Available volunteer hours change month to month depending on what events and activities the library is running. Some examples of past volunteer activities are: cutting out shapes and organizing craft kits for younger kids, teaching chess and supervising chess tournaments for Chess Club, decorating the teen space, making sure YA books are in proper alphabetical order, curating a display of your favorite books, and more! Check the monthly signup sheet that gets sent out on Remind to see what's available this month.
All volunteer signups are first come, first served! Monthly signups are often limited to one per person so that as many volunteers as possible have the chance to participate. Please make sure to read the instructions for each monthly signup sheet carefully to see that month's limit. Since TAG members who sign up for circ/shelving have guaranteed volunteer hours every month, they must wait 24 hours before signing up for any leftover monthly hours. This is to give other TAG members a chance to meet their hour requirement.
We also have some seasonal opportunities that happen regularly every year, see below for the schedule and details about each.
Remember that you are responsible for emailing and calling the library if you are not available for a shift you claimed!
Monthly volunteer signups are sent out on Remind about a week before the new month starts. (Ex. April signups may be sent out around March 25th.) These shifts are open to any current TAG members (this means you have an application on file and have not yet graduated high school). These shifts change month to month depending on what events are happening at the library and what projects the staff need extra help with. Some examples of opportunities you may see on the monthly signups include:
- YA shelfreading - we often ask for extra help making sure the YA or children's books are in alphabetical order to make them easy to find for staff and patrons. These shifts require being comfortable with the alphabet (familiarity with the Dewey Decimal System for non-fiction is a big plus!) and reading each shelf of books slowly to make sure they are in order. Volunteers may wear headphones during their shifts but should try to stay aware of what is happening around them in case of emergency.
- Adopt an endcap display - two display shelves in the YA department are available each month to be 'adopted.' The volunteer who signs up for this opportunity is responsible for choosing any theme they like and selecting books to display that fit that theme. Then you will design and create small signs to describe the books you selected, share why you like them, excerpts from GoodReads reviews, or art that fits the theme. Some examples of past themes include: romantasy, summer vibes, time travel, books with blue covers, books about family, etc. Volunteers are responsible for checking their displays at least once a week to fill in any empty spaces from books that have been borrowed by other readers.
- Assorted teen and/or children's events - we frequently ask for extra help with craft programs for teens and children. Volunteers will help keep the craft room tidy so everyone can find extra supplies during the program, help staff members clean up at the end of the event, and may provide hands on support for younger kids or any attendee who needs extra help. Our favorite volunteers for these tasks are those who are patient, friendly, and upbeat! Volunteers for public events are expected to stay active and involved and should not be on their phones unless you are looking up something specifically related to the task at hand.
- Craft prep, sorting, organizing, etc. - we also often ask for help preparing craft supplies in advance or organizing library supplies. These are varied and may include tasks like cutting shapes out of construction paper, counting and sorting beads, folding and stapling booklets, etc. These tasks are great for those who are detail-oriented and enjoy working quietly away from the public. Volunteers may wear headphones during their shifts but should try to stay aware of what is happening around them in case of emergency.
- Teen newsletter - we publish a teen newsletter every month as a PDF sent out on Remind. We invite teen volunteers to write book reviews and other articles to be included in the newsletter for volunteer credit. We currently have the following columns:
- Sci-fi/fantasy review, non-fiction review, graphic novel review, realistic fiction review. Each review should be approximately 150-200 words and review a tween or teen book. Older books are eligible. These articles are worth one hour of volunteer credit, regardless of how long the books is.
- Themed book list. Choose 3-4 books that fit a theme of your choice (ex. historical fiction, dystopias, classics, etc.) and write a few sentences about each book.
- Puzzle. Design and submit a puzzle, such as a crossword, word search, connect the dots, paint by number, etc. All puzzles must be original work (try doing a Google search for "crossword puzzle maker" or whatever type of puzzle you are most interested in).
***PLEASE NOTE: AI use in newsletter reviews is NOT PERMITTED. AI language models frequently make up information to suit the prompt rather than base their reply on facts and data. They are also frequently trained on copyrighted data, which is unethical and illegal. And finally, submitting work that is not your own is plagiarism. Entering a one sentence prompt into an AI generator does not count as writing your own review. Evidence of AI use will result in a warning and no volunteer credit for the first offense. Multiple occurrences may result in your removal from the TAG program for the remainder of the school year.***
Circulation shift signups are usually available twice a year, in August and February. This is a six-month commitment, where you select a weekly shift of one hour a week. You will come in every week at your selected day and time and check in at the circulation desk. There are two options for circulation tasks:
- Pack transits - this is not a public-facing role. You will be swiped into the office behind the circulation desk by a staff member when you check in for your shift. You will be packing books from our library that are being transferred to other libraries to fulfill hold requests. You will need to read the transit slips carefully to make sure you are packing books into the correct boxes. You will receive training and supervision for your first several shifts until you feel comfortable and confident doing it on your own. You can ask a staff member for clarification at any point.
- Shelving and shelf reading - You will be swiped into the office behind the circulation desk by a staff member when you check in for your shift. Books that have been returned will be sorted onto carts for each section of the library (ex. non-fiction, children's, YA, etc). You will be responsible for putting these books back on the shelf in the appropriate order - alphabetical by last name for fiction, call numbers for non-fiction. If you complete all your shelving or there is nothing waiting for you when you sign in, a staff member will give you an assigned section of the library to shelf read. This means visually inspecting each shelf one by one to make sure the books are in the correct order alphabetically or by call number. You will receive training and supervision for your first several shifts until you feel comfortable and confident doing it on your own. You can ask a staff member for clarification at any point.
