Library volunteering

Volunteering in a library is a rewarding and sociable way to be involved in your local community.

Our trained volunteers of all ages, abilities and experience can gain valuable work experience and learn new skills, with young people in particular able to add volunteering to their CV. 

What kind of volunteering would suit me?

We have several volunteering opportunities; it is worth speaking to your local library to decide what would fit you best. There are examples of volunteer roles below.

Volunteering to help with general library duties

This role is to help people visiting the library and assist with the library routines to maintain an effective service in a pleasant environment.

Key tasks

Volunteers will undertake general library routines and procedures, including:

  • meeting and greeting library customers
  • helping people join the library
  • assisting library users with self-service
  • helping customers find the resources they want
  • helping customers with computers
  • assisting with library events
  • helping to maintain the book stock and library displays
  • reshelving books and keeping the library safe and tidy
  • checking shelves for requested items to move to other libraries
  • helping to promote the library service in the community

The library team offer ongoing training and support for volunteers. You can also access free online training to help you develop your skills further. You can find support on hand from your fellow volunteers.

Skills, experience and personal qualities

We do not require volunteers to have special skills or experience, but the role would suit someone who:

  • is literate and numerate
  • is comfortable with using IT
  • has good communication, interpersonal and organisational skills
  • can work as part of a team

Volunteers should:

  • have a courteous, calm approach to the public and enjoy dealing with people, especially children
  • be punctual and reliable
  • be supportive of the library in its commitment to making resources and events accessible and welcoming
  • enjoy reading and finding out information
  • have a commitment to the equality and diversity of the local community

Volunteering to help the home library service

Home library and information service volunteers work alongside library staff to help people who find it difficult to visit the library by delivering books, audio books and information.  

You can email libraries@northyorks.gov.uk for details about areas where volunteers are needed or visit our home library service page for more information. 

General role information

Volunteers need to be available to make a regular weekday commitment of about two hours, once a fortnight, on an agreed day.

We are looking for caring people who don't mind spending some time chatting to customers, many of whom are elderly or have a disability.

You will be paired with another volunteer to visit the same people each time. Volunteers usually visit between five and nine addresses, including residential or nursing homes. Volunteers use their own cars and are paid out-of-pocket expenses. Many of the visits are in and around each town, but you may also travel to villages or hamlets.

We are often looking for volunteers to help organise the delivery rotas, or for relief volunteers to fill in when other volunteers can't attend.

Key tasks

The volunteer may do a selection of the following tasks:

  • visit people in their own home or in residential homes to deliver preselected materials, and collect materials that are finished with
  • give a regular commitment on a set day once a fortnight
  • deliver the books with a volunteer partner. One of the pair of volunteers will use their own car (fuel expenses will be reimbursed at 40p per mile)
  • spend time talking to customers, particularly about the choice of books
  • keep simple records on the paperwork provided about customers visited, requests for books and messages for library staff and take them back to the library at the end of the delivery
  • be aware that customers’ health and home circumstances can change and offer extra information to customers as appropriate if it is felt they may need support to live independently
  • take part in meetings and training sessions relating to the role
  • inform the volunteer route organiser (or home library and information service volunteer coordinator or branch staff) if unable to visit because of ill-health or holidays, and to cover for other volunteers if available
  • help with administration and organising rotas
  • maintain customer confidentiality at all times
  • undertake any other tasks relevant to the role

This role will require some lifting of bags of books and may include using stairs and lifts.

Skills and experience

We do not require volunteers to have special skills or experience, but the role would suit someone who has the following qualities:

  • good communication and interpersonal skills
  • punctual and reliable
  • a willingness and ability to cope with a small amount of paperwork
  • an interest in reading or listening to books
  • supportive of the library in its commitment to making the service accessible and welcoming

Volunteering to help borrowers use IT (IT buddies)

The purpose of the IT support volunteer is to help people develop their computer skills and offer one to one assistance to people with IT tasks. If you are already volunteering for Citizen’s Online you can volunteer in the library too, just speak to a member of your local library team. This opportunity is also available at locations visited by the Mobile Library. These locations are: Hovingham, Eggborough, Osmotherley, Sheriff Hutton, Slingsby, Kirk Smeaton, Balne, Kettlewell, Bucken, Sleights, Weaverthorpe, Brotherton, Sherburn, Robin Hoods Bay, Danby, Castleton, Staithes, Rosedale, Hunmanby.

