Little Librarian To-Be?

So I've been volunteering in the youth section of the public library here, and I think I've found volunteering nirvana. The books, the young minds filling their heads with piles of stories and new ideas, the books, the books, mmm.... :)

I sit at the "Summer Reading" Program desk, and help the kids that come up, or tell them about it, and add some general cheer to the place with my perky self. While I wait to turn on all this helpful charm, I have recently been trusted with some extra tasks!

Last week I got to sort a cart of books- young adult books- for the first time, and let me tell you, that is some fun stuff! :) And then this week I "processed" books- which means I put on barcodes and stamped them and got them started on their new life. Also surprisingly fun! I kind of took a funny sense of pride in my stamping and barcoding. :) Just because the book is free and covered in less than ideal crinkly plastic wrap, that's no reason not to keep it neat and tidy, I say! I stamped those babies nice and straight- no slapshod, sloppy business going all haphazard over the title page! I keep my imprints centered and clean! Maybe one day a patron will appreciate my above and beyond work, notice the smeared stamps on its books' neighbors and enjoy his find all the more? I might?

One of the other ladies that works there told me today that I was a very odd girl....

Either way, I love volunteering there. :) I think fostering a reading habit in kids is so important. I love seeing a bustling crowd, with moms hauling three kids around behind them, piling up books for the family, ten year old girls and boys so excited at the chance to take home lots of stories. I remember that.

I almost got involved in another sort of ongoing volunteer activity, but decided to just participate in a week long camp with them (that was a few weeks ago) and leave it alone for now. I have this tendency to take on a lot of projects, and lose interest, and stop. I am determined to not do that with the library. I'm keeping it simple- a short commitment each Monday, and stick with that. Maybe with your ladies' encouragement, remembering to make a tiny monetary donation to a new cause each month too.

But for now, I'm so excited to be so excited about my volunteering. That hasn't happened for a long while.