Volunteer Appreciation Week

Last week we celebrated Volunteer Appreciation Week at all our library locations with special treats and service awards. 

We have 37 active volunteers system-wide (not counting our summer VolunTEENS), and they provide a tremendous service for us by supporting our employees’ efforts to restock our shelves and provide outstanding programs for our community. 

Here is more information about what makes our volunteers so special as told by a number of our supervisors: 

CUMMING LIBRARY

The Cumming Library has six volunteers who assist with both shelving and programming. “We are so fortunate to have such a dedicated team of volunteers. In fact, three decided they wanted to go back out and shelve after our celebration of them last week!” said Cumming Library Branch Manager Joan Dudzinski. “We appreciate them all so much and couldn't get it all done without them,” continued Joan. Ann Tallant received her five year volunteer service award and Tim Meanor received his ten year volunteer service award at Cumming Library last week. 

DENMARK LIBRARY

“We currently have three volunteers helping with shelving and two volunteers to assist with programming. We were fortunate to have seven volunteers help us unpack hundreds of boxes of books, sort them, and get them on the shelves before we opened in March. We couldn’t have done it without them! One of those volunteers liked it so much she took a paid position with us as a Collection Support Aide, and two other pre-opening volunteers stayed on to continue helping.

It's been a joy to have volunteers that were invested in the Denmark library from the very beginning. Two of our volunteers are from Denmark High School—their energy and excitement regarding the library and our collection is a blessing,” shared Lorraine Lane, Circulation Supervisor at Denmark Library. 

HAMPTON PARK LIBRARY

"Hampton Park Library is a special branch, because it does not have some of the equipment or machinery that the other branches have. This means getting books from checked-out to back on the shelf requires a more hands-on approach. Our shelving volunteers are special too. They keep the books moving! Some come for the quiet solace of organizing items, while others come for the work-out of shelving a cart of picture books. Whatever the reason, we are forever grateful for the time our shelving volunteers dedicate to us. We couldn't function without them. Seriously, we would be drowning in books in the workroom. Thank you, volunteers!" said Brittany Mayo, Circulation Supervisor at Hampton Park Library. 

Hampton Park Library Youth Services Supervisor Kayla Bolton added, "From storytimes to wall displays, our Programming Volunteers do it all! If we ask them to take the starring role in our puppet shows, they don't bat an eye! If we need someone to help a costumed character find their spot, they're always willing to help. Our volunteers certainly bring life to the library!"

POST ROAD LIBRARY

“We can’t thank our amazing volunteers enough for everything they do to keep the library running smoothly! Ginny—who’s reached an incredible ten years of service—along with Tracy, Geeth, and Ashish, make sure every book finds its place on the shelf so readers always discover their next great read. Amy, Terry, and Vaishalini bring storytimes to life, turning simple readings into joyful memories for little ones,” said Post Road Library Circulation Supervisor Anthony Caspanello. 

“A special shout-out to Ellie, our marketing intern, whose creative displays and program promotions have brought fresh excitement to our space. We’ll miss you as you are off to UGA this fall, but can’t wait to see all you achieve! To all of our volunteers: your dedication is what makes our library truly special. Thank you for your service to our community,” said Anthony. 

SHARON FORKS LIBRARY

“We have a total of six amazing volunteers at Sharon Forks Library, two of whom are former FCPL employees: Barbara Safstrom and Lynne Jackson. We are so fortunate to have their years of library experience,” said Sharon Forks Library Circulation Supervisor Teresa Santangelo. 

“Kirthika has been volunteering on Sundays since 2022. Antonella and Nikhila both started volunteering this year and they have been a welcome addition to Sharon Forks Library. The shelvers get so excited when they look at the schedule and see volunteers will be dropping in to help us sort and shelve carts. They are kind of like superheroes swooping in to save the day!” Teresa continued. “This year we celebrated Linda Absher's 5 year anniversary as a volunteer. She is amazingly positive and one of her favorite tasks is helping us find items on the pick-list. Her smile brightens even the gloomiest of days.” 

Sharon Forks Library volunteer Linda Absher (left) with supervisor Teresa Santangelo.
Linda is holding the engraved key ring she received for
reaching her 5 years of volunteer service milestone. 

“We are just so appreciative of our volunteers and the time they dedicate to helping the Library,” said Teresa. 

If you are looking for a meaningful way to give back to the Forsyth County community, while being surrounded by books and other people who love books as much as you do, please consider becoming a library volunteer at FCPL. Our volunteer opportunities are open to anyone 16 years of age and older. Click HERE to see our current volunteer openings or to subscribe to our volunteer alerts by email.