Sharples Named Top Volunteer

For Kim Sharples, receiving the 2021 Nebraska Library Association Outstanding Volunteer Award came as a surprise.

"I was very surprised and honored to receive this award," said the volunteer at Kimball Public Library. "I have always loved to help others when and where I can. I appreciate what others have done for me over the years, and I like to give back to the community."

Sharples volunteers in many aspects of the library – from Little Readers Storytime to being president of the Friends of the Kimball Library, where she is organizing files for this group. And when the Innovation Studio arrived in Kimball, she was one of the trainers/volunteers, teaching people to use the equipment.

"I help (library director) Amber Sweetland with other projects as needed," she said. Former director "Jan Sears asked me before she left if I would restart the Highpoint Shutterbug Photography group again, as many people in the community wanted to learn photography."

The Highpoint Shutterbugs meet on the fourth Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the library.

Sharples was nominated by for the award by Sweetland, who concluded her nomination form with this scenario: "Just this week, I witnessed the perfect example of the kind of volunteer she is. A patron whose primary language is not English came in wanting help filling out some paperwork. This was during the lunch period, and the staff could not give her the time we would have liked. Kim stepped in and worked with her for two hours to help her."