The Lincoln Public Library and the Friends of the Lincoln Public Library offer a joint volunteer program. We rely on thousands of volunteer hours annually to support the Library and our community. Each organization offers slightly different volunteer roles, but all contribute to the success of the Library.
Who can volunteer
We encourage anyone 14 years or older to volunteer. We are unfortunately not able to accept children ages 13 or younger. We are also unable to provide court-ordered volunteer opportunities.
Current volunteer needs
- Help in our Thursday morning toddler storytime, Mother Goose on the Loose
- Help leading our Monday and Wednesday storytimes
- Adult literacy tutors
Teens: Interested in earning community service hours over the summer? Apply for our Summer Shelving cohort! Applications are due by May 24. Please note, this is the only teen shelving opportunity until Fall 2024.
Interested in helping in our Homework Center? We are now taking applications for Fall 2024! Training will take place in August and the program will begin in September.
| How to volunteer at the Library |
| Follow these steps to let us know you're interested in volunteering with us. All our volunteer opportunities are subject to availability. Some roles may be full when you submit your interest form, but we'll reach out if an opportunity opens. |
| Complete an interest form |
|
Fill out our Volunteer Interest Form for Adults or Volunteer Interest Form for Teens. We manage our volunteers through Better Impact, so you'll be asked to make an account before you can complete the interest form. Make sure to let us know all the roles you're interested in and what availability you have. You can volunteer in more than one way! |
| We'll follow up |
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We'll review your interest form and determine if we have a volunteer role that would be a great fit. Then we'll follow up with more information on that role. Some of the roles you're interested in may be full - if that's the case, we'll keep your information on file for future openings. If you said you were interested in multiple roles, you might be contacted by several staff members. They're each experts on different events and services we offer. |
| Pass a LiveScan (18+) |
| If it sounds like a good fit and you're 18 or older, we'll schedule a LiveScan fingerprinting appointment. Passing a LiveScan is mandatory for all adult volunteers. |
| Complete your training |
| Once the LiveScan is completed, we'll schedule your training! |
Volunteer Expectations
Regardless of how you help at the Library, we'll need you to:
- Be friendly and represent the Library in a positive manner
- Be reliable and on time
- Communicate with Library staff or FOLL board members, depending on your role, if you will miss a scheduled volunteer opportunity
- Follow Library policies and procedures
- Follow directions from Library staff
- Keep any patron information confidential
- Pass a LiveScan background check (if you're 18 or older)
- Sign a completed City of Lincoln Volunteer Waiver & Acknowledgement
In return, we're committed to:
- Providing you the training and resources you need to succeed.
- Providing you with supervision and support
- Listening to your suggestions on how to improve the Library
- Listening to your suggestions on how to improve our volunteer opportunities