Reflections on my time as a library outreach volunteer
In June 2017, I started doing volunteer outreach for a library system in a neighboring county. What this means is that I load up my car once a month with library materials and deliver them to people who cannot make it to the library. Outreach work is immensely rewarding to me. It is the reason why I want to be a librarian. I feel that my calling in librarianship is to be a bridge between the library’s resources and the physically or economically marginalized patrons who cannot access them. To me, outreach is at the core of why libraries exist.
There are many situations that could lead a person to seek outreach services, for example, not having a car, being blind, experiencing long-term illness, or working long hours. Before I began this work, I had expected that nearly all my patrons would be retired women or school-age children. In fact, several of the people I have served are middle-aged men, and I have no children patrons at all right now. For some reason, I had also assumed that my patrons would be interested mostly in books; however, they often want music, videos, and artmaking tools as well. In fact, some outreach patrons do not read books at all.
I want everyone to feel connected to the library, regardless of circumstance. When a community member refuses the library’s outreach services, I sometimes feel as if I have failed as a volunteer. What I try to remember is that people connect with the library in their own time and in their own ways. The person who rejects the services today may decide to sign up next month. Others who sign up right off the bat may drop out later for personal reasons. Those who do not use the services may still look forward to interacting with the volunteer who delivers the materials.
One of the coolest things about outreach is talking with the patrons and learning about their interests. Doing this helps me build relationships with them, which in turn helps me understand their goals and serve them better. I wish my visits could be longer, that I did not always have an assignment to complete or an errand to run. In this task-driven society, it seems that there is never enough time for the real work of engagement that we all need to be doing in our communities. I am doing the best I can now and looking forward to the day when I can do more.
In his 2014 video keynote address for ILEADU, librarian R. David Lankes stressed how important it is for librarians to focus on helping people realize their potential. As he so passionately and eloquently put it, “The community is your collection.” I have already learned so much from my collection, and I am excited about the possibilities ahead of us.
Copyright © 2018 Stacy Torian. All rights reserved.
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Stacy Torian 