Volunteering in Cheshire West and Chester Libraries
- would you like to get involved with your local library service?
- do you have time to spare and would you like to give something back to your local community?
- do you have skills to share, or would you like to meet new people?
- would you like to gain some experience in a busy and varied environment?
We offer a variety of roles. Not all the roles will be available in all of the libraries, but if you are interested in getting involved please complete an application form, indicating what role you are interested in, and at which library.
Please note: if you would like to volunteer at Storyhouse, Chester’s brand new theatre, library, cinema and arts centre, you can sign up on the Storyhouse website.
After receiving your completed form we will get in touch to arrange an informal interview.
Volunteering opportunities
You can apply for any of the volunteering opportunities listed using our application form.
This voluntary post is an opportunity to gain experience of working with the general public in a customer service role. It will suit someone who is interested in libraries, books and reading and who enjoys meeting and helping people.
It will involve helping with author talks, craft events, coffee mornings and other social activities. Frequency and times will be varied.
Person specification
Good communication skills; friendly and outgoing; interested in promoting reading and learning; be able to commit to approximately two hours per session; be flexible; be able to carry light items, e.g. craft box or tea tray.
Role description
Meet and greet library customers; prepare, lay out and serve refreshments; lay out and organise craft materials; help organise seating and tables; sell or collect tickets where appropriate; clear up afterwards; liaise with staff regarding supplies: work alongside library staff and other volunteers.
This voluntary post is an opportunity to gain experience of working with the general public in a customer service role. It will suit someone who is interested in libraries, books and reading and who enjoys meeting and helping people. It will involve running informal conversation sessions with people whose first language is not English, giving them the chance to practice speaking English, and also meet new people. The sessions will be run on a regular basis, usually either weekly or fortnightly.
Person specification
Good communication and listening skills; be proficient in the English language; friendly and outgoing; interested in promoting reading and learning; be able to commit to approximately two hours per session on a regular basis; be flexible.
Role description
Meet and greet library customers; help organise seating and tables; lead the sessions by prompting conversations and also devising practical exercises; work alongside library staff and other volunteers; the facilitator is not necessarily a trained teacher but needs to have a good standard of proficiency in the English language.
The Home Library Service supports those who are ill or elderly and cannot get to a library, by delivering books or other library materials direct to their door. This voluntary post is an opportunity to gain experience of working with the general public in a customer service role. It will suit someone who is interested in libraries, books and reading and who enjoys meeting and helping people. It will involve selecting and delivering books to members of the public in their own homes. The volunteer will deliver and collect books on a regular basis, as agreed with their customers.
Person specification
Good communication skills; friendly and outgoing; interested in promoting reading and learning; full driving licence and appropriate MOT, road tax and motor insurance; be flexible; be able to carry light items, eg bag of books.
Role description
The volunteer will work with library staff to select appropriate books and talking books from library shelves, issue the items to a library card, then deliver them to the person in their own home. The volunteer will liaise with the customers, develop an understanding of their reading tastes, and share an enthusiasm for books and reading. The volunteer will maintain a regular schedule of visits to their customers.
This voluntary post is an opportunity to gain experience of working with the general public in a customer service role. It will suit someone who is interested in libraries, new technology, books and reading, and who enjoys meeting and helping people.
It will involve showing people the benefit of being online and helping them with new technology.
Person specification
Good IT skills; good communication and listening skills; patience, flexibility and a good sense of humour; enthusiastic about new technology; interested in promoting reading and learning; be able to commit time on a regular basis.
Role description
Provide help and support for library customers in using computers and the internet, usually on a one to one basis; promote the library’s online services, for example, e-books; assist with ICT learning events, for example, Adult Learners Week and Get Online Week; to help and support people to manage their own learning, using courses such as ‘Learn My Way’.
This voluntary post is an opportunity to gain experience of working with the general public in a customer service role. It will suit someone who is interested in libraries, books and reading and who enjoys meeting and helping people. The library will be staffed by two Volunteer Library Helpers whenever it is open. Full training will be provided. There will be no day to day supervision but there will be support from a Senior Customer Services Representative and from Chester Library.
Person specification
Good communication skills; interested in promoting reading and learning; good IT skills.
