After graduating at Pitt and having some extra free time (so much extra free time--it's almost alien), I decided to find a unique way to volunteer in libraries. With that, I went to Volunteer Match to find virtual opportunities. Surprisingly, it was not too hard to connect with someone and begin. I ended up finding a great gig with the San Mateo County Library system in California. SMCL asked that I write 2-3 blog posts a month, focusing on my hobbies. They have organized their blogs into three categories: adults, teens, and parents/kids. I had the freedom to write about anything I wanted, as long as I could relate it to the library's services, programs, or resources. Because they had a shortage of teen posts, I try to focus in that area. I have created blog posts on video games vs. board games, the zombie fad, ESRB ratings in games, and for adults, I've written about knitting and arm knitting. My goal has been to try to branch out in what I write, but to also be entertaining and intriguing to my audience. I have volunteered for a few months, and my first post was recently published. I discussed NaNoWriMo--National Novel Writing Month, a movement encouraging writers to compose a 50,000 word novel throughout November. The blog post was fun to write, and I enjoyed perusing the NaNoWriMo site to see how they support potential writers. Although I have not been able to write my own novel this month, I hope my blog post encouraged others to at least begin writing. See the post here. While sometimes I get discouraged or don't feel like writing, I think this volunteer opportunity has been a mutually beneficial experience. I can volunteer at my own pace, challenge myself to analyze what I do and think about how that can be conveyed to audiences, and I get to put my Bachelor's degree to use. Also, I keep up on the other blog posts and am always seeking advice or help about what people would like to read. Finally, the encouragement from the SMCL staff is great. They set me up with their policies and procedures through virtual training, have stayed in contact with me despite busy schedules, and are responsive to whatever I write. I am not sure others would be so helpful to a volunteer thousands of miles away. I have been able to build small networks in a new library, get my thoughts and words out there, and keep volunteering for a cause I love. I can only hope more posts will be posted and people will be interested in my writing! This has been a delightful virtual volunteer opportunity.
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Last week, I had an old neighbor contact me out of the blue (the wonders of Facebook). The neighbor, a mother of two teenagers, returned to college to get her degree in nursing. After getting a new assignment to evaluate a short story in her Composition course, she was struggling and needed some guidance. While I was a little stressed because working two jobs has had me strapped for time lately, I was excited at the prospect of helping her. I remember the frustrations I faced during my first year of college—from finishing an assignment I barely understood to juggling multiple tasks and projects along with my personal life. So, within a few days, we had a study room reserved at our local library and an hour set aside for me to help her. And, it was wonderful. After forty minutes, she had a few pages worth of notes, an understanding of how to formulate her essay, and an eased mind. I was able to catch up with someone I haven’t chatted with in a few years, and I put my paper writing skills to use. Although I was not on the clock, I was able to use everything I had worked hard for in college in a positive way and help someone in the process. I’m often searching for formal means of volunteering and working, and I was surprised to find that some of the most rewarding work was done spontaneously with an old friend. I am sure she will have future assignments that may plague her, so I recommended she contact me with any other questions. These are the small moments that allow us to build relationships, brush up on our skills, and share what knowledge we have learned with another. Although it is not something I will add to my resume or do during work at the library, it was just as gratifying. My recommendation for readers is to always have some spare time open to help out someone else on the spot, to keep an open mind and door, and be ready to potentially learn more from those informal meetings than the grand, well-planned events. I look forward to the next time I can help someone just as much as they can help me. |
Stephanie FreasRecent MLIS graduate & lover of writing. This is a narrative of my first look into the librarian profession. Archives
November 2013
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