Volunteer at Kaohsiung Public Library Heti Branch
Volunteering at the library required us to help library’s visitors to search and find needed information, and assist in furnishing or locating that information. We also need to respond to their complaints, taking action as necessary. Organize collections of books, publications, documents, audiovisual aids, and other reference materials for convenient access on their designated shelves. I mostly placed to do shelf-reading, which basically means making sure the books and other materials are in order on the shelves. You literally go book by book and read the spine label, re-shelving any books (or DVDs or audiobooks, etc.) that are out of place, and aligning them all on the edge of the shelf so it’s pretty and upright.
I did a whole lot of learning in the process due in part to some different factors. Firstly, and, perhaps, most importantly, the people. The people who worked at the library were friendly, engaging, and interesting. I interacted with a variety of characters, and each had a rather interesting background. Each day that I went into the library, I discovered some knew field of knowledge from the materials I shelved, or I learned about a different perspective on things from the people I worked with. Education, food, health, movies, life! Nearly everyone had some say on a different subject based on their experiences. What I learned surprised me and gave me a new appreciation for the library and the people who made it work.
I am surprised to find out that library is still needed even in this modern era where you can find any information through the internet. Because, amongst other things, what the library stands for drew me to be a volunteer: sharing, community, culture, freedom of thought, and equal access to information. The public library is free and makes available so many different types of information (as well as accompanying perspectives on that information). To me, a library branch is a sort of hub for the community where people can begin to make connections: with other people, between ideas and the practice of those ideas, and even between communities.
