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How Fortunate We Are!
Our volunteers help us deliver services to Iowans every day:
2011 Elizabeth Perowsky Volunteer Workshop
This month we honored our Library volunteers, who provide their time to produce audio and Braille books to our Library users, as well as fix talking book machines and perform other helpful tasks that keep the Library running smoothly. Several of our volunteers were honored with awards during our annual Elizabeth Perowsky Volunteer Workshop April 8.
Angela Graham, a Braillist from Clive, received the Elizabeth Perowsky Award for her 35 years of volunteer service to the Library. She started when her son was in preschool and continued ever since. Graham produces many of the Braille textbooks for the Instructional Materials Center, which provides school materials to youth around the state.
Charlotte Zeman, Tim Gracey and The Pioneers received the Florence Grannis Award, named after the Library's first librarian.
Zeman, a music Braillist from Cedar Rapids, has been volunteering for the Library for 15 years. Music Braillists are a rarety; there are about 50 in the United States. Zeman produces Braille music for Library users around the state, many of whom are students in school bands. She has completed 38 pieces for the 2010/11 school year.
TIm Gracey, an audio book narrator from Des Moines, has been a volunteer for four years. He's a retired vocational rehabilitation supervisor. He has completed 19 projects during his time as a volunteer and is faithful about coming in on a regular basis.
The Pioneers -- a group of Des Moines volunteers who fix talking book players -- also received a Grannis Award. The seven-member group has a combined 83 years of volunteer service to the Library. As the Library transitions to the digital talking book player, the Pioneers will also move into the digital age.
During the workshop luncheon, volunteers and staff heard from Mitch Greenwood, a longtime Library user, who discussed the many ways volunteers have enabled him to become a successful teacher and citizen. Listen to Greenwood's keynote address.
