A Day in the Life of a Brooklyn Book Bodega Volunteer
By Maisie Carroll
Maisie Carroll is a Brooklyn high school student who serves as an editor for her school’s art and literary magazine. She enjoys writing poetry and short stories. In her spare time, she volunteers with Brooklyn Book Bodega.
Brooklyn Book Bodega’s Middle School section with the sign “Kids + Books = Power” created by Olivia Panter.
When you enter the Brooklyn Book Bodega (BBB) at the start of a volunteer shift, the first thing you will see is the walls of books, some almost bursting off the shelves. The second is Cecilia Golombek, BBB Program and Volunteer Coordinator, relaying the day's tasks. Often there are packaged orders in orange Fresh Direct bags or piles of books ready to be sorted and put in their place. A white curtain blocks off the corner, but anyone familiar with the space knows that there are rows of boxes of even more books, the books that just couldn’t fit on the shelves. Windows look over Flushing Avenue, and there is pop music playing.
I started volunteering at the Brooklyn Book Bodega in early July 2022. I was drawn by my love of books and interest in their mission to provide every child in NYC with a 100+ book home. I have gone from crowded shifts in the summer heat to running across Fort Greene Park after school each week to make it for the final hour of the Friday shift. Anyone who has volunteered can imagine the vast amounts of books I have accumulated over the months, my favorite being a banged up Spiderman comic from 1989. And, yes! You get to take as many books home after a shift as you want (or as many as you can carry). Volunteers are always surprised, but soon gleeful and leave with arms full of books to stock up their (or their child’s) libraries.
Brooklyn Book Bodega’s High School section, with the representation section underlined in green and the expansive fiction section in red.
The shifts always start with the tasks of the day being explained by Cecilia, and everyone given the choice of which tasks they’d like to complete. The tasks we do during volunteer shifts vary, but there are many I have done countless times. One of these is sorting books among our shelves. The books are divided into different age groups, and within them sorted into fiction and nonfiction. There is also a section in each age group for representation, where we try to put books that represent someone that isn’t often seen in most books, whether that is someone who is disabled, LGBTQ+, or a person of color. This allows us to ensure each order we fill out will be diverse and inclusive. Each section always stirs up different memories for volunteers, and there are often exclaims of excitement when someone finds a childhood book. The middle school section is my favorite, as The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan are always nostalgic. I also love the preschool section, as the illustrations of books such as A Pocket Full of Kisses by Audrey Penn are always beautiful.
Sometimes we prepare for a community day. Community days happen often in the Book Hub, a day where anyone can sign up to come in and select books from our “well loved” section. These are books that might not be the quality where we want to select them and send them out for orders, but are certainly available to anyone who selects them themselves. We set out rows of tables and cover them completely with boxes. It creates almost a tiny book store inside the Book Hub. The books go quickly on community days, but we always have enough to fill up the tables again by the time the next one rolls around.
Another section of the Book Hub we work in is the overflow section. Upon entering the Book Hub you might not even notice it, as it is hidden behind a white curtain. I have spent hours in this section, organizing and reorganizing the aisles of boxes. The space has definitely transformed, going from hectic and overflowing, to satisfyingly organized, an easy place to pick up books to stock up our shelves again.
And finally, another common task is packing orders. Fulfilling an order is always interesting, because you get to go through the sections and pick out the books you think are best. Instead of just taking the first hundred books from the middle school section and putting them into bags, we take the time to pick ones that look engaging, interesting, and fun. I get to find books with beautiful covers, good authors, or even just my favorite books that I think would bring a lot of joy to someone else (The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart makes it into almost every middle school order I pack). It feels personal, and it is the time in the Book Hub that I most feel like my actions are making a difference to real people.
Posters for the Board Book and Pre-K sections designed by volunteers using old dust jackets of picture books.
The importance of books resonates with many volunteers. Stephanie Garcia says, “Books mean a lot because it’s how I was able to get assimilated into American culture and learn English.” Volunteer Ben Cruz also says, “Literacy is extremely important. I think that it’s this powerful force for a lot of people.”
Occasionally, we get to do unique tasks. Recently, we had to comb through the shelves for books with an Earth Day theme. We searched through every overflow box and pulled out anything we thought worked. We found some beautiful books about the planet, books that encourage kids into action to support their communities, and books about inspiring scientists and activists. These books were all used in an Earth Day event that the Brooklyn Book Bodega put together.
The people at Brooklyn Book Bodega are always great to work with. Cecilia is warm and friendly, and is always eager to guide newcomers through the day's procedures and to answer any questions. The people volunteering are always lovely, and I have especially enjoyed getting to meet adults who work with books, whether it is by working as a book reviewer, in publishing, or as a teacher, and getting to talk to and learn from them. Being a returning volunteer, I have come to recognize some familiar faces and am always eager to work with people again. Flo Frigenti, who has been volunteering for three months said that she likes to volunteer because, “I love to be around books and because I like the people who volunteer here.” Newcomers also quickly settle into the Book Hub. Casey Recay, who was volunteering for the first time when I met her said, “I like it. It’s a really sweet space and it’s fun to be around so many books.”
I even arrived at the Book Bodega one day to discover one of my friends, Willa Romer-Mack, stamping books, and found out that they had actually been volunteering at Book Bodega for a while. When asked why they volunteer, Willa responded, “It’s an all around lovely place with lovely people. It’s also really fun to volunteer and chat with other folks who love books!”
I have also encouraged my other friends to volunteer, and those who have done so have enjoyed it immensely. I always recommend Brooklyn Book Bodega as an amazing spot to volunteer, both for teenagers and adults. For teenagers, many of whom are trying to earn volunteer hours for high school as I am, it offers valuable experience about working in groups, communication, and hard work. The people are always lovely, and though it is hard work, the time flies by as everyone is having fun. Ultimately, the Brooklyn Book Bodega never fails to foster a sense of community and teamwork, even if you are only together for three hours.