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Volunteering isn't a new experience for Cailey Harwood-Smith, but volunteering at the library is a novelty. So Cailey attended a training session Tuesday afternoon at Ferguson Library to learn the ropes, bringing along friend Kathleen Pompee. They were among 77 Stamford teenagers anxious to sign up for volunteer hours.
"I thought it would be fun. All my friends are volunteering," said Cailey, 15, who has been a Stamford Museum & Nature Center volunteer.
"I was ready. I knew what to expect," added Kathleen, 14. Both teens attend Stamford High School.
"It grows every single year," said Barbara Klipper who, along with fellow youth librarian Steve Zampino, instructed the would-be volunteers on their assignments, scheduling and professionalism. Most will help register other teens and youngsters for summer reading programs, and maintain members' book-reading records.
Volunteering at the library has become so popular among teens that many had to be turned away, said Klipper.
"They're lining up to come and volunteer at the library. Maybe [there are a lot of volunteers] this year because of the economy," she said. "The younger kids like to do it because they feel it makes them more responsible." Each teen will be asked to work five hours of volunteer time this summer.
This was the library's third summer volunteer sign-up.
"You cannot believe what a help they are," said Caroline Ward, Ferguson's head of youth services. "This is good for these kids because a lot of them are too young, or their parents don't want them to have jobs. It gives them a chance to find out what it's like to be responsible, to be part of the workforce."
And, volunteering sometimes can lead to paid positions at the library as pages, whose primary job is reshelving books, said Ward. "We really rely on them."
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