There is never a time when the Pember Library and Museum isn’t in need of volunteers, but it’s officially autumn and like everywhere else, organizers say there’s a “to do list,” with chores to get done and never enough people or time to do them.
Help is needed on a regular basis in the museum as well as the library. Shelving books, answering phones, greeting visitors and keeping count of visitors are all part of the various jobs that need to be done.
For at least one of the jobs, staffing the visitor’s desk in the museum, volunteers can sit and read in between the various duties, which officials describe as perfect for anyone trying to catch up on their reading or do a little homework. Answering the phone and taking messages is also part of the job.
“We get dozens of visitors to the museum every day, and keeping track of those numbers is an important part of meeting foundation grant requirements, which is how we keep the doors open. We throw in a free education about a little natural history of Granville as part of the deal, and you can tell people you work in the third largest natural history museum in New York,” Executive Director Pat Wesner said.
Later in the month of October, volunteers are needed to help with the fall cleanup of the Pember Nature Preserve, just south on Route 22. Bernadette Hoffman, the Pember nature educator, said it’s a lot of work, but it’s also a lot of fun.
Professional collaboration with from the staff at the Merck Forest and Farm Center will be provided making this a wonderful opportunity for a budding naturalist, or anyone who needs some yard work practice, officials said.
For more information about any of the volunteer work that needs to be done call the Pember at 518-642-1515 and ask for Bernadette Hoffman or stop by.