Ruth Bromund, a Friends stalwart and our current Membership Vice President, has been “working in the back” an average of 2½ hours a week since Platt opened in April of 1995. Formerly a high school Spanish teacher and K-5 bilingual education specialist, Ruth has always been devoted to books and prone to library volunteerism. Her interest in this library dates back to 1970, when she moved to West Hills and looked forward to Platt's being available for her children. It opened too late for them, but not for Ruth, who does all she can to augment library services for others.

Lynn Durbin also helped open this long-awaited facility 7½ years ago. She currently averages 2½ hours a week, in addition to helping out at Friends Book Sales and in the Bookstore. A third generation Californian from the San Francisco Bay area, Lynn taught K-5 and adult school in Los Angeles City schools from 1968 through 1990. She still keeps active in teaching, too. Since retiring, she works in the classroom with new teachers through the Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment Program at CSUN.

Mari Kappel, retired after 40 years as an administrative assistant at Prudential Insurance, decided to volunteer at Plattwhile it was under construction. Shortly after the opening, seeing the door open, she walked in and surprised staff members who were sorting materials on their day off. Initial dismissal quickly reversed when they learned she'd come to offer assistance; the speed at which she was put to work became a running joke. Now a familiar face on the circulation desk, Mari has donated at least 4 hours a week ever since.

Harriet Segurson, a Friends Life Member of long standing, is our most recent In-House regular. In just a year and a half, she has progressed to whatever needs doing some 9 hours a week. Retiring after 35 years as a teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing, Harriet dove into library work because, “When I was a child, libraries saved my life”…in the sense that—for a child coping from birth with her parents’ deafness—public libraries were a source of motivation. She wanted to give back to the institution that succored her (in Brooklyn, by the way). Harriet is also on-call as a sign language interpreter for Kaiser Woodland Hills hospital.

Michele Watts entered the world of book processing over 7 years ago, at her friend Ruth Bromund's suggestion. (They met while volunteering at the Haynes Street School Library.) A native of France, Michele studied English at her lycee; then spent a year as an au pair in Oxford, England, where she also took English lit. classes. After marrying and moving to Los Angeles, she was active in Cub Scouts and devoted many years to handicapped children as a teacher's assistant. Still a literature lover, she now donates 2½ hours a week to Platt's ever-growing collection, in addition to the time she gives to the Book Sales and special Friends projects.