David Junius, Volunteer Coordinator at the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library (WTBBL), is featured in the first Spirit of Service column in the Library of Congress National Library Service Update (January-June 2011).

David has been with the Library since August 2008 and he brought with him a rich background in nonprofit organizations (Seattle and San Francisco) and a master’s degree in library and information science from the University of Washington. David is a natural fit. WTBBL hosts around 400 volunteers annually who contribute about 32,000 hours, the equivalent of 15 full-time staff members. He reports that the per hour value of a volunteer in Washington is more than $21.00 bringing the annual contribution of WTBBL volunteers to more than $670,000.

WTBBL Director, Danielle Millers say, “David has a real knack for getting along with anyone. He is kind and fair with all our volunteers, and we do have a very, very diverse group. David is great at finding the best fit for a volunteer and making them feel good about what they are doing. We are very lucky to have him!”

As the Outreach Coordinator, David promotes WTBBL and its services through presentations, exhibits at information fairs and the Reading Matters newsletter which he edits.

It is a pleasure to have David on the staff of the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library and the Washington State Library. Rand Simmons, State Librarian (Acting).