When you put a book on hold at the Richardson Public Library, someone finds and pulls it from the shelf, and then you’re notified that your book is ready for pickup. That “someone” is sometimes Flo McReynolds or Susan Martin, longtime volunteers of the Richardson Public Library.
“Volunteering keeps you young. Don’t you think?” Susan asked Flo as they laughed together.
Flo, who just celebrated her 90th birthday, and Susan, who will soon turn 89, said they love volunteering at the Library and don’t intend on slowing down anytime soon.
“That would be the only thing that would stop me. If my arthritis got so bad, or if I got to the point where I couldn’t get out the chair at all,” Flo said while chuckling.
Susan and Flo come in once a week to pull books, and say they learn so much about the Richardson residents and their interests. Sometimes, they know if a reader is really interested in a particular author, or if they are picking up a new hobby.
“You can always tell when someone has decided they’re going to start cooking because there will be 10 cooking books,” Flo said.
“They are the heaviest books! Cookbooks,” Susan chimed in.
The two volunteers say the job is pretty active. They are constantly reaching high, and sometimes low, to pull books off the shelves. However, they don’t mind. They say being surrounded by books is just one of the perks.
“You’re volunteering to help someone get their book that they’ve always wanted to get,” Susan said.
Another big perk of the job is meeting new people and creating friendships. Susan, who has volunteered at the Library for about five years, and Flo, who started nearly a decade ago, have become friends with other volunteers, staff and librarians. In fact, the women became friends through volunteering.
“The way we met was at Network. Susan and her husband worked in the food room, and I worked in the food room,” Flo explained. “We found out we went to the same church, and became close, close friends.”
From pulling food to pulling books off the shelves, Flo and Susan have spent years helping others together throughout Richardson. They said they couldn’t imagine living a life without volunteering in it.
“It’s wonderful to be able to keep moving,” Susan said. “As you get older, you’ve got to keep moving.”
They encourage everyone to find a few hours of their week to volunteer. Their best advice is to do something you’re interested in so that you don’t get bored, just like they have.
“It’s truly an awakening to see how many wonderful books the Richardson Library has,” Susan said.
“This is perfect. It really is a good volunteering job. You feel appreciated, which is very important,” Flo added. “We don’t do it for the appreciation, but it sure helps.”
To find a list of places you can start your volunteering journey, visit www.cor.net/volunteer.
