Harford County Public Library Honors Volunteers at Annual Celebration

From the Harford County Public Library:

On April 5, Harford County Public Library held its annual Volunteer Celebration at Jarrettsville Gardens. This year’s “Volunteer Fiesta” themed event celebrated the commitment of all 1,223 library volunteers and distributed lifetime milestone hour awards to deserving volunteers.

“Our library volunteers give so much of their time and energy to the community,” stated Library Director, Mary Hastler. “Today’s celebration is a wonderful opportunity to recognize the value and commitment that these volunteers bring to the library.”

Volunteers bring a long list of talent to the Library. They are the behind-the-scenes unsung heroes that provide assistance to librarians and customer service staff. Library volunteers assist with processing new and returned materials, putting items on shelves, and helping staff prepare for programs. The Library is also fortunate to have volunteers that help customers with job searching and resume writing. A new program started at the Havre de Grace Library also has volunteers reading to elementary students in the branch.

The Library also has two outreach programs where volunteers share their love of reading with children. Sharing the Gift volunteers visit licensed daycare centers for story time activities and Partners in Reading volunteers visit elementary schools and provide one-on-one reading assistance for students.

The first Volunteer Celebration was held in 1999 in the Bel Air Library meeting room. The celebration is now held at much larger venues like Jarrettsville Gardens to accommodate all the volunteers, their guests and Library staff.

“The Annual Volunteer Celebration is the Library’s opportunity to thank award recipients and a fun way to acknowledge the dedication of all our volunteers,” stated Michele Louderback, Volunteer Specialist at Harford County Public Library. “The support of our volunteers is amazing.”

To find out more information on volunteering please can contact your local branch or Michele Louderback at Louderback@HCPLonline.org or by calling 410 273 5601 x 2247.