The August sign-ups run from September to February, and the February sign-ups run from March to August. Because you get a guaranteed 20-24 hours during your circ shift, you are restricted from signing up for additional monthly volunteer hours. When the monthly volunteer sign-ups get sent out on Remind, you must let other volunteers sign up first. Circ volunteers must wait 24 hours before signing up for any leftover monthly shifts.
If you have an idea for a program you want to run, you can submit it with this form. We accept program proposals for audiences of all ages but generally prioritize programs for children or teen attendees. Submitting a proposal does not guarantee you will be selected. We have high standards for the programs we offer to the public, and expect to see evidence of clear planning, good communication, and reliability for you as the presenter. Please be as detailed as possible in your proposal so we have a good idea of how the program will run, what supplies you might need, etc.
Please note:
- The library often plans 3 or 4 months ahead for our events. Please make sure to submit your proposals early if they are tied to a specific date or holiday. We generally prefer programs that can be run any time of year.
- One-time programs are much easier to accommodate than multi-session or recurring monthly programs. Please plan a single session first to see how it goes, and then if you are interested in a recurring program, we may be able to have that discussion.
- Attendance for a program you are running is much more important than a program you are merely assisting with as a volunteer. A no-call/no-show for a program you are running will result in a six month ban on all volunteering except group volunteering days. If you get sick or have another emergency that prevents you from attending the program you are running, you are expected to call the library immediately to let us know.
First Look is a virtual hour opportunity in which you read a book at your own pace and submit a review online through the EBPL website. Only select books are eligible for this opportunity! Your options are:
- Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) or not-yet-published YA fiction, available at the teen desk. These books are not in the library catalog yet, so you must visit in person to see what books are available and sign them out on the paper sign out sheet at the teen desk.
- New YA books (fiction, non-fiction, graphic novels, and manga on the NEW YA shelf, the light brown shelves in the corner of the teen area). Adult titles are not eligible, and older YA books are also not eligible.
For fiction and non-fiction books, the hours you earn are based on how many pages are in the book. Every 100 pages = 1 hour, and we round up at the 50 page mark.
(Ex. 240 pages = 2 hrs, 260 pages = 3 hrs) Manga and graphic novels are only eligible for one hour each, regardless of length!
After reading your selected book, write a review of at least 250 words and submit it here. First, search for the title of your book to see if it has been reviewed before. If yes, then submit your review on the page for that book. If it is not in our First Look list already, scroll down to the bottom of the page where it says "Be the first one!" and click the orange button that says "Yes, I would love to!" Then submit your book's title and author as well as your review all at once.
First Look reviews should be submitted sparingly, since we prefer volunteers complete their service through in person shifts in the library.
***PLEASE NOTE: AI use in First Look reviews is NOT PERMITTED. AI language models frequently make up information to suit the prompt rather than base their reply on facts and data. They are also frequently trained on copyrighted data, which is unethical and illegal. And finally, submitting work that is not your own is plagiarism. Entering a one sentence prompt into an AI generator does not count as writing your own review. Evidence of AI use will result in a warning and no volunteer credit for the first offense. Multiple occurrences may result in your removal from the TAG program for the remainder of the school year.***
Short for “Teen Library Connection,” TLC is a summer program that allows teens to work with peers on a self-guided service project. We have an event team, where volunteers get assigned to small groups to develop and run an event for the library. This requires the perfect mix of teamwork and collaboration, independence, creativity, and reliability. Some of the past TLC projects have included events like a teen open mic night, community scrapbook project, board game cafe, and a financial literacy workshop for elementary/middle schoolers.
We also have an internship team, where teens will work more independently with one or more departments in the library. You'll have the chance to learn what each department does and select the ones you are most interested in to work alongside staff to see what their day to day professions look like and get on the job experience. These positions are great for juniors and seniors in high school considering future career options, those who prefer administrative, clerical, or customer service work instead of running events, or those who prefer to work more independently on their own with guidance from a staff member.
TLC applications are closed until 2026!
You must complete an additional application to participate in TLC so we can match you with the best group and schedule. Applications will be open from April 1 - April 30 and will be sent out via Remind. Acceptances will be sent out in May and a mandatory orientation is usually scheduled for May or June. TLC sessions usually run in July and August.
Passionate teen volunteers interested in taking on a leadership role in TAG are invited to apply for the TAG Executive Board! These students act as the representatives for all teen volunteers to communicate directly with library staff to effect change on the volunteering program and be leaders for other teen volunteers in TAG. Exec board responsibilities include delivering the teen report to the monthly Board of Trustees meeting, designing and editing the monthly newsletter, running the monthly new volunteer orientation on Zoom, collaborating with Becca and Sarah to coordinate volunteering opportunities or update the volunteering program, and serving as the first point of contact for new and old volunteers with questions about TAG.
Please keep in mind that exec board members are leaders in the library and are expected to dedicate a minimum of 1 hour a week to communicating with other exec board members and library staff, completing projects and tasks in a timely manner, and checking notifications on email and Slack regarding volunteering and exec board tasks.
Exec board positions are open to any TAG volunteer who has been volunteering with the library for at least 1 year. We generally have 1-2 openings each year to fill the spots of graduating seniors. Rising 12th graders are welcome to apply but must be prepared to submit outstanding written and video responses. We are not necessarily looking for students with the most volunteer hours at the library, but students who are excellent communicators, work well independently and as a team, have actionable ideas about how to improve the teen volunteering program, and demonstrate passion for the library community.
Exec board applications are currently closed for 2025. Please check back around May/June of 2026.