By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

At 80, Goessel resident Mimi Freeman lives an active life volunteering with Goessel library on a regular basis.

The library cannot do without her, said library director Laura Dailey.

“Without volunteers, we would never be able to serve the community needs because of financial restraints and the time involved,” Dailey said.

Freeman has several reasons she volunteers so much.

“It’s fun, for one thing,” she said. “I feel needed for some reason. I check books in and out and shelve them. I help at story time Friday morning. I help with crafts.”

Goessel library is a seed library, which catalogues and gives out seeds to the public.

“The only requisite to using it is to be a card-carrying member of the library,” Freeman said. “Seeds are free. The librarian got a grant for them. The seeds are in an old card catalogue.”

Sometimes patrons need help trying to find particular seeds and Freeman helps them. One patron wanted zucchini but could not find the seeds.

When Freeman investigated, she found zucchini seeds filed under “squash.”

“I like working with the small children the best,” Freeman said. “They’re very cute, and they find the funniest things to say.”

Another library volunteer is Barbara Solberg, 79.

Solberg uses a wheelchair, which limits where she can go and what she is able to do.

Her daughter, Kirsten Solberg, also volunteers at the library. Kirsten brings seeds home for her to package.

“It’s a project I can do here at home,” Solberg said. “When I first came here I was a paraprofessional in the elementary school for seven years.”

Solberg volunteers with Generation Bridge at Bethesda, working with fifth graders.

“They have art projects we do with them,” Solberg said. “We read books with them. I really like interacting with the kids.”

Solberg said she taught Sunday School as long as she can remember.

“I’m always game to help somebody,” she said.