Volunteer

• The culture here is friendly, inclusive and fun to be around.
• We value our volunteers and provide flexibility and support.
• It’s a great opportunity to give back to our community, make a difference to the people around you, make new friends, develop new skills and enhance your resume!
• We offer a Volunteer Perks Program (see below).
• We also hold social gatherings throughout the year and offer free tea, hot chocolate, coffee and treats on an ongoing basis.

Our volunteers love local businesses just as much as we do! As a way of treating them for their hard work, we offer gift cards to some of their favourites for the following hour milestones:

• If you volunteer 15 hours within one month, you will receive a $5.00 gift card!
• If you volunteer 35 hours within 6 months, you will receive a $25.00 gift card!
• If you volunteer 50 hours within one year, you will receive a $50 gift card.

• Are you an organizational guru with expertise in ABCs with a passion for learning the Dewey decimal system? Perhaps you’re simply curious about different types of literature?
• Our shelf readers use these skills to help make our library more inviting while allowing customers and staff to locate library materials efficiently.
• The benefits of this position is that you will enjoy a quiet, inviting environment where you can learn about new and interesting books!

• Are you interested in bringing out your inner-child? What about your inner teacher? If you are an attentive, playful, creative and organized person who has a passion for working with youth, we want you!
• Duties include assisting with programs, preparing materials for future programs, shelf reading, shelving books and many things in between, an assignment in this department is varied and always interesting.
• Volunteers allow us to provide a fantastic level of programming.
• The benefits of volunteering in this department include meeting local families and spending time with youth and having the opportunity to be creative while enhancing your resume.

• Are you a social butterfly with a fervour for authors and library events?
• As a volunteer in adult programs, you would be helping us with our programs, including lectures, educational events, as well as recreational and social events.
• Duties could include setting up chairs and tables, making coffee and tea, assisting in setting up displays, and more, depending on the program.
• Volunteers allow us to provide a fantastic level of programming.
• The benefits of volunteering includes free coffee and tea, getting to attend library events, meet visiting authors and socializing with library patrons.

• Do your friends and family lovingly refer to you as the ‘wizard of technology’? Are you interested in a career in the tech world? Do you like to blow people’s minds with your tech knowledge? If you answered yes to these questions, we need you!
• You would provide training to patrons who are interested in learning how to use a computer, tablet, or other tech device. This could include how to access the internet, or how to use a certain piece of software. The commitment for this assignment can either be on an on-call basis or scheduled.
• The benefits of volunteering in this area is that you will greatly impact someone else’s life having taught them how to do things like access social media such as Facebook, Twitter or Instagram or email, which they may not have been able to do before. It will also help prepare you to work with the public if you have not done so before and is a great resume enhancement!

• Do you have a humanitarian streak? Are you interested in making a huge impact in someone’s life? This service allows homebound patrons access to the collections of the Cobourg Public Library through personalized home delivery service. In this position you will need to:
  • Discuss reading preference with your partner patron;
  • Select and deliver materials to the homebound patron and return retrieved materials to the Library;
  • Maintain records for your partner;
  • Provide friendly, reliable, and regular service on a four week rotation and,
  • Be committed to volunteering 3 to 5 hours each month.
• The impact you can have on a patron’s life having chosen to volunteer in this role, is remarkable. You will act as a friendly constant who connects them to new library materials that they would otherwise have difficulty obtaining.
• The benefit of volunteering in this area is that you will get to know someone new in your community.

• Are you a library lover who is active in our community? Do you enjoy helping others and connecting with new people?
• As a part of our street team, you will work with Library staff to go out into our community to share information about Library services and resources while visiting with patrons and distributing promotional materials.
• Many volunteers assist with different projects throughout the year, including our Santa Claus Parade wrap-up party, face painting at Cobourg's Sandcastle Festival, Survey Week, and many other events.
• Helping people in our community learn more about the libraries resources and services is a vital part of ensuring we play an active role in our community.
• Training will be provided and there are great benefits such as invitations to local events, membership in our volunteer perks program and the ability to meet more people in the community.

• Are you between the ages of 13-18? Are you willing to contribute fresh ideas and opinions for our programs and collections? We need you to join TAG!
• As a part of TAG, you will provide a teen viewpoint to the Library while earning your community service hours.
• We meet on the second & last Tuesday of the month at 4:30pm - and do awesome things like eat and help plan teen programs!
• Please ask at the Youth Services Desk, call 905-372-9271, ext. 6130 or email for details.