Meet Ashley, a General Library Helper at the Southeast Branch

Volunteers are often regular patrons with a deep love for the Library, seeking ways to support it and give back. Ashley works remotely for a local hospital and is always eager to find opportunities to get out of the house and engage with her community. She chose the Library because she was impressed by the variety of programs and services it offers.

As a patron, she has attended events at multiple Branches, including the cooking series featuring local chefs who taught about curry spices in soups and Arabic versions of French toast--which she notes was savory rather than sweet. Some may hear her say, “I have not had a bad meal at the Library!” Ashley has also visited DML’s northern Branches for spooky history programs and has taken her mom to yoga and other event programs at Branches south of town.

As a volunteer, she enjoys meeting new people and making friends with fellow volunteers while supporting events, and she enjoyed her time as a Program Helper at the West Branch. However, most of her volunteer service has been solo as a weekly General Library Helper at her home (and favorite) Branch: Southeast.

As a General Library Helper, she assists staff with various tasks, especially shelf reading to straighten and organize materials, check the condition of returned items, and shelve them. Ashley notes that adult non-fiction typically needs the most attention. She can often tell when a patron has pulled a book to browse and returned it to the wrong spot—close but not quite where it belongs.

Initially, she was surprised by the physical nature of the work. Checking books requires bending, stretching, reaching, and leaning to read spine labels and long Dewey decimal numbers. “It’s a workout,” she says with a bright smile. “No need for a gym membership--I can work up a sweat shelf reading!”

When not visiting or volunteering with the Library, Ashley spends time with Minnie and Tucker. Minnie is a six-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, named for being the smallest of her litter. Tucker is a younger terrier, about to turn three, and earned his name from all the puppy energy that quickly tuckered Ashley out.

We are so grateful to volunteers who, despite their busy careers and full calendars, make a regular commitment to support Dayton Metro Library. Thank you, Ashley, for actively participating in programming and contributing over 57 hours of volunteer service and counting!