Cortland Free Library Volunteers Reflect on Over 20 Years of Volunteering

Matt Brooks: [00:00:00] Matt Brooks here on X101 Always Classic. And with me in the studio, two long time volunteers over at the Cortland Free Library, Nancy and Georgette. And when I say long time, we are measuring by decades at this point. At least 20 years. How’s it going? thank you for joining me today.

Georgette: Thank you

Nancy: for having us.

Georgette: Good to be here.

Matt Brooks: Well, the reason why, we have you in the studio today is that you’re, gonna be honored, later this week at the, the board meeting and, wanted to

Georgette: Really?

Matt Brooks: That’s what they told me, and they wanted to give you a, a little bit of a chance to talk about why you do what you do, because I mean it. It’s one thing to say you worked for 20 years, but to, for a volunteer effort for over 20 years. Why, I mean, besides being, being good people and a great cause. But what, made you do it?

Nancy: Well, I started out, at Vassar College Library working in the library with the students and I enjoyed that, but the pay wasn’t very good [00:01:00] raising a family then.

And then I got a job, with the federal government at the, Franklin D Roosevelt Library in Hyde Park, and I was there for 20 years and I worked in the library. And, was the staff photographer. I majored in plant science in college, so I had no, library experience, but I learned on the way and I just love helping people and helping them find what they really need to have.

Matt Brooks: And Georgette, I mean, it was a similar story for you. I mean, maybe not the same career path, but

Georgette: No, I was a teacher.

Matt Brooks: Yeah.

Georgette: And I retired and I, I just, was brought up to volunteer. That’s how my, dad brought us up and so I looked around and there was the library and, I’ve always gone to the library, so I thought, well, I’ll just go in there and ask ’em if they need somebody.

And they did.

Matt Brooks: Can you tell me about some of the things that you’ve done? Maybe some favorite memories of being at the library?

Nancy: Well, I have one skill that. [00:02:00] I’m sure anybody could pick up, but I’m the only one that does it. I hunt for missing books, and I want to put out there to everyone who’s listening is, please return your books because there are no fines.

Matt Brooks: Yeah.

Nancy: You don’t, we’re not gonna fine you. We just want the books. And Georgette fixes them, so if they’re even, you know, not in great shape, we got Georgette to fix them.

Matt Brooks: No I, think there’s something to be said that, and as you mentioned, Georgette, you were raised in a family that really pushed volunteering efforts.

And the just, what can you say, ’cause I know that a lot of organizations now that are volunteer run, they’re hurting for volunteers. What, what can you say to like motivate the next generation to really get up and start volunteering and maybe some advice to go along with that?

Georgette: Well, I only know about myself.

And, I, would encourage people to just go out and, go to someplace that they [00:03:00] know, that they’re interested in, that they like to be in and ask, do you need a volunteer? And, I’m sure that you know most times that you do that they’re gonna say, yeah, here, sit down here and do this. And, and that’s how it was.

I just walked in and they said, yeah, You can do it. So I’ve, over the years, I’ve, I’ve just, I’ve gone over to, when, one of the directors of the library, Kay Zaharis, sent me over to Cornell to learn how to fix books because I had no idea.

Matt Brooks: Yeah.

Georgette: And I was over there for six weeks learning how to fix books.

I learned much more than I needed to know, but I. You know, I know what to do and, I was, I would work in a corner here or a corner there, and one of these, one day, I got the basement and that’s where I am working down there.

Matt Brooks: So if you hear anything in the middle of the night, that’s probably just you working on books.

Georgette: Yeah.

Matt Brooks: And, Nancy, [00:04:00] what about you? I mean, you said that and you had no library experience. Previous to this point,

Nancy: I also worked at the Moravia Public Library for 14 years.

Matt Brooks: Wow.

Nancy: At the same time as I, was volunteering here, but I’m a member of the church, the United Presbyterian Church across the street.

So it’s just handy, you know, you’re in one place and you, need to go across the street and, I think I’ve gotten some people at the church to get cards at the library and it’s nice. I work on Mondays and then lots of times Monday morning people will come in and I just love talking to people.

Matt Brooks: Yeah.

I sorry to interrupt you there, but I think just like overall, like volunteering and especially in a library setting, you just make so many connections with, people, the community.

Nancy: Yep.

Matt Brooks: And when you get to learn skills that you might not otherwise get to learn, and it’s just, it’s, overall just a, it’s. It empowers yourself and just helps you help those around you. And I think just that’s the, core of volunteering, regardless of what you do, that, makes it so important. [00:05:00] I don’t wanna hold you up to all day, ’cause I know you guys have, places to be, but any last, remarks, I mean, about your time so far at the. You, you’ve been volunteering, I think, longer than my younger brother’s been alive so.

Georgette: On the way over,

Nancy: We’ve, worked under how many? Five or six librarians.

Georgette: Yeah. On the way over. We’re trying to figure out exactly, you know, when, and I, don’t know. I,

Nancy: there are no records.

Georgette: Yeah, there’s, there wasn’t any, nobody wrote anything down, you know, they just said, yeah, come on in and you can do this.

And so both of us did that and, it’s, it must be somewhere over 20 years, maybe 22,

Nancy: 22.

Georgette: Yeah. But, it’s been fun. I’ve enjoyed it.

Matt Brooks: I appreciate it. And that’s the thing, I mean, there’s so many organizations, especially libraries that run. On the efforts of volunteers and they wouldn’t be where they are without you.

And well, on behalf of the radio station and the Cortland Free Library, I want to thank you guys for putting, the time in.

Georgette: [00:06:00] Oh, love to do it.

Nancy: Yes, it’s good. It’s great fun. And I look forward to Monday mornings. It’s the best part of my week.

Matt Brooks: You might be the only one in Cortland County to say that.

Nancy: I’m sorry. Thank you very much.

Matt Brooks: But no, thank you. And, again, enjoy the, rest of your day and thank you for stopping and talk about everything that you do.