This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Politics & Government

Butler Library Director Makes Personal Connections

An avid volunteer, Rochelle Levin came to Butler to interact.

enjoys making a connection.

The new accepted the part-time position last month despite an hour commute each way because she wanted to make personal connections with library patrons.

“The social aspect to working in a public library attracted me because, yes, you could do your work -- yes, you did do your work -- but, you could also have fun at the same time and talk to people,” she said.

Find out what's happening in Tri-Borowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

After 24 years working in an office answering e-mails and doing electronic research, the former administrator of the Internal Technical Documents Collection at  sought out the position in Butler.

Originally, Levin moved from her home state of Massachusetts to Hillsborough for the corporate library job she held for almost two and a half decades. 

Find out what's happening in Tri-Borowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“One of the things that attracted me to going back into the public library area is that I enjoy the face-to-face,” Levin said.”E-mail is ok, but I’d much rather have the face-to-face.”

It’s that desire to make connections that has also compelled Levin to volunteer for the Literacy Volunteers of America program, out of Bridgewater. For the past three years, she has tutored English.

“I tutor a woman from Mexico who has been in this country about 10 years and she wants to be able to read, write, speak and understand English better so that she can help her daughters as they begin their academic careers,” Levin said.

Levin holds a bachelor's degree in management from the University of Massachusetts in Boston and a master's degree in Library Science from Simmons College. Tutoring is a new challenge for her that has led to a new skill set. She noted that in the beginning, preparing for a one-hour tutoring session took her 15 hours. With practice and experience, she has reduced preparation time to one or two hours each week.

An avid volunteer, Levin and her husband also work one or two US Scholastic Band Association competitions each year, a practice they began when their daughter was a freshman in high school. Though their daughter is now 21, the two continue.

Levin also coordinate’s her temple’s semi-annual blood drive, which traditionally collects between 55 to 70 pints of blood in the spring and fall.

“It’s one thing to coordinate the blood drive. You’re doing a great service to the community,” noted Levin. “It gives you personal satisfaction. But, there’s no personal connection. When I sit one-on-one with my student, there is that personal connection and I know I am definitely making a difference in somebody’s life…. And that means a lot to me.”

Download the movie

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?