Recs and ReadsBy Anne McKay GarrisThere's something very pleasant about volunteering at the Clearwater Beach Library. One of the responsibilities is to restock the movies brought back by patrons. Movies are a popular item at this branch and you get to work with a number of them. Our Librarian, Linda Hamrell, is very patient with me as I find myself carefully reading the plot summations, checking to see if I might want to take them home myself. Usually, I wind up wanting to take home more of them than I can possibly watch before they're due to be returned. It's a good practice in self control to pick out the three I like most. Most of them are intriguing and arouse my curiosity. When I finally get the DVDs each back in its proper nitch, welcoming the opportunity to keep remembering my alphabet, it's time to make a list of the new magazines for the week and put each in its proper place. This is worse than the movies as it is possible to stop and read an article and very tempting. I try to keep this to a minimum, knowing that's not what I'm there to do. Checking in the books and DVDs on the computer is also intriguing. What a clever machine. It knows exactly where each item belongs and whether or not someone has requested it be directed to another branch so they can get it more easily. Most of them, of course, came from the Beach Library and need only to be shelved. But, when the computer tells me the book really belongs a the Main Library, or at Countryside, I have learned to quickly place it in a very large canvas bag marked with the appropriate library branch. If I get my work done early -- and that doesn't happen often. I get to Google to my heart's content on one of the library's two computers, provided, of course, none of our patrons are wanting to use them. The time goes quickly and the people who come in to partake of the benefits of our little branch are friendly and pleasant to help. At the end of the afternoon, I return home with a sense of accomplishment, glad that I am able to do my part to keep this service available to our community. More volunteers are always needed. Stop by and put your name on the list. You'll be amazed at what a pleasant way it is to spend an afternoon. And, on Mondays and Wednesday, you can bring your bathing suit and join the friendly aquasize class at the pool, next door. It starts at 6 p.m.
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