Dear Volunteers,

Welcome to a new bumper Spring edition of the Volunteer Newsletter. We are trialling a change to the frequency of the newsletter and will be sending you Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter bulletins with the occasional special edition. 

Spring is definitely on its way and giving us reasons to smile with lighter evenings approaching and colour appearing in our gardens . Let's hope we have some sunshine over the Easter weekend to keep us smiling and enjoying the outdoors.

If you have yet to read the latest customer newsletter I recommend taking a look!

Name:

Molly Hendry

Volunteer role: 

Community Library Support Volunteer

How long have you been a volunteer?

Approximately twelve years ever since library volunteers were introduced.

However, I have over the years volunteered with the following in addition to the library:

• Brownie Badge Secretary
• Hospice Admin
• Church PCC Secretary
• Hospice Fundraising and Reception
• National Trust Garden Steward Hidecote Manor
• Befriending Community Visitor
• Class Helper Rose Green Infant School
• Telephone Befriender
• Age UK Laburnum Centre Receptionist

What library do you volunteer at and how often?

Willowhale one morning per week

Why did you decide to become a volunteer?

To give back to the community and help others

What do you enjoy most about the role?

Being useful and easing the load on staff. Assisting customers

Can you share a memorable or interesting moment during your time as a volunteer?

Quite simply, the sheer joy of resuming duties after covid.

What would you say to someone who is considering a volunteer role?

There is a personal beneficial factor that comes with voluntary work so enjoy every moment.

Do you have any hobbies or other interests you’d like to share or a recommended read or library app you use?

Hobbies and interests include reading, gardening, listening to classical music. I also have a compulsive interest in technology, I mostly use the West Sussex Library and Libby apps.

Would you like to become a Dementia Friend?

Dementia doesn’t care who you are; it could affect us all. Because public understanding is so poor, people with dementia often feel misunderstood, marginalised and isolated,  that means that they’re less likely to be able to live independently in their own communities.

We urgently need to create a climate of kindness and understanding, so that everyone affected by dementia feels part of, not apart from, society.

Becoming a Dementia Friend simply means finding out more about how dementia affects a person – and then, armed with this understanding, doing small everyday things that help. For example, being patient in a shop queue, or spending time with someone you know who’s living with dementia.

If you would like to become a Dementia Friend and receive a pin badge, you can watch the training video . 

uLibrary is our newest eLibrary product and exclusively offers eAudiobooks with no waiting lists. If you would like a refresher on uLibrary, then please have a look at the training module and quiz below.

uLibrary Training Module.pdf

uLibrary quiz.pdf 

uLibrary quiz answers.pdf

You'll need to use the uLibrary helpsheets to help you.

The training is as much about how to help customers with basic uLibrary support as it is for you to get the most out of the app for yourself.

With just over 2 months or 72 days to be exact, we have started to make plans for volunteers week 2024.

This year we would like to create special “Volunteer Picks” displays in our libraries to promote some of your favourite reads and celebrate the amazing contribution of all library volunteers. 

We would also love some feedback from you about your roles so that we can highlight and share the wonderful work our library volunteers do.

More information will follow soon, but please let a member of staff at your local library know if you would like to get involved and start thinking about which books you would recommend!

Also, we would love you to join us at one of our Volunteers’ Week celebration events being held in libraries throughout June – an invitation to your local event will be coming soon!

Would you like to join a small group of volunteers from different libraries and roles to help inform and shape our volunteering programme? This is an opportunity to tell us what you think about all things volunteering. What do you enjoy about your role, what could we improve, what would you like to see included in your newsletter, do we offer enough support and training?

I would welcome your comments and ideas and if you would like to be involved, please contact me vicki.davey@westsussex.gov.uk

The Measure by Nikki Erlick

What would you do if you woke up one morning to find a box with your name on it? Would you still open it if there was a string inside which relates to how long you will live? The Measure asks these questions as we follow eight characters who (along with every adult on the planet) are confronted with this life changing scenario. This thought-provoking novel looks at the effects on everything from relationships to wider issues such as politics and serving in the military. Never has a book grabbed me so early from the concept alone and it didn’t disappoint whether it was looking at the more intimate details that would affect everyone or the questions that effect the wider world. You’ll want to discuss this book with a friend almost as soon as you start reading it.

Tom Batten , Books, Reading and Culture Librarian