Library volunteer reveals secret of life

Octogenarian Carol June Baskett revealed the secret to happiness and long life for her revolves around three things: seeing a lot of life, believing that change is opportunity, and having a good doctor. She also testifies that getting plenty of sleep and watching Jeopardy doesn’t hurt "and I don’t do a lot of nightlife."

After moving to Fayetteville from Texarkana five years ago to be near her son, Baskett began volunteering for the Arkansas Court Appointed Special Advocates Association and still does occasional volunteer work for them. "They do marvelous things for children," she said. In 2003 she began volunteering at the Fayetteville Public Library after seeing an advertisement in the paper. Baskett has fully embraced technology and is a prolific e-mailer. This has made her a valuable asset to the library’s Technical Services Department, where some of her duties include processing media and database entry. "Plus, she just makes everyone happy to be around her," said Volunteer Coordinator Georgia Kunze.

Carol June firmly believes that people in the community should be advocates for the library. "It’s a beautiful place of learning, an advanced place," she said. "It could be in any city and be imposing."

Baskett spends her free time doing more volunteer work for her church, carefully tending her beautiful African violets and reading. She has been a reader since her steady visits to the library during her youth in Texarkana. "I read all the time when I was a child," she remembers. She went through all of Dumas and Dickens "and I loved Temple Bailey as a teen." Still a fan of the classics, Carol June also reads biographies, most recently that of Italian Renaissance figure Benvenuto Cellini.

Baskett met her late husband at a military dance during World War II, and they were married in 1946. Her husband worked for the government, so the Basketts lived for a period of time in Germany. "I worked there, too, but we had pretty lenient leave time so we got a car and did a lot of traveling; that’s the best way to see a country, really." Carol June has ventured all around Europe, Greece, Egypt and the Middle East. Her two favorite places were Israel and Vienna.

Back to Top