A Long Love Story Inspires a Volunteer…

Ann Gray started volunteering as a pager at the Westover Branch Library on January 17, 2012, the second anniversary of her husband’s death.

Ann’s connection to Westover goes back to her childhood, when the library was housed in the apartments at the corner of Longfellow and Washington Boulevard, and her mother became friends with a librarian named Dorothy. Years later, Dorothy’s nephew graduated from college, and Dorothy asked Ann’s mother if Ann was still in the area… Dorothy’s nephew became Ann’s husband, and they had been together for over 45 years when he died.

 

What is your favorite part of volunteering?  

Having access to the stacks before the lights come on and the patrons come in. The only sounds I hear are the voices of the thousands of authors.

What do you do when not volunteering?

I volunteer at Virginia Hospital Center pushing wheelchairs and pointing the way to the restrooms. Recently I’ve added the challenge of mastering the public transportation system since my decision to go car-free.

Are you a Metro DC native, or a transplant?

I consider myself a native, starting at age 6 about three blocks from where I’ve lived for the last 40 years. Walter Reed Elementary School was my grade school. I graduated from Washington-Lee HS.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Must I? [We say no.]

What is the best book you’ve read recently?

“Tapestry of Fortunes” by Elizabeth Berg.

What is the best movie you’ve seen recently?

Can’t remember when I last saw a movie in the theatre, but our public library has a massive collection of movies, any one of which is a pleasure.

 

Interested in becoming a Library volunteer? Check out the Current Openings on our Volunteer Page.

 

Proud to Help Provide Quality Service

Colleen started volunteering at Central Library in 2009, and switched to the Columbia Pike Branch Library after she moved to Alexandria in 2011. She volunteers on Columbia Pike’s 2nd Floor Info Desk, and occasionally in circulation processing delivery, holds or the paging list.

We asked her to tell us a little bit about herself, and why she enjoys spending her free time at the Library:

What makes you continue to volunteer?

I know the library depends on reliable volunteers to provide quality services to the public. If I have the spare time, of course I’m going to offer it to a valuable part of my community – the public library system.

That is so cool. What’s your favorite thing about the library?

I get to meet and help a wide variety of people each week. Some are regular library patrons looking for new services, while others are visiting for the first time and have no idea where to start. Either way, nearly everyone is appreciative of the services we provide and are a joy to serve.

What do you do when you’re not volunteering?

I work for an environmental nonprofit in Northern Virginia. When I’m not sitting at my work desk or the library Information Desk, you can find me hiking, biking, or canoeing around the region.

Are you a Metro DC native, or a transplant?

I am a transplant from Pennsylvania, by way of South Carolina.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

A librarian for the National Park Service.

What is the best book you’ve read recently?

If you need a literary escape from the hustle and bustle of the Metro DC area, I highly recommend A Year in the Maine Woods by Bernd Heinrich.

What’s the best movie you’ve seen recently?

Embarrassingly, I can’t remember any recent movies.

 

Interested in becoming a Library volunteer? Check out the Current Openings on our Volunteer Page.

 

Meet Gil Leigh, a 72-year old retired Federal executive, and long-term volunteer on the Central Library Welcome Desk.

The goal of the Welcome Desk is to give a warm and friendly greeting to all Library visitors, as well as to relieve pressure on regular staff as much as possible by providing assistance with general information, library cards, parking passes, copier operation, catalog searches, and more.

Gil likes this volunteer job very much. It has variety, lets him help people while giving back to his community, and gives him a good reason to get out of the house in the morning.

He also thinks the Welcome Desk is an important part of Library services, and is also pleased that Central Library and the Volunteer Coordinator are working hard to keep it staffed whenever the Library is open.

Interested in becoming a Library volunteer? Check out the Current Openings on our Volunteer Page.

 

On Monday evenings, nearly 20 people gather for a lively English conversation class led by an equally lively volunteer…

An 84-year old Arlington resident, Maria Abbott has been teaching ESL conversation classes at Central Library for a number of years.

As a native of Brazil, Maria understands the challenge of learning English as a second language. The students, who come from all around the world, spend 90 minutes each week exploring the basics of English conversation and culture. They discuss a variety of themes, including American holidays, being a good citizen, and current events.

Maria’s students also take turns sharing about their own cultures and countries, such as Azerbaijan and Turkey, in order to demonstrate and understand the multi-culturalism within the United States.

 

Learn more about Volunteer Opportunities at the Arlington Public Library.

 

 

Meet Marilyn… and her family! 

Marilyn Keyes started volunteering at the Westover Branch Library two and a half years ago. As a resident of Arlington for 36 years, she was looking for a way to give back to her community. Her volunteer job is to search for and process all the items that have been put on hold over the weekend – which is usually hundreds of items. So a few months after she started volunteering, Marilyn “recruited” her husband Steve to join her on Monday mornings.

Since then, Marilyn and Steve have done an amazing and thorough job searching for and sending out items on hold. This dynamic team has also taken on the unpacking and sorting of our massive Monday morning delivery.

And just a few months ago, Marilyn encouraged her daughter Krista to volunteer at Westover as well. Now Krista does a great job putting carts of items in call number order on Wednesday mornings, and even fills in searching for hold items when Marilyn and Steve are traveling.

We are grateful that Marilyn, Steve and Krista have taken on so much at Westover… The only problem is when they all go on vacation together!

 

Learn more about Volunteer Opportunities at the Arlington Public Library.

 

 

Meet Frances, otherwise known to the Shirlington Branch Library staff as “Queen of the Holds”.

Over the past four and a half years, Frances has filled many volunteer assignments. She has worked with magazines and shelved Library materials, and even inventoried the entire Shirlington collection!

For her current volunteer assignment, Frances visits Shirlington several times a week to check in and shelve all the holds that have arrived for patrons that day. If you stop by in the afternoon you may catch a glimpse of her swamped by cartloads of books.

And much to the delight of the Shirlington staff, she also bakes a mean batch of cookies!

 

Learn more about Volunteer Opportunities at the Arlington Public Library.