Volunteering at the Library | Teen Ink

Volunteering at the Library

January 6, 2008
By Amy Trang, Moore, OK

Volunteering is a way to advance your horizons and gain work experiences. For many years, I knew nothing about the joys of volunteering, until one summer my sister decided to volunteer at the library. Because of her I decided to step forward and volunteer at the library every Saturday for four hours during my senior year. Today I am a weekly volunteer in my community at the Moore Public Library.
As a library volunteer, I am expected to keep the library clean and presentable. I also have the responsibility of shelving books for the teen section in the library. In addition to shelving books, I joined the Teen Action Group also known as the TAG team, who are in charge of planning teen events, games, and activities at the library. During my third TAG team meeting, Cathy, the teen volunteer coordinator, chose me as the leader for the teen displays branch of the TAG team, consisting of five others teens. Accepting the position, my new responsibilities at the library now included decorating the teen section in the library and designing the display case that relates to the teen reading theme for each month.
Recently, my teen displays group helped decorated the teen section for Christmas by putting up the tree, ornaments, and garlands. Then, my sister and I used the Holiday Gala theme to decorate the display case. Later, we also created a holiday sign to greet library visitors. Finally, the TAG team cooperated with the children’s department to create a holiday gift workshop where teen volunteers set up craft stations for the kids. The holiday gift workshop was a success because fifteen to twenty kids showed up, despite the falling snow outside. I had an amazing time helping the kids make Christmas cards, reindeer necklaces, and candy cane ornaments. Because of these experiences, I learned how enjoyable volunteering could be.
Volunteering at the library allowed me to work with other amazing teens and gave me an opportunity to make new friends. I was able to see how a library operates like a work place. Due to my duties and experiences at the library, I have gained more experience in leading a group and in accomplishing a goal. I now feel that I have more confident in my abilities as a leader. Through volunteering, I was able to experience the reality of working. This experience also extended my social network and knowledge.
This experience influenced me to do more charity and volunteer work in the future. Volunteering taught me the joy of helping others. Working with the kids at the holiday gift workshop showed me how I loved working with kids. Thus in the future, I want to make more children smile by providing them with a happy childhood. This encourages me further to become a pediatrician and provide care to children around the world, especially in China and Vietnam. My dream is to travel to Vietnam and secure a bright and happy childhood for the children there.


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