*Servie Learning Journal Entry #2*

Last Thursday evening was my first night of volunteering at the library. It wasn't exactly like I expected, but then again, I didn't know what to expect. Basically, I did typical library work, like shelving books and pulling movies for a new display. (I'm pretty sure I pulled every Oscar-winning show since the beginning of time). After I had done those two things, however, it seemed I had finished my duties... the problem, however, was that it only took two of my four hours. Since I didn't volunteer to leave then, they had to find something else for me to do, which involved checking to make sure the CDs were all in order, which they were, and finally cleaning the cases of all the movies I'd pulled. They really did need cleaned, but it made me feel almost more of a burden than a help. I was warmly welcomed by everyone there, both in the Children's section, where I spent the first hour, and by everyone at the Circulation Desk, where I spent the rest of the evening. Despite their lack of planning for me, which they apologized for, it was a pretty good evening. I think that from now on they will keep me busier. Thursday also happened to be the last day for one of the girls in Circulation. The remnants of her goodbye party, as well as a teary goodbye, told me a lot about the dynamics between the employees there. From everything I saw, I concluded that they must be a fairly close group, at least in their section. The employees from other areas that dropped by seemed to be less connected, but most were at least aware that it was her last day. Basically, they seem like a tight-knit group, but not so much that they are rude to outsiders. Overall, it was a good experience and I felt welcomed by everyone there, even though they seem very unused to volunteers. The biggest downside of it all was that walking out to my car was incredibly scary, since the library is on the wrong side of town and apparently a bit of a haven for the homeless... at least until nine o'clock. I was actually really surprised that there was no security whatsoever, and there was only one man working in the whole library. Despite a little boredom and nervousness, I think my first night went pretty well, and I think that overall it will be a great experience.

~*Service Learning- Journal Entry #1*~

Making my response detailed may be difficult since I haven't actually begun my volunteering yet. The first challenge I faced in volunteering was actually finding an organization that would accept short-term volunteers and that was open during the hours I am available. After trying multiple places, such as the Ronald McDonald House, the YMCA, and the CP Center, I finally stumbled upon the Joplin Public Library in the phone book. The other organizations either required extensive training or were not open in the evenings. The personnel at the library seemed unaccustomed to individuals asking to volunteer, but were more than willing to give it some consideration. Once I got it through their heads that I wasn't looking for the criminal-redemption kind of community service, they agreed to bring it up at the next meeting. I was beginning to get nervous because I hadn't heard from them, but finally on Wednesday evening they called me, asking if I was available to start next Thursday evening. I'm not exactly sure what I'll be doing, but something was said to the effect of spending some time in the Children's Library and then some time in another section that I think has more to do with records and archives. I'm actually very excited about getting started there. I have always loved books, and I enjoy libraries because of their quiet and peaceful atmosphere. I expect this to be a very positive experience, and possibly even something I want to continue doing if my schedule allows. I'm really hoping that they will let me read to the kids, but I'm not sure that's what they have in mind. Either way, I'm very excited to get started and I'm hoping it will help me develop an attitude of service.