Library needs more friends

The city library has serious need for volunteers to sort and shelve donated books for sale.

In most cities a Friends of the Library organization provides this service. Such has not been the case in Moorpark for many years because of minimal active membership in Moorpark Friends of the Library.

From 2001 until the end of last year, the processing of donated books for sale was done by just one person- myself- on a daily basis as a library volunteer enlisted by the library manager. I was essentially an unpaid adjunct staff member. That relationship ended with the transition from county to city operation.

Citing "daily basis" is important because the small building was never provided with storage space. Incoming donated books must be processed as they are received, whether to go onto sales shelves or into storage cartons. Otherwise, a glut accumulates to obstruct the staff in its work. Thus the urgent need for volunteers.

Very limited instruction is sufficient before a volunteer goes to work. Such instruction can be scheduled by appointment for any Saturday at 10 a.m. Thereafter, any volunteer can drop in at any time and work on what has most recently arrived by donation.

Here are incentives for volunteering: General exposure to the popular range of book readership. First crack at buying any book of personal interest. Credit within the educational system for public service hours. Gratitude from the library staff for eliminating glut. Unspoken but real appreciation by the public that the books have been placed out for sale.

The Friends organization would naturally prefer to accept responsibility in this area. But until active membership builds up, effort is limited to endeavoring to recruit volunteers. At present, only some board members are doing as much as they have personal time for.

Of course we would like to have volunteers also join the Friends. There are no strings. Our coordinator is Marilyn Ludwig, who has been the Friends' president for the past several years. Volunteers should ask at the library for her telephone number so as to arrange for enlistment.

Marilyn has scheduled an outdoor book sale in the library's front parking lot on Sat., May 5. Persons who may not be interested in ongoing work within the library may instead find this event attractive for volunteering. Those who sign up and work from the startup time until the sale begins are allowed a substantial discount on any personal purchases. In addition, there is considerable fun in the camaraderie among those who put on such an event. Gilbert S. Bahn Vice president Moorpark Friends of the Library