The South Jersey Regional Library Cooperative is pleased to announce the winners of the South Jersey Teen Volunteer of the Year award. The awards ceremony will take place at our Spring Membership meeting on May 21 at the Pine Hill Golf Club. We hope to see you there! (details and registration form are available here.)
Outstanding teens honored in 2008 have been critical to the success of their libraries and have initiated and participated in library-sponsored projects that reached out to the entire community.
Awards
to the Teen Volunteers of the Year were made possible
through the generous support of
EBSCO Publishing.
Winners were selected in four categories: Middle School Library, High School Library, Public Library, and a Special Group Award. The honorees are:
MIDDLE SCHOOL: Andrew Lee, Voorhees Middle School Library. Andrew was nominated by Dottie Holmes, Voorhees Middle School Library. Dottie wrote,
Andrew has been our most valuable asset over these three years. Because of logistics, it is hard for students to get to the library every day, but Andrew took the initiative to problem solve the situation so that he could volunteer at the library daily. He was instrumental in setting up and helping to organize our entire fall and spring Book Fair. He has trained new 6th grade library helpers and is incredible when assisting students in using the OPAC, finding materials and working with technology. Over three years, he has gone from being an introverted boy to a more self assured young man who is responsible for many aspects of our programs. Next year, when Andrew moves on to high school, his presence, both in terms of the work that he does and in terms of establishing his individuality will be sorely missed.
HIGH SCHOOL: Kristina Limcaco, Bishop Eustace Preparatory School Library. Kristina was nominated by Nancy Croce, Bishop Eustace Preparatory School Library. Nancy wrote,
Kristina is the "quiet type" who gets the job done without fanfare and hype. She has always worked at the library, giving up her 'prep time' to do so. In addition to training, scheduling and supervising volunteer aides, Kristina has volunteered her time and talents to many school and community activities including story hours, creating crafts and decorations, baking, fundraising, and sending donated books to the Children's Hospital in Philadelphia. She has a hand in planning all National Library Week activities. In addition, Kristina volunteers four hours every week in the nursing unit at Kennedy Hospital in Cherry Hill. Over the course of four years, her contributions have been many. I sincerely hope that Kristina might be recognized publicly for the library and community service she has performed.
PUBLIC LIBRARY: Paul Monroe, Mount Laurel Library. Paul was nominated by Samantha Marker, Mount Laurel Library. Samantha wrote,
Paul is a funny, charming and gracious teen that any library would Paul is a funny, charming and gracious teen that any library would be thrilled to have as a member. He has been an active member of the Mount Laurel Library Teen Advisory Group since 2006. In addition to being counted on to help at all library functions, Paul led one of the most popular teen events ever held; a pirate-themed "teen lockdown". Paul has volunteered for many library events. When we held our "Funday Sunday", Paul was there to run the scavenger hunt for kids. When we held our Halloween Parade for kids, Paul was there to help lead the parade and hand out candy. He has successfully presented to the Library Board of Trustees on behalf of TAB fundraising efforts. His volunteerism does not end with the library. Paul is an active Boy Scout, and also volunteers time to the Rancocas Nature Center, New Covenant Church and the Sunrise Senior Living Center. His commitment to volunteerism both within the library and the community is exemplary.
SPECIAL GROUP AWARD: Teen Advisory Board, Swedesboro Branch, Gloucester Co. Library. The Gloucester County Library Swedesboro Branch Teen Advisory Board was nominated by Marge Dombrosky and Teresa Carlton. Marge and Teresa wrote,
It is impossible for us to pick one teen to honor over any other. The teens on our board are very diverse, and this diversity has enabled them to successfully provide a wide range of activities and services. In just two short years the accomplishments of our teens has been overwhelming! They have started a teen newsletter (distributed at the library and at local businesses), that contains movie/book/music reviews, and promotes upcoming teen activities and library events. They created a highly successful "Battle of the Bands" event for "Locke Avenue Fun Day". They have planned and carried out two Thanksgiving Festivals for youngsters in the community. In conjunction with another volunteer group, the TAB organized a "Teen Night Out" event that offered live music and food. The goal was to provide a fun evening for teens in an area where there are few local activities and more than 80 teens attended! The TAB's contributions -- including "Hug a GI Day", skits for young kids, holiday parades, summer reading events, and more -- are too numerous to list. We are proud of the accomplishments of this diverse group of teens.
There were so many impressive teens nominated it was a truly difficult decision to select a mere few for this year's recognition. Congratulations to all our winners, and to the nominating libraries. And a big thank you to everyone who nominated a teen volunteer.
