Marty pictured on left
Marty King
What does the “Library” mean to me? It means lots of great books! It means the opportunity to travel to new destinations, learn new skills, peek into someone’s innermost thoughts, just by reading a wonderful book. It means I can check out one or several books, for free, and have some great entertainment ahead of me.
But in the last couple of years, the Gwinnett County Public Library has given me something more – a special purpose. I have been a mentor to several adults who have returned to school to earn their high school diplomas. It has been an honor to get to know these determined individuals.
Gwinnett’s Library is a treasure trove of great books, but it’s much more than that to me and to many others. It’s an important part of our lives!
Dianne Waldrip
Dianne Waldrip is a regular customer from the Dacula Branch. Dianne is a member of the Dacula Book Club for Adults. This book club gathers once per month to discuss a book selected for the club members by the club members. She has also benefited from personal assistance through GCPL’s Book-a-Librarian services. Book-a-Librarian sessions are available through an appointment with a library staff member for help utilizing the library and in Dianne’s case, providing assistance with technology. Aside from visiting the library, Waldrip has also been a frequent volunteer with GCPL’s mobile food distributions since September 2020. During these distributions, volunteers hand out food every other Tuesday morning at the Dacula Branch to anyone who needs it. This is a program GCPL has been hosting thanks to a federal grant and in partnership with The Atlanta Community Food Bank.
Dianne pictured on right
Don Warrick
Hi, my name is Don. I am a regular visitor to the Lawrenceville Branch of the Gwinnett County Public Library. Before I retired, I was at the library daily involved in an online job search. After retiring I became involved in the children’s lunch distribution program. While this was a lot of work it was very rewarding. As the children started to recognize me, they would wave at me as they came around the curve in the driveway. I especially enjoyed working with the young volunteers. One young lady told me that watching me relate and talk to people made her want to be more able to come out of her shell and talk to people. That made my day! Later I became involved with food distribution at Dacula Library. Getting to know all the other volunteers there has been great. Many people who come to pick up food are very appreciative. We are “Thanked” many times per day for the help. Most of the librarians at Lawrenceville know me by name. They have helped me with everything from computer problems to finding books on woodworking. Adam, Terri, April, Ann, and all the rest are great assets to the library, and more like friends to the library patrons. I greatly appreciate and enjoy knowing all of them.