Beginning Reflection

I have not yet volunteered at the Lexington Public Library-Village Branch, but the more I research the facility the more enthused I become about being a volunteer there. As I have emailed back and forth with Heather Prichard, our contact within the library, and the more I research the facility, the more I see that this opportunity will a great experience to work with children who need the extra help, and with great staff at the library.

        As a full time student with a job that has varying hours, my schedule is not the easiest to work with, but Heather Prichard has been nothing but accommodating and patient, which is pretty impressive considering I sent her three different emails initially in regards to my work hours. As long as we could settle on a day of the week and time to help the children, Heather did not seem inconvenienced by my emails.

         The amount of information on the Lexington Public Library’s website, http://www.lexpublib.org, is very impressive coupled with the site being so easy to navigate through. What I was most impressed by was the amount of resources and opportunities they offer to the public other than checking out book and children in need. Just a few to mention are Book Buddies, where they deliver books for to permanently home-bound adults, and a language service that teaches people English, Spanish, and even Japanese for those who want to enhance their language skills. Along with their home website, the Lexington Pubic Library is very active on Facebook with over 5,000 likes and a 4.7/5 rating from people who use the library. The Facebook page allows people to stay actively up-to-date with the recent and upcoming events and opportunities that the library gives the public.

         I have always had a passion for children and being a positive influence on their lives, hence my intended career as a pediatric nurse. So, being able to influence these children in a positive manner academically and aiding in teaching them the skills, such as literacy, to succeed in their lives is a very exciting thing for me. Heather has made it clear that some of the children I will work with may not have the total support at home needed to fully grasp some concepts they are being taught at school, and I am more than happy to be the one granted the opportunity to help fill in the gaps.