Black History Month is an annual celebration that honors the contributions, achievements, and resilience of African Americans throughout history. The San José Public Library honors Black History Month as a reminder that every story deserves space. We celebrate the remarkable contributions of our volunteers, who are an integral part of the heart and soul of our community programs.
Meet Nona
A dedicated volunteer at the Edenvale, opens a new window and King Library, opens a new window volunteer who was drawn to the library's welcoming, community-focused environment. As both a volunteer and an enthusiastic library user, she shares that through meaningful programs and events, she’s found connection, growth, and a way to support equity while engaging with her culture.
Tell me a little bit about yourself, and how long you’ve been volunteering with SJPL?
My name is Nona, and I’ve been volunteering with SJPL for about a year. I’ve helped out at the King Library in the Teen HQ, worked as a Summer Learning Ambassador, and volunteered at the Edenvale branch with the Friends of the Library program. Right now, with Friends of the Library, I help sort books for sale and assist during book sales.
What inspired you to start volunteering at the library? What keeps you coming back?
I started volunteering after I finished my school semester and had more free time. I thought about what else I could do at the library especially since I was already there all the time so volunteering felt like a natural choice. I really liked the sense of community, getting to meet new people, and how chill the environment was. Since I’m pretty shy, it didn’t feel high-stakes at all, and I was able to learn from others while also learning more about the library and everything it has to offer.
Can you share an experience at the library that was especially meaningful to you?
There was an event at East Carnegie that was a journaling and tea session. It was a small group, and we spent time writing in our journals and sharing the types of journaling we were doing. I really enjoyed it because I was already planning to journal, and it felt like the perfect space to do that being around other people who were journaling too. I also learned about different kinds of journaling, like cooking, social media, or just having a quiet space while still being with others. I really liked building a sense of community with people while journaling together.
How does your cultural heritage influence or inform the way you engage with your community through your volunteer work?
What I thought about was understanding the idea of equity and how our community can be affected by the cost of these things. Black communities can be disproportionately affected, and I want to make sure I’m supporting equity.
What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about volunteering or getting involved in their local library?
You should definitely do it because you’ll learn a lot about the library and things you may not have known about or engaged with before and realize how cool it really is. Checking out the website and browsing through the events can show you all the different programs available and the many ways you can get involved.
What does Black History Month mean to you personally, and how do you choose to celebrate it?
Black History Month is cool because, especially in San Jose, I feel like there aren’t a lot of Black people, so it was meaningful to be around other Black people in my community and across the Bay Area. It gives me a chance to connect with my culture in ways I don’t usually get to in my day-to-day life.
It was nice to hear about other Black people’s experiences and be able to relate to them. This year, I also want to read more classic Black literature and stay more connected to my culture in ways I’m not usually able to.
What are you passionate about—inside or outside of the library?
Outside: I enjoy food, cooking, and baking, and I really like trying new recipes and making new things it’s something that’s really fun for me.
Inside: I enjoy having a common, free space where I can spend time with other people and build community. I also want to visit all 25 library locations. Currently, I have visited 16 of the 25, and my goal for this year is to visit all 25.
Favorites: I really like the Educational Park branch near Overfelt, especially because I can walk through the park and grab lunch at the shopping plaza nearby. I also love the King Library for its hidden gems.
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