There are numerous rewarding volunteer opportunities available in the busy Lone Star College-CyFair library and just as many different reasons to become a volunteer as Lisa Gear-Smith, Lori Vaske and Steve Visconti can attest.
Gear-Smith, who has always loved the library, said as a young girl the library was a place to find a new adventure. While in school, it became a place for her to study, hang out and find great books. Then when she became a mother, it was the place to bring her daughter for story time, to introduce new books to both of them, and to meet other moms and children.
“Libraries are some of our most important community institutions,” she said. “Libraries are great public spaces with something for everyone, such as an opportunity to find something new to read or to reread an old favorite. It’s access to computers for students and people without home access, or anything you need.”
With a desire to remain a part of the library environment, she began as a volunteer shelving and pulling holds and now Gear-Smith said she is fortunate to work in LSC-CyFair’s library as a part-time shelver.
Vaske and Visconti both volunteer for Book Buddies, which is a free 10-week program that brings kindergarten through 3rd-grade children (Little Buddies) and adult or teen volunteers (Big Buddies) together once a week for 45 minutes of one-on-one shared reading.
Visconti participates in the Book Buddies program for reasons which are threefold.
“What better reason than to give back to our community by donating personal time for the benefit of others in such a worthwhile endeavor,” he said. “And what about wanting to help a child become more successful by augmenting their comprehension and reading skills for their future as well as to instill the joy of reading as a lifelong pursuit.”
Vaske describes her reason to volunteer with an example of her little buddy, an active learner who enacts scenes from the books.
“My little buddy also is generous with sharing recent reading skill discoveries. ‘Ck is sounded out just once, not c then k,’” she said. “This age of loving to learn is contagious. I have caught the reading bug. I don’t want to lose its hold on me.”
Volunteerism at LSC-CyFair’s library includes helping in the circulation area, Kids Corner and the Teen Room, as well as assisting with adult programming and the Friends of Library in their bookstore, said Librarian Leah Stark. Among the benefits of volunteering, particularly for teens, are earning volunteer hours, building skills and a resume, networking and making friends.
For information on how to join the library’s team of volunteers, including requirements, such as the minimum age of 15, and the application process, go to Cflib.info/volunteer or email CF-LibraryVolunteer@LoneStar.edu.