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Mary’s Corner    
By Susan Still & Nancy Paysinger, Second Edition staff

Recently the childrens’ department of Second Edition, Cedar Mill Library’s resale shop, honored longtime volunteer, Mary Packer. A group of volunteers, staff members, and Mary’s family attended the official dedication of “Mary’s Corner” on July 14, unveiling a plaque and sign and presenting Mary’s Presidential Service Award pin for over 500 volunteer hours in the last year.

The Packer family moved to the Cedar Mill area in 1975, and, Mary said: “I became involved in the startup of the library so I could make friends in my new neighborhood.” Almost forty years later, Mary has logged over 16,000 hours volunteering for the Library and Second Edition.

Mary Packer and Peter Leonard, Library Director

In the beginning, the founding group staged an annual rummage/garage sale they named the M.E.S.S. (Miscellaneous Etcetera Super Sale), held in the parking lot below the library. That first sale netted $1,000 for the library.

After several annual sales, Mary and a crew of volunteers, tired of devoting their own garage space to storage of items for the M.E.S.S, hatched a plan to open a permanent resale shop to benefit the library.  Thus, Second Edition was born.

Mary said: “I really enjoy working with the children’s clothes and toys,” and has volunteered thousands of hours to make that department a customer favorite. She has also served on Second Edition’s Managing Committee since its inception, a committee that sets policies and guides the mission of the resale shop. In 2013, Second Edition provided over $165,000 to the library.

Throughout her long tenure as a volunteer, Mary has been a mentor and inspiration to many other volunteers. Interested in volunteering in Second Edition or the Library? Please visit the library’s website at for current available positions. 

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