Imagine if you will, seeing a sign advertising for volunteers to help deliver books to readers in need, and deciding it was the perfect opportunity to lend a helping hand.

That is exactly what Calgarian Carolyn Arrell did at age 33 in 1974—and now at age 83, some 50 years later, she has continued to serve her community and readers through the Calgary Public Library’s Homebound Readers program.

Arrell, along with fellow volunteers Nellie Befus, 96, and Norma High, 91, were the original trio of volunteers for that program to deliver library materials to individuals who were temporarily or permanently unable to visit a library branch.

“It’s hard to believe, isn’t it? But here I am, still enjoying every minute of it. I’ve met so many absolutely fantastic people, and that’s what keeps you going, is the people contact. I’m a people person,” said Arrell.

“Just being around other people is good for us, and I still volunteer with other organizations as well.”

The trio were recognized for their longstanding contributions to the Calgary Public Library and patrons during the 2024 National Volunteer Week.

Arrell said that despite receiving a beautiful set of flowers and an engraved glass plaque to recognize her years of dedication, she said the acknowledgment was just a bonus.

Helping others was the true reward.

“I feel I’m doing something very, very worthwhile. I love reading, and I instilled that in my kids. My husband enjoyed reading, as did his mom and dad, and the same thing with my parents,” she said.

“I just feel that people who don’t have the luxury of attending a library and picking up their own books and everything else. It’s just so wonderful that I can extend their love of listening and or reading by doing this. It’s just part of who I am right now.”

Homebound Readers patrons will select the books or materials they would like to read or listen to, and then volunteers pick up those items from the closest library—or from one of the larger branches if the item is not available elsewhere.

Currently, said Arrell, she has one patron that she picks up audio materials for.

“I get a phone call saying we’ve got a bag of books here for so and so. I make arrangements to pick them up, call that particular individual and say ‘I’ve got a bag of books for you. What’s a good time for you?’ Over I trundle at a time that works for both of us.”

Library volunteering isn’t just about reading stories, it’s making them

She said that over the years she’s met some really fantastic people, who have really interesting stories to share right back.

“There was one particular lady who emigrated from Russia and stories about her experiences during the First World War. The escape that they did—she was from their nobility but ended up in a stable with 12 other families. She took on the challenge of getting everybody else to become involved,” Arrell said.

“She said, ‘we don’t have servants anymore, we have to do this ourselves.’ I could listen to her for hours and hours and hours and listen to the story.

Other times, she had made deep connections with people even though on the surface it didn’t always seem that way, Arrell said.

“Another lady I took books to, I didn’t get to know her on a very personal level, I didn’t think. I would take her 10 books and she would sift and sort through the 10 of the 10, how many they wanted, and she was very specific,” Arrell said.

“What stood out is even though I didn’t think I got to know her, she must have got to know me very well, because when she passed away, her family made a special point of inviting me to her funeral. It was very touching to think that I would touch somebody’s life in that particular way.”

She said other individuals whom she’s helped when they have been temporarily unable to collect books for have become friends.

“Even though she’s now able to get her own books, depending upon her health situation, if she’s not able to get out she’ll still give me a phone call,” Arrell said.

“We both have a love of crafts, etcetera, so we have a nice little bond there. She makes cards, so I’ve purchased several of her cards and then passed them on to other people, which is a nice relationship that we’ve built.”

Over the years Arrell has seen a lot of transformation of the Calgary Public Library as well, from branches coming and going to the rise of digital resources available for patrons.

“The fact that there are so many facets that people can volunteer for, I think is a tremendous boon to the city and also to CPL. Now that we’ve got fire trucks into the library, I mean, who has ever thought of that when you went out to the Fish Creek Library that that’s what you’d find?”

Every year, more than 2,400 CPL volunteers put in a collective 48,000 hours to support the library, its patrons, and Calgary.