Katie Lake is all about volunteerism. And when no one else will answer the call, she steps up and volunteers to get the job done — whatever that job may entail. As president of the Friends of Brown Library and a longtime volunteer, Lake was recognized as Volunteer of the Year by State Friends of Public Libraries for the Northeast region.

Lake was presented with the award on Oct. 24 in Pittsboro during the State Friends group’s meeting. She received a framed certificate, as well as a $250 award for the Friends of Brown Library, according to Diane Giffin, corresponding secretary and board member for the FOBL.

For the third year in a row, a member of the Friends of Brown Library has been chosen as Volunteer of the Year for the Northeastern region: in 2013, it was Nancy Nash, a cofounder of the group; in 2014, it was Ginny Warren, who heads up the sorting of books for the annual FOBL book sale that benefits the library; and with this year’s award being given to Lake, the FOBL has been recognized numerous times for the work they do for the library. And each recipient was recognized from Giffin’s submission of names and recommendations, she said.

“It was nice to be recognized by the State Friends,” Lake said. “Diane has done a great job (submitting candidates) the last three years. It brings recognition to Washington and Brown Library.”

Giffin said the FOBL group was formed in 1991 or 1992 and has around 400 members presently, a vast army of volunteers that support the library and its services. Since Lake joined the group, she has served on every committee within the organization, served on the board and held several positions on the board, Giffin said.

“It’s very important, the work that we do,” Giffin said. “I would almost say the library would not be the kind of library it is today, if not for the FOBL group. We keep getting bigger and bigger and more helpful every year. If no one else volunteers, Katie says, ‘Oh, I’ll do it.’ She’s just a really hard worker.”

Lake joined the local Friends group in 1998 and began volunteering to ensure continued programs and services at Brown Library in Washington, she said. Since that time, she has given much of her time to help host the group’s annual book sale each January, proceeds from which are used to better the library’s services and programs. On average, the sale yields at least $20,000 per year.

“I just believe our city needs the library,” Lake said in response to why she volunteers. “I think the library here fulfills a lot of roles for the city and the county. We don’t get a lot of money from (Beaufort County) so we end up depending on the city for funds. I really think libraries are important for children to start off (reading at a young age). (The library) is good for this area because it gets children reading earlier, which will help them through school and later in life. I was raised to be a responsible person, and I do other volunteer work, as well. I want to leave a legacy for others to follow.”

Through the book sale and other fundraising initiatives, the FOBL group has been able to solely fund the library’s children’s and teen programs, replace staff computers in the last fiscal year, matched grant funds to purchase three laptops specifically geared toward continuing education, job searching and resume building, according to Kim Davenport, library services coordinator at Brown Library. In the last fiscal year, the group has also added bookcases, allowing the library to expand its adult fiction and young adult fiction sections.

“(Lake) is such an asset to the group and this library,” Davenport said. “The Friends group is very engaged. They have a big role in this library. They’re instrumental in providing funding for programs at the library.”