(By Oliver, Library of Things volunteer)
Last November, prompted by the fact that volunteers were gathering on a Wednesday morning at a new community library, I first lent my time to the Library of Things. I had only a mental sketch of what I wanted to do there.
After a brief sit down to discuss why I chose to volunteer at the library, I was offered the task of cleaning axle stands and corner dollies. Early donations to the inventory, such as old tools, had piled up and clothed themselves in years of rust. A busy three hours passed. Accompanied by the other volunteers, we all introduced ourselves between tugs of steel wool. The heave-ho of transporting a car boot load of donations to our storage punctuated chatter about why we volunteered here, and what we wanted to make of the new space.
Returning for more tea and inventory sorting on another day was a no-brainer. I had finished an Architecture degree at university and, exhausted, decided to take a year out to busy myself in very different ways. Facing all kinds of people at such an intriguing place was a restful break at first, and it has since become a routine. After all, how could I not dedicate my time to such a good idea?
We now serve borrowers, as the library welcomes a livelier flow of people. My role as a volunteer has shifted slightly, but only in small ways. Today, my time often starts with donated items. I incorporate these many things into our inventory, which sometimes come with an accent of the vintage and well-used, or simply the unknown. I previously hadn’t handled much in terms of DIY or gardening, other than precarious card models of tiny buildings, so trudging through instruction manuals, online images and operation settings is often my first experience of the tool in real life. My most exciting discovery was learning to use a metal detector. That always adds some romance to the routine.
After ensuring items work, are given a basic clean, and have a home on our storage shelves, we loan our inventory off to work diligently in carpets, gardens, workshops, and, in the case of our suitcase, other countries. I am now learning to operate the system for approving loans and returns. Yet even before we lent out a single item, the Library of Things saw people come through the front door asking what we do, what we store, and what we need. Some of those people now return as borrowers and returners. Best of all is getting to know my fellow volunteers. The approachable atmosphere and chatter are half the job of a community outpost such as ours, so I’m glad I can spend my time here with tea and good conversation.
My experience here is based on repetition. I enjoy it that way, but above all we are part of a fledgling project. Big tasks, such as building a display shelf and preparing for the oncoming Leamington Peace Festival, are stages of that growth. For those alone we have sawn and joined wood, done publicity on social media, and thought about how best to present ourselves at the Festival. The role is what you make it, and I continue to make it a warm staple of my week.
