The Friends of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County
Supporting the Library one used book at a time
Volunteers are the heart and soul of FOPL
Both Sides Now–by Teresa Cox I love the energy found on endless shelves of books … the authors, the illustrators, the photographers. I think about all the hands that have turned these pages when I visit The Used Book Store at the Warehouse on Saturdays and book sale events. I pile up and purchase my […]
If you are looking for Mary Lou Wells, you’ll probably find her donned in a blue apron, pushing around a book truck, and working in the fiction stacks. The casual observer may not recognize that Mary Lou is on site—so unobtrusive and quietly determined is her presence. But you don’t have to see her to […]
Meet Jo Ach Sitting across from Jo Ach, I am equal parts amazed and terrified as I watch this seasoned volunteer navigate the boxes of paperbacks around her; there is a verifiable cardboard jungle in her path. Jo weaves in and around the stacks with confidence even though she moves with a limp, a battle […]
Meet Rosemary Auer: As I chat with her, Rosemary busies herself stapling promotional material to shopping bags. She frets periodically that she “isn’t good for much” in her advanced years (Rosemary just celebrated her 98th birthday), but nothing could be further from the truth. She cheerfully bags orders, tags merchandise, cleans DVDs, and completes […]
I recently had the delightful experience of meeting star FOPL volunteer, Zan McQuade. She welcomed me with such warmth, and her energy was so infectious, that I immediately want to know more about her. Zan (short for Suzanne) chatted with me whilst sorting books, maintaining a remarkable speed and demonstrating obvious experience. (I’m fairly certain […]