People today are always saying, “I wish I had more time.” Work, school, family, church and chores have us always searching for more free time to do the things we enjoy. So we could say that time is one of the most valuable things we can give someone. That being said, volunteering and giving time to an organization is a valuable gift.
The library has only one full-time employee at 35 hours and three part-time employees, one at 19 and two at 28 hours per week. The library is open 34 hours a week, so that does not give us much time for anything other than the routine daily activities. So people may wonder how we are able to do programs, add new things and come up with fun ways to create fun spaces for the community.
We are able to do this because some amazing people have chosen to share their time with the library. Most people think that Linda Wilson is an employee of the library, but she is not. Ms. Wilson--who regularly writes this column--has been volunteering at the library for over 20 years, and she has put in over 250 hours at the library in the past year. This does not include the time she spends working with the Friends of the Library.
And there are others. Doris Goodwin, who comes in and shelves books three or four days a week, has put in over 300 hours this year. Kappi Brown and Glory Boydston are regular volunteers.
In 2011, the storm damaged a lot of our history collection. Donna Street, Gail Hedden, Joy Odom and several more have worked many hours to make sure our collection is back in tip-top shape for the community. This summer, a group of teens chose to give of their time to the library.
The library is also known for its ability to take folks to another world like Oz, Neverland, and many others. If not for the Sheriff’s Department’s inmate worker details putting up and taking down these decorations, this would not be possible.
So we say hats off to volunteers! They are a big reason the Dade County Public Library is such an awesome place. We are glad that these people choose to enjoy their “free” time with us.
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