Originally Published 28 June 2019
Hello, my name is Anita, and I volunteered at the PMI Library from February 2019 to 2023. I completed a Master of Information Management from Curtin University in 2016 and currently work as a Library Technician for a small postgraduate education provider.
Previously, I worked for Vision Australia, where I undertook several roles involving the assembly and distribution of alternative format reading materials such as Braille, audio books, large print, and DAISY discs. These educational and personal materials allowed people to follow their intellectual, occupational, and recreational interests without any barriers. I found that working at Vision Australia was both enjoyable and rewarding, and it gave me an insight into the challenges people face being able to access information.
I had heard about the PMI from other people at various library meetups but had never visited it. So, when I decided that my new years’ resolution was that I wanted to volunteer at a library different from the one where I am currently working, I decided to contact the library and ask about becoming a volunteer.
I helped out with shelving, book displays and the indexing of journals. I found that when indexing, I become interested in the articles and start to read them in their entirety instead! I felt very privileged to be able to contribute to an organisation that has been around for 165 years. Volunteering at the PMI has been a wonderful experience, and I hope to be able to contribute for some years to come.