Photo cutline: L-R, Donna Farrior, 2015 Marcus R. Tower Service Award recipient; Amber Lins, literacy student; Katherine Silvey, Development Coordinator, Tulsa Library Trust; and Gary Shaffer, Tulsa City-County Library CEO.
You could call Tulsa City-County Library volunteers the binding that holding the library story together. Their service to libraries and literacy in Tulsa County was recognized at the 41st annual Volunteer Recognition Award ceremony at Martin Regional Library. Nearly 900 loyal readers donated more than 35,000 hours at their local libraries in 2014.
Included during the ceremony was the presentation of the 2015 Marcus R. Tower Service Award from the Bank of Oklahoma and the Tulsa Library Trust. The award consists of a crystal award and $1,500 to designate to a library service or program of their choice. This memorial recognizes and shows appreciate to Tulsa County individuals who have made a notable contribution to enhance the quality of library service. Tower was appointed to the library’s governing board in 1981, chaired all committees during his tenure and was Chairman of the Library Commission for two years. While on the Trust he helped create an endowment fund to benefit the library system.
This year’s recipient of the Marcus R. Tower Service Award is Donna Farrior. She began volunteering with the Ruth G. Hardman Adult Literacy program in 2006 as an adult literacy tutor and also has served as a member of the Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award selection committee. She is a gifted teacher who treats others with compassion, respect and kindness. She has worked with six adult learners since she began volunteering with the program, and each student made significant gains toward achieving their goals.
Farrior also is a literacy tutor trainer, helping conduct the 12-hour trainings to prepare volunteers to work with adult literacy students.
In addition to working with adult literacy students, Farrior has given beyond her once-a-week commitment to assist women in the Literacy/Pre-GED class at the Tulsa Dream Center. This class, administered by the Library’s Literacy department, enables young women to improve their education as part of the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program.
Volunteers were also recognized during the evening for their years and hours of service. The list includes:
Years of Service
5 Years
Susan Bell, Catherine Cooper, Jan Curth, Kathy Delcambre, Audrey Engles, Donna Goodman, Debbie Grillot, Ellen Henry, Stephanie Hickey, Carol Hines, Brianna Holcomb, Ruth Holladay, Althea Klein, Connie Krute, Sharon Louie, Sally Loveland, Saundra McGee, Miranda Neff, Melanie Nelson, Nancy Noel, Lynn Peacher, Robert Punneo, Jan Reese, Virginia Richard, Angela Smith, Farryl Stokes, Mary Waidner, Beverly Washington and Juddie Williams-Tomshany
10 Years
Kay Burroughs, Mariana Graham, Gwen Hampton, Jim Lee, Barbara Lowell, Vane Lucas, and Barbara Rumsey
15 Years
Glenna Anderson, Alice Bates, Veronica Ewert, Ruth James, Helen Leise, and Susan Swatek
20 Years
Karen Smith
Hours of Service
250+ Hours
Anne Bevilacqua, Marian Clark, Cindy Cunningham, Jan Curth, Barbara Doolittle,
Amy Feitel, Debbie Grillot, Dana Grogan, Steve Haas, Aubrey Haws, Danielle Hill, Greg Hisaw, Linda Logan, Stefan Mecke, Dorothy Powers, Virginia Richard, Glennda Shelton,
Mary Waidner, Beverly Washington and Nancy Wilcox
500+ Hours
Kathy Delcambre, Martha Heady, John Hemphill, Nancy Holliday, Lynn Peacher and Randy Thompson
750+ Hours
Sally Harris, Althea Klein and Barbara Lowell
1,000+ Hours
Mickey Cox and Aldean Newcomb Krumme
2,000+ Hours
Mariana Graham, Carolyn Lee and Peggy Selman
2,500+ Hours
Sharon Maust
3,000+ Hours
Chris Brooks and Donna Land
4,500+ Hours
Joanne Yarwood
11,000+ Hours
Dee McBride
12,500+ Hours
Marty Laughlin