Key tasks

As well as giving a regular commitment to IT volunteering at the library, the volunteer may do a selection of the following tasks:

  • give one to one support to adult learners who lack confidence in using a computer, for example setting up an email account, filling in online forms and internet searching
  • assist library staff at planned IT sessions
  • take part in meetings and/or training sessions relating to the role

Other tasks may be developed in cases where the volunteer has a particular interest, such as family history research.

Skills, experience and personal qualities

We do not require volunteers to have special skills or experience, but the role would suit someone who has the following qualities:

  • enjoy dealing with people from all backgrounds with patience and flexibility
  • competent IT skills
  • good communication skills and the ability to explain computing terms in a simple manner
  • friendly and sociable approach and ability to encourage and motivate
  • ability to work as part of a team
  • punctual and reliable

Supportive of the library in its commitment to making events accessible and welcoming.

Children’s activities volunteer

The purpose of the children’s activities volunteer role is to help children and families to get the most from the library and to help out with events and activities.

Key tasks

  • help to meet and greet members of the public at children’s and family events and take tickets, answer queries and give directions
  • promote library services and events, for example handing out leaflets and collecting evaluation forms
  • help with preparing the space in which the activity is taking place, serving refreshments and clearing up after events
  • reading stories to groups of children and their parents or carers
  • assisting with, or leading craft activities for children
  • assisting with or leading class visits

Skills, experience and personal qualities

We do not require volunteers to have special skills or experience, but the role would suit someone who has the following qualities.

  • have a courteous, calm approach to the public and enjoy dealing with people, especially children
  • punctual and reliable
  • supportive of the library in its commitment to making resources and events accessible and welcoming

This is not always a physically active role, but will require the lifting and moving of library furniture at times.

Library headquarters support volunteer

All libraries across North Yorkshire are supported by the ‘behind the scenes’ Bibliographic Services department at Library headquarters, Northallerton, where new stock is ordered, back up stock is available to libraries and other support is provided centrally for libraries across North Yorkshire.

General description of duties

Undertaking general routines and procedures including: 

  • helping to manage the circulation of books between headquarters and local libraries
  • helping to maintain the book stock held at headquarters by, for example, by checking for books in poor condition
  • assisting with choosing and preparing books for collections held in small community venues
  • tasks related to deliveries and administration such as sorting publicity materials for distribution to libraries

Skills required

  • literate and numerate
  • basic IT skills
  • communication and interpersonal skills
  • organisational skills
  • the ability to work as part of a team
  • manual handling

Personal qualities

  • friendly and adaptable
  • punctual and reliable
  • enjoy reading
  • supportive of the library service in its commitment to making resources available for communities
  • commitment to the equality and diversity of the local community

Training and support

The Bibliographic Services Team offer on-going training and support for volunteers and there is also free access to on-line training available to help you develop your skills further. There is also support on hand from your fellow volunteers. 

Library headquarters online shop volunteer 

Our ‘behind the scenes’ Bibliographic Services department at Library headquarters, Northallerton, supports libraries across North Yorkshire. This includes dealing with surplus book stock no longer required by the library service. 

General description of duties

The core focus of this role is to assist with managing our online shop selling old library books to raise income for the Library Service. 

Key tasks

  • assessing condition of books
  • sorting, valuing and pricing used books for sale online
  • writing accurate and appealing online listings
  • despatching items to buyers
  • assisting with management of the inventory of books available for sale

Skills required

  • literate and numerate
  • basic IT skills
  • familiar with bookselling websites, for example, Amazon, Abebooks
  • communication and interpersonal skills
  • organisational skills
  • attention to detail and accuracy
  • the ability to work as part of a team

Personal qualities

  • friendly and adaptable
  • punctual and reliable
  • enthusiasm for selling used books online
  • enthusiastic and knowledgeable about books and different genres
  • willingness to learn and develop new skills
  • supportive of the library service in its commitment to making resources available for communities
  • commitment to the equality and diversity of the local community

Training and support

The Bibliographic Services Team offer on-going training and support for volunteers and there is also free access to on-line training available to help you develop your skills further. There is also support on hand from your fellow volunteers.

How do I become a volunteer?

You can search for volunteering on our jobs page. You can also pick up a volunteer form in branch. Once you have expressed an interest in becoming a volunteer, we will meet to discuss the role in more detail.

We will also ask you to give details of two people (not relatives) who we can contact for a character reference.

If you have questions about library volunteering, you can email libraries@northyorks.gov.uk. You can also drop into your library to ask about volunteering opportunities and the role of volunteers.

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