April 21, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to throw all of our lives into some form of upheaval. From my safe, comfortable home, where I am currently able to work and provide support to the long-term care provider in my family, I am reminded that in many settings and in many communities, there are not enough hands to help make things work. Lots of organizations and social enterprises need help. Indeed, in our own library setting, we are currently so focused on providing virtual services to the public, that we may be overlooking what is real and tangible – the important interactions that only happen when people can gather together.
The SDG Library had hoped to host a social gathering this month for all of our wonderful volunteers and our five Friends of the Library groups– in fact, we had planned a party for April 9th. Of course, that could not happen while we are all asked to stay home and maintain a healthy distance from each other. If we can re-schedule this event, we’d like to; time will tell if it can happen this year.
It is because of our volunteers and “Friends” that we have been able to create new opportunities to connect with people in very real and very tangible ways – from sponsoring local artist exhibits, to providing reading incentives and rewards to children during the summer months, to helping to finance having internationally-recognized authors come to share their stories with everyone in SDG, to enhancing the Library’s collections and program offerings. It is because of our volunteers that books and DVDs are kept in order on our shelves, making it easier for others to explore our collections for topics that interest them. And, it is volunteers that get the glue unstuck from tabletops after lively craft sessions where people (of all ages!) have connected, that make sure flowers bloom and weeds are banished in gardens outside our branches, and that provide Library staff with help in tasks that require an extra hand.
So, while we cannot throw the party that we wanted to, in recognition of all the really helpful people – and there are over 60 of them! – that volunteer their time and skills to help the SDG Library, we want everyone to know how much we value what our volunteers do to help us ‘Create. Connect. Explore.’
Thank you to each and every one of them.
Karen Franklin, Director of Library Services
