Volunteer Carrie has a history of supporting libraries.
"I used to live in Kansas, and I was on the board of directors at my local library," Carrie explains. "When I moved here, I thought volunteering would be a great way to help out."
And help she does, Columbine's Operations Supervisor Gordon agrees. She's also dedicated and brings a positive attitude to JCPL.
"I am glad each time she is here," Gordon says.
Carrie is one of the many volunteers who support Columbine Library's Operations team behind the scenes. She splits her time between a few tasks, including shelving materials and searching for books patrons have placed on hold. And while her volunteer tasks are very independent, Carrie's favorite part of volunteering is forming connections with others at the Library.
"The people are my favorite," she says. "Both the patrons and the other people I work with. The staff and volunteers here are so kind." (Carrie even gets lunch regularly with a fellow volunteer she's gotten to know over the past few years of working together.)
Carrie lives near the site of the new Deer Creek Library and has visited the building to scope things out.
"It's humongous!" she exclaims. "It'll be a great space, and easy for people to get to."
Carrie plans to continue volunteering at Columbine, even though Deer Creek Library will be her new destination for checking out books — "Plain old fiction, realistic fiction," she says with a laugh. "Once in a while, a good love story thrown in."
Carrie also likes the many novels of C.J. Box: "I saw him at the author event last year, and it was great. He is so laid back. It seemed like if you were sitting across from him at a restaurant, conversation would be very easy."
When she's not volunteering or reading, Carrie enjoys regular family dinners with her son, daughter-in-law and adult grandchildren. She also spends a great deal of time quilting.
"I don't call it a hobby, I just call it a labor of love," Carrie explains. "I don't do machine quilting; I do it by hand."
Carrie started quilting after attending a quilter's weekend in Western Kansas with her sister 35 years ago. "We had a ball," she remembers.
"I use traditional, old-fashioned patterns, but I make up my own designs when I'm creating the quilt," Carrie says. "It just depends on the material I have. I'll lay everything out and think, 'Oh, that piece should go here. I'm not very rigid.'"
The flexibility and precision Carrie has honed while quilting transfer well to her volunteering work.
"Carrie is a wonderful volunteer who is always ready to help with whatever task we need," Columbine Operations Page Holly says. "She is always a delight to work with, and my staff loves when she's here to help out."
What's on Carrie's Shelf?
For those looking for a standout in C.J. Box's extensive bibliography, Carrie recommends The Bitterroots.