Meet our Volunteers: Jacqueline Jenkins

You’re a dyed-in-the-wool book lover. Imagine sitting down and talking books with the head of a university English department. Sounds like some kind of book lover’s dream, right?

Now imagine if that English professor was just as eager to sit down with you and discuss, say, the latest book by Elizabeth Strout, creator of the literary characters Olive Kitteridge and Lucy Barton.

Well, she is.

Jacqueline Jenkins, Head, Department of English, at the University of Calgary, has joined the Calgary Public Library family of volunteers.

“I love books. I love reading books. I love talking about reading books,” says Jenkins who began volunteering with the Library’s Book Discussion Group program in January of this year. “Working with the Library on something I love to do, but that is different from what I do every day, lets me meet an entirely new set of book lovers and engage with a whole new world of ideas and perspectives.”

A confluence of events—including a talk by Mayor Nenshi during which he encouraged Calgarians to look for opportunities to do three things for Canada as part of the sesquicentennial, as well as working with two University staff as they developed program content for the Library—occurred at just the right time and gave Jacqueline the encouragement she needed to look into volunteer opportunities with the Library.

“Calgary is a city of volunteers and, for me, volunteering with the Library provides a perfect way for me to give back to a city that has given me so much,” says Jenkins, an Ontario-born resident of Calgary for 20 years.

Her tip to Calgarians looking to volunteer with Calgary Public Library? From the myriad opportunities available, find the thing that resonates with you and makes the best use of you. Then give what you can to make it meaningful to you and those around you.

Jacqueline Jenkins has done just that.