A quick walk across the street and Clinton Township resident Sherry DiGiovanni was in a boutique filled with items ranging from bookmarks and children's toys to rocks and note cards.

The store DiGiovanni visited was not in a strip mall or a shopping center, but at the main branch of the Clinton-Macomb Public Library in Clinton Township.

"I live right behind the library, so I just walk over. They have so many cards to choose from," said DiGiovanni, 50. "I like to come here because they have great things and I like to help support the library."

Di Giovanni is one of many residents who visit the Clinton-Macomb Public Library Gift Store located on the first floor near the information desk and the building's entrance.

The shop offers an array of items made by local artists, as well as one-of-a-kind goods that could be sold in a specialty store.

Nesting dolls from Russia line one of the upper shelves in the store, while another display case holds watches, rings, necklaces and bracelets. The store carries guided journals, chimes, stuffed animals, learning games, candy, some used books, teapots and tea sets for children.

Other items are geared toward students who may be using the library to study -- flash drives, pens, pencils, paper and floppy disks.

"The store has become an extension of the library," said Phyllis Elam, the store's manager. "We offer things that tie into the library's vision of being a resource for all ages. We are here to inform, educate and entertain."

On Jan. 15, the Clinton-Macomb Public Library Gift Store began offering a service that will resurface DVDs, CDs and video games. The store charges $5 for each video game that is resurfaced and $3 for DVDs and CDs.

"People drop them off and then pick them up," said Elam, 63, who lives in Chesterfield Township. "I've been surprised because by the end of January we had done 29 DVDs, 17 CDs and seven video games."

The professional resurfacing machine was purchased by the Friends of the Clinton-Macomb Public Library and originally used to restore more than 700 items in the library's circulation.

In mid-March, the gift store is planning to offer a fax service to its patrons. "Volunteers will be trained to send faxes," Elam said.

The main branch of the Clinton-Macomb Public Library has been open since April 2003, and the gift store opened in November 2003.

The idea for the gift-store component of the library came from its former director, Christine Lind Hage, who worked with the Rochester Hills Public Library. Hage is now the director of the Rochester Hills Public Library.

"The Friends of the Rochester Hills Library have a gift store and this store was planned by Christine," said Elam. "The Friends of the Rochester Hills Public Library were very helpful and gave us a lot of information for this store."

As manager, Elam relies heavily on volunteers, who work the registers and offer their advice and product knowledge to patrons.

In many cases, volunteers work two to three times a week staffing the store. Each shift at the store is three hours.

Since its opening in 2003, Gail Clegg and Rose Krausmann have volunteered in the gift store.

"We have met a lot of nice people," said Clegg, 84, who lives in Macomb Township. "The best part of volunteering is the people you meet, and seeing the children."

Clegg, a retired home economics teacher at Van Hoosen Middle School in Rochester Hills, decided to volunteer at the library to have something to do.

Last year, Clegg was honored for having the top number of volunteer hours for the year at the library. During this time, it was discovered that she had been the teacher of the library's current director, Larry Neal.

Krausmann, a retired social worker, was looking for a pastime after she and her husband stopped spending time in Florida.

"The biggest incentive for working here is getting to know the customers," said Krausmann, 82, of Clinton Township. "We get to know each other, too. Gail and I have lunch together and we play bridge together."

Clegg and Krausmann say they enjoy volunteering at the library because of the staff and Elam.

The Clinton-Macomb Public Library was formed in 1992, and has two branches in addition to the main branch. The North Branch is in Macomb Township and the South Branch is in Clinton Township.

The Clinton-Macomb Public Library is a district library that serves more than 150,000 people in Clinton and Macomb townships. The gift store is only at the main branch.

"This is a store where people have time and they can talk and exchange ideas," Elam said. "We believe we are building a stronger community."

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