OPL employs many individuals to shelve books, create programs, and assist patrons, but there’s something extraordinary about volunteer staff members who choose to spend their time with the library’s special projects or jobs!
Elizabeth Weisser is one such extraordinary person. Born premature with cerebral palsy, she is extremely nearsighted. That doesn’t stop her from volunteering six hours a week at W. Dale Clark Main Library. Weisser said that she is looking for employment, but for now enjoys spending her time sorting books and helping library specialist Lynn Sullivan, as well as serving several hours each week at the Nebraska Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
Not only does Weisser truly enjoy shelving books, but she is also a voracious reader. In 2015, she read more than 130 books! Romance novels and young adult fiction are two of her favorite genres, and Weisser used to lament that without an OPL card, it was harder to find what she liked at her own city’s library.
Living outside Douglas County, Weisser didn’t qualify for a free OPL card. However, after she started volunteering and accrued 50 volunteer hours, she became eligible an OPL card. Unaware of this caveat, she was surprised to receive her own card while she was working.
OPL could not accomplish as much as it does without volunteers like Weisser. For all the help she has provided to the library, we hope we can return the favor in helping her to top her reading record and devour even more books this year!
If you or someone you know is interested in volunteering at OPL, visit your neighborhood branch and inquire about available opportunities.
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