Library volunteers …
Please take a bow!
Oundle Library couldn’t function nearly as well as it does without the help of its volunteers. They are often working away in the background but they make a huge contribution to keeping things ticking along. We can’t reveal names because of GDPR but we can tell you what they do. And we’d like to say a huge thank you to every single one of them. You know who you are!
There’s a group of volunteers who help keep the library’s book shelves in order. They shelve books that have been returned; sort and tidy the shelves; and generally help library staff with managing the stock. They offer their time on a regular basis but assure us that because they’re all avid readers it’s never a hardship. They just love being around books!
Yes, there’s a team of volunteer drivers who take the library to people who are housebound, and their carers. The Library to You service is available to anyone of any age and delivers to any number of outlying villages as well as to people in Oundle itself. Often the volunteers will be the only person that individual might see for days, so it’s an essential service.
If you know anyone who is housebound and can’t get to the library please tell them about the Library to You service. Find out more here.
Oundle Crime is a book group that’s based at the library and is run by a volunteer. The group reads crime fiction and they also write most of the book reviews we post on our website.
The library would love to host more book groups. Could you run a book group, or maybe a Book Club for children? There are all sorts of differrent ways that book groups can be organised and the library can offer suggestions and support, so speak to a member of staff.
Lots of different volunteers run lots of different social groups at Oundle Library, which is why it’s such a great community hub. There are weekly activities like the Spin A Yarn kniting and crochet group and Crafternoons – and let’s not forget the Summer Reading Challenge volunteers who help at the library every year during the school summer holidays.
Would you like to see a new social group at Oundle Library? The library would love to speak to you if you have an idea.
We know we talk about the garden a lot, but that’s partly because it’s very special for a public library to have its own garden which the public can use and enjoy. The FOOL Committee pays for the plants, supplies and equipment; and the gardening volunteers tend it – watering, weeding, and planting. Thanks to them, the library garden is something to behold.
If you’d be interested to help in the library garden, speak to a member of staff.
The French Café has been at Oundle Library for so many years we’ve rather lost count! People meet to practise French conversation with a fluent French speaker and the volunteer who runs it makes sure it’s fun for everyone, whether they’re beginners or almost fluent.
Could you run a Language Café? The library would love to hear from you if you think you could.
Finally, of course, everyone on the FOOL Committee is a volunteer. The committee raises money to pay for the extras Oundle Library needs but which the Council can’t afford; and it also works to raise the library’s visibility and remind people of all the services it offers.
Helping the FOOL Committee with their events is a fun and sociable way to be involved with the library, so do contact them if you’d like to add your name to their Helping Hands list.
If you’ve read this far you’ll have a good idea of just how much volunteers contribute to Oundle Library. The library staff appreciate everything they do to help, and we – as library customers – do too. If you think you might like to do some volunteering at Oundle Library, speak to a member of the team.
