 20 crates of books that must be sorted and routed. High school students volunteer at the library to fulfill their community service requirement for graduation.
The library is currently recruiting volunteers for some specific areas, including a storytime volunteer aide, a teen program volunteer aide, computer tutors and adult literacy tutors. The storytime aide will work with the storytime coordinator and will sometimes substitute for the regular storytime reader. The teen program aide will work with the teen program coordinator to produce programs for tweens and teens. Computer tutors will work with library patrons who want to learn more about using the library’s public computers.
Volunteers must be at least 14 years old and have an interest in helping the library. They must fill out a short application and sign a release form before starting to work, and then the volunteer coordinator matches them to tasks suited to their skills and abilities. Previous library work experience isn’t required to be a volunteer.
For more information about library volunteer opportunities, call 263-8817.
Volunteer literacy tutors teach other adults to read. People interested in being literacy tutors apply to the literacy program and attend tutor training workshops which are presented several times each year. The next tutor training is Sept. 21 from noon to 5 p.m. at Lakeport Library, 1425 N. High St. Following training, tutors are then matched with adult learners. For more information about the adult literacy program, call the office at 263-7633.
The Lake County Library is on the internet at library.lakecountyca.gov and Facebook at www.facebook.com/lakecountylibrary. Library events are also posted at www.co.lake.ca.us/government/directory/lake_county_ca__library/calendar.htm.
