Meet Kappi Brown, Library Volunteer For 15+ Years

By LYDIA BERGLAR
News Editor

“We’re all privileged that we have a library that we can come help with and enjoy,” says Kappi Brown, bibliophile and faithful volunteer at the Dade County Public Library.

Brown has lived in Dade County for over 50 years, and when she retired from her career early, she began using her newfound freedom and flexibility to support projects she believes in.

She had been a patron of our library for many years before retiring, so, “After I retired, it was just natural to come over here and ask, ‘What can I do?’”

Brown has volunteered under three different library managers: Marshana Sharp, Mindy Haworth, and now Lydia Soucy. She can’t remember the exact year that she began volunteering, but it was around 2010.

Brown is also a Friend of the Library. (Friends of the Library is the 501(c)(3) that raises money for projects and purchases that aren’t covered by the library’s regular tax-funded budget.) Years ago, Doris Goodwin (also a Friend of the Library) and Brown attended a workout class together. After class, the friends would ride to the library together to volunteer.

Brown also recalls, “I have friends I went to yoga with. Sometimes, one would need to go pick up a book, so we’d all meet after lunch over at the library, or we’d bring our lunch and eat in one of the rooms.”

The library became part of Brown’s weekly rhythms, whether to spend some time volunteering, socialize with friends, or pick up her latest read. She found out that Tuesdays are a great day to help the library, so she comes in for a few hours each Tuesday. Books coming to patrons (or being returned to the library) through the interlibrary loan system are delivered on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. Because the library is closed on Mondays, the staff starts off Tuesdays with a lot of books to catch up on.

Our library is run by five staff members: Lydia Soucy (library manager), Lynn Arp (youth education coordinator), Carissa Shrum (lead circulation), Rebecca Coleman (library assistant), and Kathy Sanders (library assistant). The staff does an excellent job, but they don’t have the benefit of extra hands on deck, so that’s where volunteers come into play.

Over the years, the library has had a number of adult volunteers, and currently, the library has six teenage volunteers.

Brown helps unload books and scan them into the system, but she also completes a variety of tasks needed to keep the library in order. “It’s just doing anything the library needs. I have emptied trash, dusted books, repaired books, I’ve set up tables for events.” After the 2011 tornadoes, she helped clean the books and unload boxes once the library was repaired and reopened.

One of the joys of her time volunteering has been getting to know the staff. “They’re the greatest. All the ladies that I have worked with here are helpful, kind, and smart. Carissa is smart as a whip and quick, Kathy and Rebecca are kind and sweet, and Lydia is very knowledgeable. Lynn is so good with kids.”

In addition to being a library volunteer and Friend of the Library, Brown is also a member of the Dade County Historical Society (her husband is the treasurer), she is a board member and volunteer with the Tri-State Food Pantry, and she is a greeter at her church, St. Elmo United Methodist.

Brown is not the only retiree who is involved with multiple boards, nonprofits, civic groups, churches, and such. If you look around Dade County, you won’t have a problem finding volunteers hard at work. These volunteers are the backbone of so much that happens in our community, and they all do it out of love for people, places, and projects. They’re not looking for a paycheck or recognition.

Of the benefits of being retired, Brown says, “You don’t have to wait until the weekend to do things like mowing the grass or preparing for Sunday dinner. Sometimes you fall into doing something you like (I like to read), but sometimes, you feel like you need to give back somewhere.”

Brown and others find that being involved in various volunteer opportunities creates structure in retirement, but they still have the flexibility that they didn’t have during their 9-to-5 days. As Brown says, “You do what you want when you can, but I know Tuesdays are especially helpful for the library.”

For example, she wanted to attend a funeral one Tuesday, so she told Soucy she wouldn’t be at the library that day but would go in on Wednesday instead. “Lydia said I didn’t have to come in that week, but I told her that it’s part of my week, and I enjoy it.”

There is also a social aspect to volunteering that many enjoy. At the library, Brown enjoys spending time with the historical society after she finishes volunteer tasks. “I’ll go sit in the history room for a little bit and listen to what’s going on, especially if they get into ancestry.”

For Brown, even the most menial tasks at the library are a joy, not a burden. As she says, “I’m privileged that they let me help.”