Meet the volunteer! Jessie Fowler is one of the top eBay sellers on the Friends’ online sales team. Jessie began as a sorter, then became interested in the online auction site soon after the online sales effort began.
In the beginning, Jessie says, she knew nothing about eBay. “I had never bought or sold, but I did know how to use a computer,” she said. But she learned quickly. “I’ve learned a lot about eBay, and a lot more besides,” Jessie said. “I’m a reader, so I thought I knew a lot about books, but I have learned so much more. I’ve learned about books and genres of books that I didn’t even know existed. I’ve learned not to assume what’s valuable. I’ve learned that the value of a book depends so much on timing.”
As an example, a paperback Dungeons & Dragons book from 2002 sold as an “instant bid” on eBay for $260. Similar items, Jessie said, had more recently been selling for as little as $15-$20. “Sometimes it’s just the timing and scarcity of a particular book,” she said.
Even though the customers who buy the books online are scattered all over the country, Jessie gets a lot of satisfaction out of her interactions with them. “They’ll say things like ‘I’ve been looking for this book forever,’ or ‘I’m so happy to have found this book,’” she said. “One customer said she was very excited to have found a particular set of books for her granddaughter; I actually put the set into a gift bag for her before I shipped it, because I knew how much it meant to her.”
In addition to the customers, Jessie says one of the greatest rewards for this work is the group of people she’s come to know and call friends. “It’s a great group of people,” she said, “Plus it’s a great balance. A good bit of the work is solitary and on my own time, when I want to do it, and then I have this great group to look forward to seeing when I come in to the library.”
Working with the donations on the eBay team is a treasure hunt, and the Friends feel lucky to have Jessie, who is a treasure in her own right. Her enjoyment of the work is reflected in her dedication and commitment to her customers and the library.
“I love the satisfaction of finding a treasure that someone else is excited about finding,” Jessie said. “It combines the love of books, the love of our library, and it’s doing something positive for the community.” Thanks, Jessie, for all you do to help us #keepthelibraryawesome!
About Friends of the Thousand Oaks Library
The Friends of the Thousand Oaks Library is a California-based group of avid library advocates dedicated to enhancing the Thousand Oaks Library with support services and intellectual and cultural programs that enrich the lives of area residents of all ages. Learn more at www.ftol.org.
Contact
Kathy Leslie, Publicity Coordinator
Email: publicity@ftol.org