Volunteer

When you volunteer at Douglas County Libraries, you become an invaluable part of our team, helping us provide resources for learning and leisure to improve the lives of the people in our communities.

You also gain valuable skills, give back to your community, and meet people from diverse backgrounds in a pleasant environment. We value our volunteers’ contributions!

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Volunteer Opportunities

Apply now for opportunities related to these areas of interest:

Adult Literacy

Help other adults learn and practice English and basic literacy, prepare for high school equivalency exams, or learn to use modern technology. Tutors personalize lessons to individual student needs.

Archives & Local History

Assist with scanning documents, updating records, recording and transcribing oral histories, and other processing tasks to help make archival resources available to the community.

Court-Ordered Volunteers

Douglas County residents ages 16 and up can perform court-ordered restitution for minor offenses with us. Tasks usually include shelving and cleaning.

Reading Buddies

A unique program that matches trained teen volunteers to struggling readers, grades 1-3. Buddies meet weekly for two months to read and enjoy literacy-based games. Applications for the next session open in 2024.

Find additional areas of interest by location or availability:

Birthday Party Helper

Help staff with party activities, Storytime, crafts, room setup and breakdown.

General/Administrative

Shelve or repair materials, or help with clerical needs, Storytime/events, or stocking our used book stores.

Homebound Delivery

Deliver library materials to the homes of qualified card holders who are unable to come to the library due to illness or disability.

Reading in Child Care Centers

Read aloud in child care centers, promoting early literacy and bringing the fun of Storytime to children who might not be able to come to the library.

Special Events

Help with event setup and tear-down, plus act as a greeter/usher or man an activity station.

Teen Library Council

TLC offers teens an ongoing opportunity to earn community service hours while planning library events for kids and teens, and helping shape library collections for young adults.

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Volunteer Feedback

"Volunteering at the library was one of the best things I did for myself."

"I've loved volunteering at DCL! The library had such a wonderful impact on my childhood and it's been great to give back."

"Staff are just so appreciative and they let me know how much this really helps them."

"Everyone is so supportive and caring. It feels like a home away from home."

DCL volunteers highly recommend volunteering at DCL to others.
They feel welcome, valued, supported and appreciated.
The environment is fun, safe, stress-free and pleasant.
Volunteers give their time because they value the library, giving back to the community, helping others, and learning how the library functions.
Volunteers enjoy being recognized with Second Chapter Bookstore coupons, treats and goodies, and emails.
Volunteers want to stay in the know and make sure others are aware of our great services and programs. As a result, we will continue to ask your help to spread the word about all that we offer to our community!
Volunteers learn a variety of new skills at DCL, including: interacting with the community, teaching and tutoring, merchandising techniques, typing faster, how a library works, helping kids read, how to be a more effective reader, lesson planning for ESL students, people skills, how to be more social, being flexible, and identifying interesting books to read.

Questions or comments? We want to hear from you!

Certifications

Douglas County Libraries is a Certified Organization for the national and prestigious Presidential Volunteer Service Award.

DCL is proud to be Service Enterprise Certified, a designation that signifies our commitment to best practices for engaging volunteers. The national Service Enterprise Initiative, led by Points of Light, helps nonprofit organizations leverage volunteers and their skills to address community needs.