Role description
Meet and greet library customers; assist library users with the Self Service machine; shelve returned stock, and maintain tidiness of shelves; process new stock and deal with deliveries of returned stock; help customers to find books on the library catalogue and direct them to the shelves; refer library users who require more detailed assistance to library staff in other branches; be responsible for the appearance, cleanliness and safety of the library rooms, reporting any issues as required.
This voluntary post is an opportunity to gain experience of working with the general public in a customer service role. It will suit someone who has an interest in family or local history. It will involve showing people the range of resources available in libraries and online.
Person specification
Passion and enthusiasm for local or family history; some knowledge of family or local history resources; good IT skills; good communication and listening skills; patience, flexibility and a good sense of humour; be able to commit time on a regular basis.
Role description
Provide help and support for library customers by signposting them to resources that will help with their research; promote the library’s online services, for example, Find My Past and Ancestry.com.
This voluntary post is an opportunity to gain experience of working with the general public. It will suit someone who is interested in libraries, books and reading and who enjoys sharing and talking about books. The volunteer will lead a small reading group in a selected library, on a regular basis.
Person specification
Interested in reading and talking about books; good communication and listening skills; patience, flexibility and a good sense of humour; be able to commit time on a regular basis.
Role description
Assist in the selection of reading material for each session, liaising with library staff; lead the discussion, making sure everyone has a chance to speak; prepare any necessary refreshments; clear away at the end of the session; promote joining the library and use of library resources e.g. e-books.
This voluntary post is an opportunity to gain experience of working with the general public. It will suit someone who is interested in libraries, books and reading. The role will involve assisting library staff to deliver the Summer Reading Challenge during the summer holidays and to promote reading and using the library to young people at other times of the year.(This role is also suitable for young people participating in the Duke of Edinburgh Award).
Person specification
Enthusiastic about books and reading; friendly and approachable manner; good communication and listening skills; patience, flexibility and a good sense of humour; be able to commit time on a regular basis.
Role description
To encourage and motivate children to complete the challenge; to assist library staff with registering school children for the Challenge and help with filling out registration forms; explain how the Summer Reading Challenge works; to give out stickers and update forms; to help with displays, events and craft activities; to tidy the Children’s Library; to assist the library staff in creating displays.
This voluntary post is an opportunity to gain experience of working with the general public. It will suit someone who is interested in libraries, books and reading. The role will involve leading rhyme time sessions for groups of babies and toddlers and their parents.
Person specification
Confidence in leading a group with songs and rhymes; have, or want to develop skills working with children under five; good communication and listening skills; patience, flexibility and a good sense of humour; be able to commit time on a regular basis.
Role description
Singing rhymes and songs in a structured session and welcoming families into the library; select and lead the singing of songs and rhymes; plan the use of resources, where appropriate, for example, puppets, craft materials; help to get the space ready for the event, and clear away afterwards; encourage those who attend the session to join the library and borrow books; promote the Bookstart Bear Club.
This voluntary post is an opportunity to gain experience of working with the general public. It will suit someone who is interested in libraries, books and reading. The volunteer will help to keep library shelves tidy and in good order and undertake minor book repairs.
Person specification
Be confident putting items into alphabetical or numerical order; interested in reading; good communication and listening skills; patience, flexibility and a good sense of humour; be able to commit time on a regular basis.
Role description
Help with library stock, mainly tidying shelves and topping up displays; when on the library floor help customers who may ask for assistance, referring them to library staff when appropriate; undertake minor stock repair work, for example, replacing book jackets or stickers; prepare discarded items for book sale; promote joining the library and use of library resources, for example, e-books.
This voluntary post is an opportunity to gain experience of working with the general public. It will suit someone who is interested in libraries, books and reading. The role will involve reading stories to groups of children, mainly under 5s.
Person specification
Interest in reading; have, or want to develop skills working with children under five; good communication and listening skills; patience, flexibility and a good sense of humour; be able to commit time on a regular basis.
Role description
Reading stories in a structured session and welcoming families into the library; select picture books to use during the session; plan the use of resources, where appropriate, for example, puppets, craft materials; help to get the space ready for the event and clear away afterwards; encourage those who attend the session to join the library and borrow books.