Welcoming Amy, Our Volunteer Extraordinaire!
On July 9, 2024, Cambrian Library will be fortunate to be joined by new volunteer Amy Segeren.
Amy will be volunteering at Cambrian Library as a Volunteer Tech Mentor and as Volunteer Book Discussion Facilitator!
Taking a "temporary retirement from (her) corporate job," she says,
"(I) wanted to find ways to connect and give back to my local community. I love technology and I love books and I love diversity and inclusion and what other place besides the library can you find all three! I also have been following Mychal Threets and he reinvigorated my love and desire to give back specifically to the library.
Let's learn more about Amy!
Abby Wambach's Wolfpack: How This Book Influenced Amy
Amy Segeren has been a passionate reader since childhood. She has a variety of reading interests and loves to share what she learns. A believer in advocating for diversity and inclusion, Amy hopes to combine her passions into sharing a new way of thinking, guided by Wolfpack. She hopes that the Wolfpack book club "will morph and grow into common ground, empathy, and action."
You can borrow Wolfpack (the adult book is white and the juvenile book is black,) either through our catalog or through Link+.
Amy believes that reading and discussing Wolfpack with others will empower you to change your life. She says,
"A couple years ago, a friend gave me a copy of this book. It changed my life. In the 93 pages of this book, I cried, I laughed, I got goosebumps, I got angry, and I got focused. I shared and discussed this book with hundreds of women and men and each time I take away more.
Bringing this book and discussion to our local library is an exciting next step in the evolution of this topic. This 6 week program is for those that love to read, those that are looking for a pack, those that have a pack and want to further empower it, those that have felt “I’ve been the only one … “. As Abby says, the best way to approach anything new is to “show up, awkwardly and nervously sometimes, and try.”
This book club will be a bit different. We will take each chapter of the book, break it down, discuss it, listen to each other’s stories, successes, failures, and commit to action. All you need is a copy of the book, a commitment to read one or two chapters a week (usually less than 10 pages!) and an interest in investing in yourself and your pack.
I cannot wait to share and learn from you over the 6 weeks!"
Amy Leads a Six Week Series to Help You Make a Powerful Change
Amy's format for each of the six weeks will generally follow this agenda:
- Icebreaker
- Content (each week, a new chapter or two)
- What stood out to you in the chapter?
- Discussion
- Action: The group will each choose something to work on in the coming week.
Specifically, she says,
"Each week we will deep dive on one or two chapters from Abby Wambach's book. We will start with introductions and ice breakers to allow the pack to get to know each other. We will move to the content and spirit of the chapter enabling open dialogue and conversation. I will have prepared questions and we will see where the topic and conversation takes us. At the end of each session, we will discuss and agree to one action that we will take in the following week related to the chapter. AT the start of the next week's session, we will share how we did on achieving our actions, knowing that if we failed, that is fuel and something to be celebrated as well as our successes! "
Optimally, she is hoping to "create a new pack in which we can share and grow and learn from even after the 6 week program. Second best result, each person takes one thing away from the book or the conversation and feels stronger in their normal life."
Discussions occur each Tuesday from July 9th to August 13, 2024 at 5:30-6:30 p.m. with the group in the Community Room, following these topics:
- July 9th: Introductions and Chapter 1 - You were always the wolf.
- July 16th: Chapter 2 - Be grateful and ambitious
- July 23rd: Chapter 3 - Lead from the Bench
- July 30th: Chapter 4 - Make failure your fuel
- August 6th: Chapters 5 and 6 - Champion each other and Demand the ball
- August 13th: Chapters 7 and 8 - Bring it all and Find your pack
Tech Mentor 
For her Tech Mentor role, Amy tells me,
"I worked in corporate roles for 20+ years where using all kinds of digital tools was a daily requirement of my job. I designed and presented powerpoints, created videos, attended and facilitated meetings on Teams/Zoom, and wrote countless word, excel, and OneNote documents. I have used GenAI and AI (including on resumes) and have a decent hand at SQL queries and using analytical tools like PowerBI. I trained people on technology most of my career so I appreciate how hard it is and approach mentoring with respect and grace."
Tech Mentor volunteers can help you with basic computer issues like:
- Learn the basics of Microsoft Word and Excel
- Set up an email account
- Use social networking services like Facebook
- Use the library's pay-for-print system
- Download an eBook from the library's web site
- And much more!
Amy's Tech Mentor volunteering occurs:
- What: Tech Mentor
- When: Tuesdays, when the Library is open, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
- Where: Internet Cafe on the 2nd Floor
Add a comment to: Volunteer Amy Segeren: Sharing Her Personal Enlightenment!