2012 Best Practices for Government Libraries

Impacting and Enhancing Community through Volunteering
By Lois Ireland, President, DC SLA
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BEST PRACTICES 2012
If you want to push your boundaries and expand your community at the same time, try
volunteering. I’m not just talking about volunteering for SLA at a local or national level,
though that is certainly noble and full of its own rewards. I’m talking about reaching
outside yourself and helping others in the community, whatever community you find
yourself in.
Humans are social creatures and while electronic social media has given many new ways
to create community, to connect and share, there remains much to be said for face-toface
interaction with fellow travelers in this world. Volunteering introduces you to a whole
new set of people, ones you might not ever have met otherwise. One of my closest
friends is someone I met volunteering at Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic (RFB&D -
now Learning Ally) over 15 years ago. Think about it another way, you’ll have a chance
to bust a few myths and show others what cool people librarians really are.
Feed people, metaphorically or physically. Teach them to read, teach them to speak,
teach them to manage a budget. Build them a house, prune their garden, cook a meal,
bag some groceries. Whatever you do, whether you work with children or adults, you’ll
touch someone who needs something more than you do, and you’ll be transformed in the
process.
Most nonprofits are so eager for volunteers, you could explore all sorts of opportunities
with low risk of failure. Offer to manage their website and practice your web
development. Design a database to handle their client list. Use skills you don’t get to flex
much in your day job; it could lead you in a whole different direction professionally. Or do
something completely different. I currently volunteer bagging groceries at a food pantry
and I like it because it’s so far removed from my day job. You could even think about
serving on the board of directors as well; that will give you all kinds of experience in
looking at budgets and strategic planning, not to mention the art of compromise.
There is so much need in the world and so many ways to touch others, the tricky bit is
narrowing down the options. To be honest, we all have limitations on availability and how
far we’re willing to stretch. If you’re not comfortable getting down and dirty, or up close
and personal, that’s OK. There are other ways to help. At RF&D, I read textbooks out
loud, creating recordings that were reproduced and distributed to clients nationwide. We
met a few local clients, but mostly I worked with my recording partner for the evening.
Many municipalities have clearinghouses that can help you filter through the
opportunities, to find the one that fits best. And while there are tons of mainstream
volunteer opportunities out there, but don’t shy away from those that (legally!) push
society’s boundaries. Follow your passion, be true to your heart and connect to the cause
that resonates with you.