GRAHAMSVILLE—Libraries provide so much more than access to books; they are often times—especially in rural communities such as ours—the hub of the community.

They are the safe havens for patrons seeking social interaction or a quiet reprieve from their busy lives. They are a fount of information; providing endless programs, events, seminars and services to better the lives of the patrons they serve. They are the warm, cozy place to turn to when the weather—or your day—gets cloudy, with staff and volunteers that go above and beyond…superheroes of the literacy world!

But, it’s not just how much the library means to the community it’s in, it’s also how much the community means to the library. For so many of our local libraries, we count on the patronage of the community members to keep us going; to validate our high priority within that community. Libraries count on the volunteer support, the attendance of our programs and events as well as the financial support through donations.

In early October, the Daniel Pierce Library saw this first hand. Our 40th Annual Giant Pumpkin Party was a smash hit. All the factors that could come into play panned out: the weather was great, and attendance was high with amazing festivities. Every library’s dream scenario. But we’d like to think it’s in great part to the importance we play within our small community. Everyone, it seems, knows and supports our efforts. So many are willing to lift a hand to ensure our events (like GPP) and programs go off without a hitch. We have a small, but mighty volunteer network we count on…and hopefully, they know how very important they are to us.

Perhaps if you have time and are able, you could reach out to your local library and see if they are in need of a volunteer. Each library has their own specific needs and a protocol for this sort of thing so it would be best to contact the individual library. And know, that any library would be so absolutely appreciative of your time and consideration.