At Westerville Public Library, volunteers aren’t just helping hands: They’re the heartbeat that keeps the library alive.
In 2024, library volunteers collectively logged more than 4,600 hours – from labeling books and helping in the Homework Help Center, to organizing fundraisers and facilitating the Summer Reading Challenge.
Behind those day-to-day contributions are specific groups which form the backbone of the library’s volunteer-driven mission: the Friends of the Westerville Public Library and the Westerville Library Foundation, assisted by the library’s Board of Trustees.
Together, these organizations not only provide vital financial and programmatic support, but also ensure the library continues to grow, innovate and serve as a resourceful hub for the community.
Friends of the Westerville Public Library
Ella Jay
Brandol (left) and Hibbard (right) with one of the library's new delivery vans.
About 1,200 of those annual volunteer hours come from Friends of the Westerville Public Library, a nonprofit dedicated to the continual growth of the library. The Friends raise money through used book sales and the group’s gift shop. Over recent years, the group has funded the treehouse in the kids’ area, Hilda the Dragon (a temporary art installation that sat atop the library’s roof from 2019-2022) and delivery vans.
According to the group’s Interim President Lynn Straley – a library volunteer of nearly 15 years – the Friends also fund a handful of ongoing projects, such as the library’s reading programs, contributing about $12,000-13,000 to those initiatives per year.
“Anything the library needs that it cannot fund… our liaison brings to us and says, ‘Can you do this?’ and almost always, we say, ‘Yes,’” says Straley.
In March, the Friends of the Library was named Organization of the Year by the City of Westerville for its exemplary dedication to serving others.
“We had to be nominated by the library administration, so we were pleased with the nomination, but thrilled when we won. It just gave everybody a sense of accomplishment,” Straley says. “We were very grateful to be honored in that way.”
A testament to its impact, the organization has raised more than $241,000 since 2015 and delivered 67,525 items to 146 locations in 2024 alone, thanks to the newly-purchased delivery vans.
For Straley, knowing her work supports the library is the best part about being involved, along with the people she has met along the way – a sentiment she shares with fellow Friends Board Member Andi Allen.
Allen has also volunteered at the library for several years – inspired by her background as a bookstore owner – recently becoming the Book Team Lead.
“(My favorite part) is the people, on both sides, and every shift is like Christmas, like what’s in this box?” says Allen. “It’s also good for people who need flexibility… You can contribute without feeling pressure.”
Ella Jay
Westerville Library Foundation
Another stalwart of the library, the Westerville Library Foundation ensures the library’s long-term financial stability through endowment management and fundraising and contributes about 500 volunteer hours each year. The Foundation funds programs such as 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten and Westerville’s Story Trails, and in the past, facilitated Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
According to Ben Pacht, current and two-time president of the Foundation, the group recently hired a development specialist, Kaitlin Seebruch, who has drastically increased the Foundation’s donor base, revenue and awareness in the community.
“The library provides such great services to the community, and I think that’s worth supporting and sustaining,” says Pacht, who is also serving his sixth year on the board. “It’s a pillar of the community.”
While Foundation members take great pride in supporting the library, the job comes with other perks as well – such as witnessing patrons’ reactions of joy – according to longtime volunteer, Foundation board member and past president, Len Hibbard. Alongside his work with the Foundation, Hibbard assists with the library’s Outreach program, which delivers books and other resources to people throughout the community.
“It’s (about) the appreciation, the thank you’s and the warm smiles we get when we deliver a bag of books or other resources to someone who otherwise may not have access to them,” says Hibbard. “(Volunteering) is a wonderful way to give back to the community that gives so much to us.”
According to Ken Brandol, who has been an Outreach volunteer for 15 years, it’s also a great way to get involved after retirement. Brandol volunteers every Wednesday, pulling about 40 books per hour.
“It’s great for seniors. You can get out of the house, come here, and be around really nice people who treat you really well,” Brandol says. “And I never miss a volunteer meeting; they’re very informative.”
Westerville History Museum
Ella Jay
Also volunteer-run, the Westerville History Museum is a special facet of the library that offers additional resources and deepens residents’ understanding of Westerville’s unique past.
Volunteers regularly help with collecting, cataloging and preserving historical artifacts and documents, along with keeping the space and exhibits up and running for visitors.
One long-term volunteer, Bill Heaphy, has been helping at the museum for 18 years, logging more than 1,200 service hours. After retiring from a career with the Ohio Legislature Service Commission, Heaphy decided to volunteer as a way to give back after years of utilizing the library’s resources himself, and has been researching and cataloging ever since.
“It keeps your mind functionable, it’s substantive work, and the people are good to work with,” says Heaphy.
Within the past year, Heaphy has sorted through an estimated 1,700 items, going through about 140 items per month if they’re not too complex.
Over the years, Heaphy has watched the museum evolve and grow, but one thing that’s remained the same is the significance of preserving the community’s history.
“People should have resources available to trace their family, things like that,” Heaphy says. “And knowing something about your own town, your government, I think that’s essential.”
Ella Jay is an assistant editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at ejay@cityscenemediagroup.com.
