Community Corner

Volunteers Play Vital Role at Broadneck Library

With budget decreases and more patrons than ever, volunteers fill a great need at local branches.

Most of us enjoy at least one of the many services offered by our county's library system. But with budget cuts and an increase in patron use, staffs are being stretched thin.

"Our number one goal is always to meet the needs of our patrons," said branch manager Debra Mattingly. "We try out best to accommodate their needs."

Obviously, they can't do it alone, and that is where volunteers come in.

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Recently, I spent an afternoon with Mattingly who gave me a tour of our Broadneck branch, something every volunteer does to understand where exactly each task takes place.

(Note: Β All of the over 800 Patch editors across the country take part in the company's "Give 5" community service initiative, donating our time five times a year to different causes in our local area.)

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On this July "Give 5 Day," I learned how much it takes to keep a library branch productive. From sorting through and labeling donations, to reshelving returns, to checking that all periodicals are stacked appropriately, there are a variety of ways volunteers stay busy.

One of the most important tasks that takes committed, regular volunteers is preparing patron requests that are made online. The system provides a printout each day and Mattingly and her staff must make sure they have enough manpower to find the books, check them into the tracking system, and notate who and which branch each is going to. Then all of the pulled material is either put on the Broadneck shelf for local residents to pick up or they are placed in the correct bins for pickup to be transported to the other branches.

Currently, there is a need for these special volunteers, particularly in the mornings, when the branch is closed and volunteers are more free to what Mattingly calls go "treasure hunting" for requested items. It is a job that needs a volunteer committed to come weekly to keep up with demand.

Other volunteer jobs include things like preparing materials for crafts used for special youth programs throughout the year or copying materials for distribution in the branch.

Broadneck volunteer Carol Porosoff, who is a regular, said she likes to help out because she feels needed.

"I use this library a lot," she said. "I figure it is the least I can do."

For those interested in volunteering at the branch, simply visit and fill out a form at the information desk.

"We simply can't do what we do without volunteers," said Mattingly who said they have volunteers of all ages and backgrounds. "They are a great help and seem to enjoy it."


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