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January-March Memorials, Gifts and Donations Libraries For the Future Update From the Basement
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From the Basement
It has been full steam ahead down here: thanks
to concerted efforts of maintenance crews and dedicated volunteers, a whole
section of boxes has been processed, sorted, and packed, ready for the
Monster Book Sale. And of course, more pallets of culled material from the
branches and central are being brought down for our busy workers. It all
makes for interesting situations, discoveries of long-forgotten titles, and
lots of camaraderie among the group. We are frequently joined by students from the Texas School for the Blind and
Visually Impaired, accompanied by one of their instructors. These young
people, mostly teen-agers, do a good job of pulling out the date-due sheets
and stamping the volumes. Al is from Beaumont and in his ninth year of
study. He has a nice voice and occasionally sings Credence Clearwater
melodies loud enough for almost everyone to hear. Erin commutes to the
school from San Marcos and helps as a bus monitor on weekends. Josh is shy
but cheerful; he is here from Odessa. We have a new group of students
volunteer to come down to the basement about every three to six months.
Though most of the students have learned the basics at their home-locale
schools, they come to the facility in Austin for more study. They are versed
in Braille, of course, and complete a full range of academics plus honing
vocational and daily living skills. I can't imagine it, but they do MATH in
Braille, too!!! Through encouragement from other Friends, our basement crews (one on Tuesday
and one on Saturday) are increasing the work force. I understand there is a
move afoot, propelled by Volunteer-Coordinator Ann Stafford, to start a crew
of students from UT. Everyone is most welcome! I have been myoptically remiss in extending heartfelt thanks to the generous
staff from the other divisions of the Library and History Center who bring
refreshments down to the "bookmoles" on the first Tuesday of each month. It
isn't as much the fresh and tasty goodies they bring as it is their smiles
and expressions of gratitude for what we're doing. Seems as though the
mutual admiration society is truly flourishing!! I have to tell you, again
and again, I don't think there are finer people in the world than those who
work in the libraries! May they live long and prosper. See you at the Annual Meeting in May; scuttlebutt has it that it will be
interesting, informative, inspiring, and maybe a little intense. Do come
see, hear and be part of what is planned. From one flight down,
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