I am very excited to have been assigned to volunteer at the Lexington Public Library Village Branch this semester. While I do not yet have any hands-on experience with my service learning organization, the research I have done in advance has really gotten me excited about the opportunity I've been given.
These days, a library is much more than a building that offers hundreds or even thousands of books to people seeking knowledge. After searching the library's website, I found that there are tons of options and opportunities available to the public. Classes are available that target a variety of age groups, from elementary children to adults, and classes are offered in more subjects than simply reading. At the library, they offer adult literacy classes, arts and crafts, book sales, movies, exhibits, computer classes, and the list goes on. They also have classes that seem totally unrelated to a library, such as health and wellness, and gardening and farming. Having never been in the library myself, I am very anxious to dive in and get hands-on experience volunteering there.
I will be working with the children in the after-school tutoring program. One thing I think is very unique about the program is that it offers assistance to Spanish-speaking children as well as those that speak English, and that must be a huge relief to busy Spanish-speaking households because it isn't often that someone is willing to help your child if it is an inconvenience to them. I myself have four years of Spanish-speaking experience, and, in addition to classroom exposure, I have been blessed to have traveled to numerous Spanish-speaking countries where I have been able to put my skills to the test. They say practice makes perfect, and I certainly hope that is the case, because I would love to be one of the volunteers that could assist a Spanish-speaking student.