Sometimes, I wonder what type of people check out the books I shelve at the library. Who was it that had enough time to read ten mysteries by a popular author – or is that ten different people with the same taste? And who checked out “An Idiot’s Guide to Raising Chickens?” This is the unusual insight I get into the lives of strangers when I volunteer at the Massanutten Regional Library.

High school students are constantly under pressure to do everything they can to improve their chances of getting into college. Conventional wisdom says it’s never a bad idea to have volunteer hours, so I applied to become a volunteer at the library for this selfish goal, and also because I liked to idea of giving back to a place I’d been going to since I was a baby.

Volunteering at the library, at least in the circulation department, is easy. All you have to be able to do is alphabetize. True, it’s not the most exciting of jobs. When I first started out, I didn’t like it much. However, I eventually began to appreciate that there is something interesting about seeing what a town is reading, and once you get pretty good at shelving, it requires almost no mental effort.

The staff there is very friendly and very appreciative of their volunteers. They would also like to have more of them. If you are over thirteen, you simply have to fill out a short application, which you can get at the front desk. If you are looking for an easy way to get volunteer hours, the library is a great opportunity.

In addition, you’ll be helping an organization that provides free books to people. Our library system receives $32,000 less in funding than it did in 2000. This has resulted in the shortening of two hours and the closing of two branches, but the remaining branches are still committed to offering this important service. Rarely will you find a place that offers something for no charge, and books are critical to a well-functioning society. When I see small children excitedly checking out a book at the front desk, I get sad to think they might not have that opportunity. So I strongly encourage students to volunteer at the library, even if it’s just something to put on their college application.