The Precious Gift of Time
Our Library is a very special place to many people in the community. Thankfully, this means that we find ourselves the lucky beneficiaries of a lot of help from volunteers of all kinds. As we
enter the season of Thanksgiving, I wanted to extend our deep gratitude to all of you who have given time, money, energy, and talent to our cause. There are also a special few who volunteer each week and deserve to be highlighted for their generosity of spirit where the Library is concerned.
Carol Corrigan is a librarian by trade and at heart. Having been a library Director at the New Lebanon Library, we have been lucky enough to have her as part of the Kinderhook Memorial Library family for many years now. Carol is an active Friend of the Library and she also staffs our front desk on Wednesday mornings, and has for years. She has led storytimes, headed up the crew of dedicated volunteers who keep our gardens looking lovely, and was a huge help with our Oktoberfest fundraiser for all of my tenure and before! She also created and continues to run our group of Candlelight Night Crafters. Carol has a seemingly bottomless well of energy and enthusiasm to give, and we’re so lucky that she chooses to give them to us. Her upbeat attitude, welcoming smile, and willingness to pitch in wherever a hand is needed make her a valuable asset to me and to the Library. Thank you for all that you do, Carol!
Sandra Lopresto is another stalwart volunteer who deserves our applause for all that she does to keep the Library running smoothly. Sandra began volunteering many years ago, and comes to the Library every Tuesday morning, which is our busiest morning of the week! She lends a hand getting the bins checked in, making the phone calls to let our patrons know their holds have arrived, and shelving the returned books back in their rightful places. As an avid reader, Sandra makes great book suggestions and discusses titles with our patrons, and generally helps make our front desk a welcoming place. Sandra is a world traveler and a person with many interests, and yet she makes the time to help our Library each and every week. We couldn’t be more grateful for her efforts and her time. Thank you so much, Sandra!
Rosalyn Carter famously said that “without volunteers, we’d be a nation without a soul.” Our volunteers are truly the soul of our organization, and we would be lost without them! The next time you see Carol or Sandra, be sure to thank them for giving the Library the most precious gift of all, their time.
This article was printed in the Autumn 2021 edition of the Book Report