Every year, Jefferson County Public Library honors one very special individual as our Library Volunteer of the Year — someone who embodies JCPL's mission, vision and values.
And with that, we say congratulations to our 2023 Volunteer of the Year, Prital!
Dedication to libraries runs deep for Prital. She comes from a long line of women who read, and the library has been a safe space for her since she was a young child. Prital's grandmother immigrated to America from Hungary and relied on library services to practice English and navigate her new country at a time when resources weren't widely available. Once Prital's grandmother retired, she volunteered at her local library to give back for the support she received there.
For Prital, volunteering is a way to honor her grandmother's legacy.
Prital supports JCPL's Make Something program, a high-level crafts class that requires significant time and resources to run smoothly. While helping with the program, she's picked up many new skills and lessons, from fundamentals (What is an awl?) to philosophy.
"When it comes to crafting," Prital says, "it's important not to be perfect. Just have fun, and let things flow naturally. The end result shouldn't look exactly like the example…It's more about the journey than the end result."
Belmar PX Associate Rebekah can't overstate Prital's impact on the Make Something program enough.
"Because Prital is so quick to pick up new skills and concepts herself, while I am demonstrating the craft, Prital often aids participants who may be catching up or who need extra assistance," Rebekah says. "She anticipates what needs to be done next, paving the way for subsequent steps in the process. In short, she is an indispensable resource and raises the quality of the program for all participants."
In addition to helping with the Make Something program, Prital creates other crafts for JCPL, cleans the children's area and preps coloring supplies for kids.
"Prital will help out wherever needed. She spent hours building a very detailed miniature paper model that is currently on display," PX Associate Lynne says. "No task is too small or large — she'll do anything!"
Volunteering at JCPL benefits Prital as well. She was introduced to bookbinding at one of the Make Something programs and fell in love with the craft. Now, she practices the art in her free time, creating gratitude journals for friends and family. She is also deep in a macrame project and is weaving a curtain from a pattern she found in one of JCPL's many crafting books. She estimates the project will take close to 40 hours by the time she finishes.
"Creativity and crafting is like meditation," Prital explains. "While you're crafting, you're also breathing and staying present."
Meditation and yoga are a meaningful part of Prital's life. She began attending yoga classes with friends in her early 20s to relieve stress, and her practice has evolved and deepened ever since. She finds ways to work meditation into all aspects of her life and views it as an integral part of her daily activities rather than an isolated action.
Prital's approach to reading mirrors her meditation practice, and she finds quiet moments to listen to audiobooks throughout her day — even while grocery shopping! She has an insatiable appetite for knowledge and has read over 100 books this year, mostly nonfiction, as well as some classics and memoirs. Her top three books of 2023 include Think Again by Adam Grant, Drama Free by Nedra Glover Tawwab and The Myth of Normal by Gabor Maté.
In addition to her other hobbies, Prital enjoys spending as much time outdoors as possible. She enjoys walking, hiking, biking — any outdoor activity is fine by her. She moved to Colorado from the East Coast so she could go on adventures at a moment's notice, and the Rocky Mountains allow for a completely different scale of adventure than the Appalachians. Prital has a cozy home in Colorado with her fiancé and two beloved cats, Bowie and Kit.
Though Prital has diverse interests, the central theme in her life is a love of learning. In her full-time job as a sociology professor, Prital relishes her time in the classroom, where she strives to create a safe space for her students to explore their curiosity, broaden their horizons and encounter new ways of thinking.
"Stepping outside of our own experience is how we grow and gain empathy," Prital says.
Through her profession, hobbies and volunteer service, Prital continually seeks new information and perspectives that add dimension to her life. This quality embodies the spirit of JCPL and is just one of the reasons Prital is so deserving of the title Volunteer of the Year.
Thank you so much for your service to JCPL, Prital!
