Volunteers give old library books new shelf life

By: Isabel Mascareñas

Lakeland, Florida - When times are tough and money is tight, we often cut back on renting movies and buying books. That's where the libraries come in. But ever wonder how libraries cut costs? They give old worn books a longer shelf life.

Handling a brush like a master painter, three Lakeland ladies use each stroke to glue back together the lose pages of a book... one page at a time. '

"There are a lot of books, it's a shame to throw them away," says Ruth Snyder, a library volunteer.

Every Tuesday the three volunteers meet at the Lakeland Library to nurse books back in service. Snyder says the work requires patience.

Shelves of books are waiting to be mended; for some the cover is torn, some books are old and others are right off the best seller's list. Kids books sometimes have gum and candy sticking the pages together.

On this day, Snyder works on one art book where someone cut out the pictures.

Most books need TLC due to normal wear and tear. 82-year-old Ruth Snyder has been repairing books for 20 years. Sometimes the work calls for starting from scratch by separating the pages from the cover to put them back together again.

Snyder says, "It's fun something you have to keep your mind on what you're doing."

When Averil Townsley retired from her job as Lakeland's Reference Librarian 10 years ago, the transition was a natural one.

"As a librarian depended on their work, I saw wonderful things they could do I was intrigued and wanted to learn how to do them,” says Townsley.

72-year-old Amy Gill says it's a chance to find her next good read, "I've got one in there I want to check out next week."

It's that love for books that's makes this volunteer work a page turner for the ladies.

Gill adds, "I love doing children's books. I adore kids books, because I know they love them at that age."

Townsley answers this question, "Why do I love books? Because you can learn from them they're in transit there's always this book calling always."

For Snyder it's about serving her community, "In the end it comes down to having things for Lakeland area people to come in and have books to read."

The book repairs help the city save money. By extending the life of the books, the library can use its resources to buy new ones and expand its selection for the public to read.