Volunteer Spotlight: Judy Ladd

“Thank you so much for sending me this book! I’ve been searching for a long time.” This kind of response from customers has motivated Judy Ladd as volunteer manager since 2007 of Benton Books, the Friends & Foundation's on-line bookstore.

After eighteen-plus years Judy has decided to transfer her major responsibilities to another volunteer.

Under Judy’s management, Benton Books' sales grew from $1,500 in 2005 to nearly $30,000 annually, all benefitting library programs under the Friends & Foundation umbrella.Benton Books specializes in circulation.

Benton Books maintains a rotating inventory of about 1,100 volumes, with monthly sales averaging $2,200. Average sale price is about $18, but rare and valuable books have sold for as much as $300, Judy reports.

Professionally, Judy was Director of Community Health for Benton County for 13 years. She holds a nursing degree from the University of Michigan and a Master's in Community Health from Oregon State. Her physician husband's work brought them to Corvallis in 1969, where she raised a family and volunteered as a nurse in a pediatric clinic and in a senior nursing facility, delivering books from the public library and reading to residents.

A big thanks to Judy for her years of service and continuing commitment to the mission of the Friends and Foundation!