Pictured is John Fersch at a surprise party marking our library’s 15th anniversary and his 15 years of volunteer service. (Photo by Dr. Bernadette Fersch)
Joan Myskens Pursley
Robson’s library has always been staffed by volunteers. Of those working when it first opened in 2008, only one is still serving. His name is John Fersch, and he has staffed the Tuesday, 5 to 7 p.m. shift for 15 years. His service was celebrated at a surprise 15th anniversary party held in the library on July 25 during John’s weekly work shift.
Library subcommittee members, volunteers, members of Friends of the Library (FOL), and patrons who came in during John’s shift enjoyed cake, along with cupcakes and cookies made by John’s daughter Dr. Bernadette Fersch. She and John’s son John and his wife Reggie were also present.
Gil Clifton, chair of the Facilities Committee’s Library Subcommittee, spoke briefly about John’s service and announced that his name has joined those of Roberta Boothby and Linda Terry on the Robson Library Roll of Honor plaque. The plaque was created “In loving memory of Roberta Boothby who set the bar high with her service and staunch dedication to the Robson Ranch Library.”
A Brief History:
Wayne Gray was the first chair of a residents’ committee tasked to set up the library. Roberta Boothby took on oversight and helped put it all together but didn’t want to direct the committee and coordinate the volunteers long term.
By 2010, Linda Terry had agreed to chair the committee to oversee the library’s daily function and its collections. Under her leadership, the committee became a board with officers and members, all residents. Linda chaired the board and headed the volunteer program through 2020 when she and her husband moved to Arizona. The board then elected Gil Clifton to serve as chair, and a committee was formed to train and coordinate volunteers. This year the board was dissolved by the HOA, and its members were invited to serve on a newly formed subcommittee of the Facilities Committee, with a Facilities Committee member serving as its chair.
John Fersch Reminisces:
John decided to volunteer at the library, he says, “because I do a lot of reading, and I’ve always enjoyed being at libraries, so volunteering at the Robson Library seemed to be the thing to do. Also, working in the library is a good way to meet people.”
He has worked with a number of other volunteers over the past 15 years and has seen thousands of books come and go (to make room for the new donations). He’s witnessed the growth of the collection’s puzzles and movies, the formation of the FOL, and an increasing number of patrons as Robson Ranch grows.
Library service runs in John’s family. “My sister has worked in a library for 30 years,” he says, “first as a volunteer and then as a paid employee. She’s 96 years old now and still working in her local New York library.” So, what are his plans? “I’ll volunteer here as long as I can physically get here,” he asserts. Here’s to another 15 years!
For more on the library and the FOL, visit its website, RobsonLibrary.org.