TEXT/ Kiki Bai
PHOTOS/ Kiki Bai
On weekends, the public libraries of the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) have a group of staff putting on their volunteer cards, who introduce books to readers, help them to find books, assist them in using self services, put books on shelves, write articles to promote the library’s collections, or assist in different types of reading promotion activities including lectures, workshops, reading activities and concerts, etc. The volunteers also provide various services for readers together with the libraries to demonstrate the different aspects of the libraries, acting as a bridge between books and readers.
From working in bookstores to volunteering in libraries, Chan Ka Wai continued her bond with books in different ways.
Chan Ka Wai has joined the volunteer team of the IC’s public libraries since 2018. Her responsibilities initially ranged from providing frontline services to assisting with and maintaining order at the libraries’ reading promotion activities. Later on, by taking advantage of the opportunity provided by the libraries, she joined the editorial team of the children’s publication Little Sprouts of IC’s public libraries, at which she initiated her new attempt to write articles to promote the collection. Meeting readers with the nib of the pen, Chan Ka Wai admitted that the task was very difficult at first. “When I started writing, I always couldn’t express my ideas very well, and I failed to meet the writing requirements. Therefore, my writings often needed to be revised several times”, she claimed. During this period, with the guidance of the library staff, she could gradually understand the features and key points of various books, explore the techniques and directions to express her ideas, and master the skills of writing articles to promote books little by little.
In addition to participating in frontline services and writing articles to promote books, Chan Ka Wai’s interest in books is, in fact, related to her past experiences in bookstores. Relatively speaking, working in the library gives Chan Ka Wai more opportunities to know more about readers of different ages and reading interests. Therefore, she chooses to travel between the sea of books of the libraries again as a volunteer to serve readers in need. “Everyone has different needs in reading, some may need books to assist with their learning, and some may need children’s picture books. Answering their queries is similar to doing quizzes every time, which relies upon the memory and the experiences we accumulated, and most importantly, it is driven by our desire to help readers.”
In the eyes of some people, volunteers are not remunerated and need to sacrifice their personal time, thus is not cost-effective. However, for Chan Ka Wai, it has become a spice to enrich her leisure time, “when I first joined the team, I would think about whether it is better to enjoy a half day off or to engage in volunteering works. Later on, it has gradually become my habit, and I enjoy the feeling of traveling through the sea of books”, she said. In addition to her love of reading, her frontline work experiences also made her acknowledge the significance of volunteering. “I once saw a parent who was very anxious, and later learned that the person came to the library to borrow relevant books for his daughter’s homework”, she claimed. Being able to solve problems for readers promptly also inspired Chan Ka Wai’s sense of mission as a library volunteer who loves to help others, which she described as “a happy moment that cannot be bought for one thousand in gold”. She believes that library volunteers must maintain a sincere heart since they will also gain priceless satisfaction when serving readers at the libraries.
Traveling through the “sea of books” is the feeling Chan Ka Wai loves the most.
