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Director's Column
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Greatness through service
Spring is nearly here, and with it comes Volunteer Recognition Week, April 21-27, 2013. Last year, 2,470 adult and teen volunteers contributed 101,924 hours of service with Hennepin County Library. Thank you! I sincerely appreciate all that you do to support the Library and ensure excellent library service.
Martin Luther King, Jr., said, "Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve." Library staff and patrons see your greatness every day as you welcome people to our buildings; deliver books to patrons at home; help with homework, language skills or technology; work to maintain our collection and more. Your contributions are inspiring and truly make a difference.
Please take a moment to tell us what Hennepin County Library can do that means "thank you" to you. Share your ideas with us in the Raise Your VOICE section at the end of this newsletter.
If you have a family member, friend or neighbor who is interested in volunteering with the Library, please connect them with us. We are in particular need of volunteers with skills to work with immigrant populations, technology and genealogy. Our Events & Classes listing at www.hclib.org/events has more information about the programs we offer in these areas.
I look forward to working alongside you this year, as we nourish minds, transform lives and build community together.
My thanks, again,
Lois
Lois Langer Thompson
Library Director
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Spotlights
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Volunteer Constance Whiteford at work in the Preservation Unit |
The Preservation Unit at Minneapolis Central Library
The Preservation Unit at Minneapolis Central improves the lifespan, usability and accessibility of the print collections at all Hennepin County libraries. The Unit is located in a non-public space on the fifth floor at Minneapolis Central, out of visibility of library visitors. However, every patron benefits from its work. "The work we do in the Preservation Unit is all about taking care of Hennepin County Library’s extraordinary print collection, so that it can be enjoyed by our patrons for generations to come. We are lucky to have the help of several wonderful volunteers in accomplishing this work," comments staff member Frank Hurley.
As the name implies, the Preservation Unit preserves, repairs and restores the Library’s print material: preservation photocopying, commercial binding operations, preservation consultations with staff in other service areas (most notably, Special Collections) and, of course, book binding, processing and adding enclosures.
In 2012, 22 volunteers worked almost 1,000 hours on various projects. One of the volunteers, John Welsh, reflects that "Helping to recycle ailing library books is one important cog in the library system's wheels. Like me, most volunteers and interns enjoy their experience in this tiny department tucked away on the fifth floor of Minneapolis Central."
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Linen thread is coated with beeswax before being used to sew text blocks. |
This 1869, two-volume edition of Ancient and Mediaeval India was rebound in cloth.
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News
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Best Buy Teen Tech Center Wows Guests at Grand Opening
On January 31, the new Best Buy Teen Tech Center opened its doors at Minneapolis Central Library. The Teen Tech Center, located adjacent to Teen Central on the second floor of Minneapolis Central, was made possible by the Friends of the Hennepin County Library through a grant from Best Buy.
The new space serves as an out-of-school learning environment where teens can build technology skills and explore careers in areas such as filmmaking, music and audio production, video game and mobile application development, graphic design, digital photography and much more. "Members" of the Teen Tech Center are youth ages 12-19.
Librarians and adult volunteer mentors will help teens pursue their interests in the Teen Tech Center. Since opening, the audio studio has been in use by teens almost continuously, making beats, recording their voices and making hip-hop and rap tracks using the latest digital audio technology.
In addition to music production, many teens are creating self-portraits with photo-editing software, green screen and artsy backgrounds, turning themselves into zombies and centaurs.
(If you need any translation for the terms used here – ask your nearest teen!)
The Library is currently recruiting adult volunteers to serve as mentors in the Center. Volunteers who enjoy working with youth and technology and any graphic designers, university students, filmmakers, digital artists, educators and software developers are encouraged to apply. To learn more, visit www.hclib.org/bbttc. See photos below from Grand Opening event.
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Volunteer Impact on HCL in 2012
HCL is very grateful for your support - whether you love the library, need experience for a résumé, are learning English, have a particular skill to share, need credits for a class or just have some free time. You are partners with HCL staff to deliver the best in library service.
Thank you to the 2,470 adult and teen volunteers who worked 101,924 hours. You made a difference in all aspects of service to Hennepin County residents:
COLLECTION MAINTENANCE
Volunteers helped ensure books, CDs, DVDs, reference materials and magazines available to the public were prepared for delivery to libraries as they arrived from publishers. Volunteers reviewed individual items to ensure they are used where needed, are timely and in good condition for patron use. More than 4,250 hours by volunteers helped staff maintain and develop a quality collection for the public.
LIBRARY MATERIALS
1,400 volunteers worked almost 61,000 hours directly on returning books, CDs, DVDs, etc. back to the shelves and in the hands of our patrons faster!
MULTICULTURAL RESOURCES
Library volunteers worked 10,913 hours with immigrant populations who were learning about the public library for the first time. Volunteers tutored college students with homework, led conversational English circles with groups of learners, tutored Adult Basic Ed learners for citizenship and GED tests, and presented a friendly face to people striving to be independent and productive residents of Hennepin County.
OUTREACH SERVICES
6,021 volunteer hours were devoted to delivering library service directly to patrons at their residences. For adults who love to read but cannot get to the library on their own, receiving a steady supply of books in various formats can mean the difference in quality life. Exploring new titles, tried-and-true authors and beloved books from the past are services volunteers are passionate to continue.
PATRON SERVICE
Volunteers worked more than 6,300 hours in many areas to help HCL deliver excellent patron service: welcomed and directed patrons at Minneapolis Central Library, led tours of the library, assisted patrons doing genealogy research or navigating the 10 Special Collections. Volunteers “staffed” the Ridgedale Library Bookstore, handled the many interlibrary loan requests of patrons and repaired and preserved the HCL collection for all patrons.
TECHNOLOGY
The Library provides 1,750 computers for patrons. For many Hennepin County residents, the Library serves as their only access point to complete e-Government or job applications. Many Hennepin County residents need help with basic computer skills. In 2012, volunteers helped adult students in classroom settings and assisted hundreds of others one-on-one in the library, teaching basic computer skills. Thanks to 2,900-plus volunteer hours, the public became more self-reliant with technology.
YOUTH SERVICES
12,000 hours by volunteers worked in Youth Services, impacting the County's A-GRAD service commitment directly. Volunteers assisted and mentored students with their homework through the Library’s Homework Hub program. Teen volunteers gained job skills and learned about the many resources available at the library for their lives.
Volunteers help HCL nourish minds, transform lives and build community – every day. THANK YOU!
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Updates from Volunteer Services
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Omnitheater Tickets
Omnitheater tickets are available to volunteers who volunteered at HCL during the previous three months – a great "thank you volunteers" from the Science Museum of Minnesota and Hennepin County that includes the Science Museum entrance fee. Follow the directions online or in the Library’s print program guide to reserve your tickets for upcoming shows.
Current Volunteer Opportunities
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Raise Your VOICE
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The March question:
Volunteer Recognition Week is April 21-27, 2013. What can Hennepin County Library do that means "thank you" to you? Send your ideas to volunteer@hclib.org. Responses will be included in the next issue of The Volunteer Voice.
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If you have a comment on this issue, an idea for a volunteer, staff or library profile, or news to share, please email mschuster@hclib.org
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