What I Learned Today

Today I visited the brand-new Monrovia library to interview with their volunteer coordinator. We discussed their various volunteer needs and settled on what could be a good fit for me: sorting, mending, and pricing donated books (“We need people with good research skills for this”), greeting visitors at the door (“The library is brand-new and no one knows where to find anything”), and possibly helping in their computer center (“We have such a need”). I’m absolutely thrilled to get a chance to work with library books behind the scenes. The idea of helping people use computers gives me flashbacks to my time as a computer lab assistant as an undergraduate, but hey, I have no doubt that the need is there.

Satisfied with our discussion, the coordinator gave me an application to fill out. She glanced at my educational history and said, “Ah, so you finished school last year?” Without thinking, I replied, “Well, unless I decide to go back again,” and she laughed and said, “Yes, it’s always good to be open to more schooling!”

I think I’ll fit right in.

There is a volunteer orientation to attend next Tuesday, during which we’ll work out scheduling and all of the volunteers will get to meet each other. It might take a while before I actually get to dive in, though, because the Human Resources department apparently needs about a month to process my application. This not only involves calling my references but also getting my fingerprints and testing me for drugs, alcohol, and TB.

Note: the library’s grand opening is next Saturday, May 16, and Ray Bradbury will be attending! He’s giving a speech at 3:30 p.m. I’m so there.