Mary Jean Baker is everything one might hope for in a friend’she’s energetic, optimistic, dedicated, cheerful, and, well, friendly.
As proof, almost everyone at Independence Township Public Library, where Baker serves countless hours as Friends of the Library president, is happy to vouch for her.
‘MJ is very popular with the staff,? said Library Director Julie Meredith, referring to Baker by the nickname just about everyone uses. ‘She’s so bubbly and upbeat, like a breath of fresh air in the library. We’re very fortunate and blessed to have her.?
As president of the Friends group, said Meredith, Baker and her team raise money for equipment and materials that make the library a modern, well-appointed place for Clarkston-area residents to work, play and learn.
‘She’s absolutely indispensable,? said Meredith. ‘She’s here early in the morning, works lots of hours and helps with anything we need help with, big or small.?
Over the past year, Friends of the Library paid to install wireless computer access, purchased two new bike racks, eight new computers and two early literacy computer stations equipped with 25 educational children’s games. They also remodeled the teen lounge, bought a large-format poster printer and helped fund the library’s online catalogue.
‘The Friends raise a great deal of money for added value services we might not otherwise have,? Meredith said. ‘They’re an amazing group of people who work so well together.?
Baker joined Friends of the Library about five years ago, when she retired from a 30-year tenure in the accounting department at Chrysler Financial.
‘I think the greatest gift is to give,? she said, sitting down to talk for a few rare minutes during last week’s record-breaking used-book sale. ‘It gives me health and happiness, and fulfillment, to help others.?
The sale, which occurs each spring and fall at the library, raised a new high of $10,692 last week, most of which goes directly into the library enhancement coffer.
‘It’s an achievement to buy things for the library and see things improving,? said Baker. ‘All the books are donated from people who live in the area, so it’s a great community effort.?
It seems reasonable to assume that most people who volunteer at a library enjoy reading, and Baker is no exception, counting authors such as Janet Evanovich, Nora Roberts, Debbie Macomber and Linda Lael Miller.
What does she like about romance novels?
‘Oh, happy endings,? she said. ‘I don’t want anybody to be hurt. And I don’t like mysteries; they scare me. I read at night.?
Baker also loves a good concert’think Neil Diamond, Phil Collins, Rod Stewart’and has as a motorcycle, a Yamaha 180cc, which she calls ‘more of a scooter.?
‘I don’t have any tattoos or leather bras, though? she said with a laugh.
But when it comes to the work she does at the library, Baker contends she takes away as much or more as she gives.
‘The friendship is the best part,? she said. ‘You get involved in people’s lives. There’s an openness between us. We share ideas, sadness and happiness, like a family.?
Those friends, she said, are an important part of her life that would be missed sitting home.
And it’s not just other members of the Friends organization Baker connects with. The book sale, for example, draws many of the same customers back again and again.
‘Some of the regulars we know by name now,? Baker said. ‘The first day we open we have a lady who either makes muffins or cookies because she knows how hungry we are.?
It’s a feeling of community, she said, that continues long after the tables are folded and the books are boxed up and put away for the next sale.
‘You see people in the grocery store, or the bank that say hello, and that’s nice,? she said. ‘Clarkston is a wonderful place for that fellowship.?
And then, of course, there are the other Friends volunteers, who Baker describes with words like hardworking, committed and sincere.
Of about 230 Friends of the Library, she said, about 30 are consistently active in the sale and other events.
‘One lady loves to sort cookbooks,? she said. ‘Another loves to do sewing books, and another always sorts fiction. Everyone helps in their own way.?
And that, says Baker, is where fellow Friend Mitch Heber comes in.
‘He’s a great help and a wonderful (booksale) co-chair,? she said, noting she and Heber look at things differently and therefore complement one another well. ‘We bounce ideas off each other and try new things. We work well together.?
Heber got involved with Friends after retiring from Volkswagen, where he worked in engineering, in the service department and finally as an editor of technical materials. Like Baker, he doesn’t miss feeling like a big business ‘cog.? He did, however, miss the interaction with other like-minded individuals, which is why he became involved with friends and became friends with Baker.
‘She’s friendlier and easier to talk to than most people you run into,? he said. ‘I like that.?
Heber was involved with Friends and helped out with the book sales before Baker came aboard, but back then, he stuck to cleaning up after the sale.
‘She’s the sparkplug of the Friends,? he said. ‘She’s such an outgoing person, always on the move. You can’t help but say yes to MJ.?
When Baker isn’t at the library, he said, she’s thinking about the library.
‘She’s always on the look out for display racks at grocery stores and garage sales,? he said. ‘If they need to be fixed, she gets Graham to do it.?
Graham, Baker’s husband, is the group’s ‘Mr. Fix it.?
Other Friends marvel at the time Baker puts into her volunteer efforts.
‘She’s a wonderful lady,? said Friend Don Nisbett. ‘I’m surprised she doesn’t have a cot here. You might say she’s found a home in the library.?
‘Her enthusiasm and dedication are contagious,? said another Friend, who wanted to be identified only as Mary. ‘And she never looses her temper. I think if the roof fell in, she’d just laugh that little laugh of hers and start cleaning it up.?
Anyone wishing to donate books CDs, DVDs, videos or other appropriate materials to the Independence Township Friends of the Library Book Sale can drop them off at the Independence Public Library, 6495 Clarkston Road. Children’s books are always in high demand, and cookbooks, history, and hobby and craft books sell quickly, as well. Call 248-625-2212, or visit www.indelib.org for more information.