Growing up in Columbus, Nebraska, Sheila Caffrey walked to the local library with her girlfriends and grew into a voracious reader. These days she “devours books,” mainly fiction and mysteries, and her local library, now OPL’s Saddlebrook Branch, opens a new window, still serves as a catalyst for her reading.
Caffrey has been a Saddlebrook Branch patron since it opened in 2009. She has volunteered at the branch for nine years, since she retired from her job as a risk manager, giving back to the community in a way she enjoys. “I just love the people here,” Caffrey said. “I usually shelve books and put them in alphabetical order, but I’ve also dusted shelves and will do whatever they ask me to.”
She enjoys helping patrons find books or offering recommendations when she’s asked. Caffrey’s love for the library and her good spirits have made staff as fond of her as she is of them. While the pause in her volunteering when OPL closed for COVID was less than ideal for Caffrey, she was still grateful for OPL’s curbside pick-up service, which she used regularly to get books.
“I love working with Sheila because of her amazing attitude. Her smile and humor make the day better whenever we see her,” said Katy Lofgren, youth services librarian at Saddlebrook Branch. “She almost always asks if we need her more than her one shift, and has an obvious desire to make Saddlebrook the best it can be.”
Caffrey misses seeing more people in the library and young faces light up at storytimes, but still enjoys being able to contribute her time and energy to her library.
If you or someone you know is interested in volunteering at OPL, visit your neighborhood branch or omahalibrary.org/volunteer, opens a new window, for more information.
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