Work or volunteer in a Hertfordshire library and become part of your local library.
Job vacancies
From library assistants to library managers, we're always looking for friendly, confident and outgoing people who are passionate about learning.
Volunteering
We have a variety of volunteer roles in libraries.
We are grateful to everyone who has applied in recent months to become a library volunteer. Some libraries do not have availability at the moment. We are sorry if you have not been successful. Libraries with availability are listed with each role.
What roles are available?
My Voice Youth Volunteer
We are looking for young people aged 14-24 years old to join our My Voice Youth Volunteer network in libraries across the county. We can support young people with their Duke of Edinburgh volunteering and other accreditation schemes.
My Voice is a two-year project, generously funded by the Arts Council England and in partnership with DS Achieve, Herts Sports Partnership and The OLLIE Foundation, which will transform the way Hertfordshire Libraries work with young people aged 14-24 years old.
From January 2023, young people volunteering in libraries across Hertfordshire will be empowered to shape their own volunteering experience by developing activities and events for the young people in their community. Until then we will continue to be offering a range of volunteering roles for young people to enjoy.
What will I be doing?
Here are some examples of the activities My Voice Youth Volunteers can get involved in:
- Assist at regular children's activities such as LEGO or Coding Clubs
- Help with library events and promotions.
- Service support, including shelving books, finding books for reservations etc.
- Create eye-catching displays to promote different aspects of the library
- Provide online content for our social media such as book reviews or short videos.
- Talk with children about books and helping them decide what to read next.
- Be available to listen to children read and help them to gain confidence.
- Register children for the Summer Reading Challenge, explaining how to take part, encouraging them to discuss what they’ve been reading, and giving out rewards.
- Advise on different aspects of library provision, from the type of stock we provide to the design of new buildings.
- Opportunities for young people to develop their own My Voice Youth Volunteer ideas in discussion with library staff.
Please be aware that places for some roles are limited and not all opportunities are available in every library.
What skills or experience do I need?
- Confidence to work in a customer focused environment.
- Willing to try new things.
- Interest in Libraries and reading.
What will I gain from being a Youth Volunteer?
- Increased confidence from trying something new.
- Experience working with children and families.
- Experience of helping to organise and run events.
- Experience in creating new opportunities related to reading and promoting reading.
- Named person to complete accreditation.
- Volunteering in your community makes you stand out from the crowd in college, university, or job applications.
Location and current availability
- Bishops Stortford
- Buntingford
- Hemel Hempstead
- Hertford
- Hitchin
- Letchworth
- Radlett
- Tring
- Watford Central
- Ware
- Waltham Cross
Early Years activities volunteer
You will be supporting the library service to provide a range of Early Years activities for children which include Baby Rhyme Times, Storytime, Weekend stories and Family Learning activities.
What will I be doing?
- Help prepare for the activity session
- Meet and greet children, parents and carers
- Manage buggy parking, making customers aware of health and safety
- Keep the children’s area attractive, by tidying and displaying books
- Help children, parents and carers to find books that they will enjoy reading
- Promoting joining the library and My Firsts library incentives, including writing out certificates
- Take part in the activity along with the member of library staff.
What skills and experience do I need?
- Outgoing and friendly manner with good communication skills
- Comfortable talking and listening to children and their parents/carers
- Comfortable joining in with the activity and encouraging parent/carer involvement
- An interest in promoting the importance of sharing books and rhymes with babies and young children
- Discretion and sensitivity to customer individual needs
- Reliability and flexibility to work as part of the library team delivering Early Years activities.
How much time do I need to give?
- You will need to be available 1-2 hours per week, to be agreed and organised by the Library Manager
What experience will I gain?
- Experience working with children and families in a library context
- Increased knowledge of children's books and rhymes
- Experience of helping organise and run events
- Satisfaction from making a difference to children's literacy in your community
- Increased confidence from trying something new.
What support will I be given?
- An introduction to your local library and the staff who work there.
- Background context to Early Years Activities in Hertfordshire libraries and information about the structure and content of sessions.
- Support and guidance in your role from experienced library staff
- Information about library membership and the My Firsts library joining incentive
An introduction to the range of children's books available in Hertfordshire libraries, including the eLibrary.
Location - current availability
- Baldock
- Berkhamsted
- Buntingford
- Hemel Hempstead
- Hertford
- Oakmere (Potters Bar)
- Rickmansworth
- St Albans
- Waltham Cross
- Ware
- Welwyn Garden City
- Woodhall
Home Library Service
You will be working in the community to help provide the library service to those who are otherwise unable to reach us.
What will I be doing?
- Selecting and issuing books from your local library.
- Matching books to customers’ requests.
- Arranging a time to visit your Home Library Service customer.
- Delivering a new selection of books to them and returning their previous items to the library.
- Chatting with the customer about books they have read or would like to read.
What skills or experience do I need?
- A Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) enhanced disclosure check is required.
- An interest in books and in delivering a library service within your local community.
- Good social skills, with discretion and sensitivity to customers' needs.
- A caring nature and ability to relate to a wide variety of people.
- Ability to work reliably within a team of library colleagues and volunteers.
- Ability to carry a bag of library books or talking books.
- Ability to travel between your local library and the customer's home.
Location - current availability
- Baldock
- Berkhamstead
- Hemel Hempstead
- Hitchin
- Hoddesdon
- Oxhey
- St Albans
- Ware
IT Champion and CreatorSpace
You will be helping people to improve their IT skills.
We have opportunities to support our CreatorSpaces in Watford, Hemel Hempstead, St Albans, Hatfield, Hitchin and Welwyn Garden City.
What will I be doing?
- Assisting people with IT on a one-to-one basis.
- Promoting health and safety using computers and browsing online.
- Provide support and guidance on IT problems.
- Promote the role of IT champion.
- Pass on any technical problems or information enquiries to library staff.
What skills or experience do I need?
- Basic IT skills:
- Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel)
- Browsing the internet
- Social networking
- Using a scanner
- Web-based email.
- Knowledge of internet safety and security.
- Good communication and social skills.
- Sensitivity and discretion to people’s needs.
Location - current availability
- Berkhamstead
- Bishops Stortford
- Hemel Hempstead
- Hertford
- Hitchin
- Hoddesdon
- Marshalswick
- Stevenage
- Tring
- Ware
- Welwyn Garden City
Shelving and stock support
What will I be doing?
- Shelving library books and other items.
- Maintain library stock so it looks tidy and attractive. By ensuring that stock is organised into numerical and alphabetical order as well as per genre and format.
- Using reports to identify stock that need to be moved to other libraries.
- Unpacking new stock.
- Keeping library displays of books topped up.
- Creating displays to promote upcoming and seasonal activities and services.
- Maintaining library leaflet racks and noticeboards.
- Photocopying and maintaining paper supplies in photocopiers and printers.
What skills and qualities do I need?
- An interest in books and library services.
- Being able to shelve and display stock accurately according to library shelving sequences.
- Following simple instructions about library stocks and administrative processes.
- Using the library trolley to move stock around as well as being able to carry stock on to the trolley.
- Understand any health and safety issues relating to the role.
- Ability to work as part of a team.
- Being punctual and reliable.
Location - current availability
UK Visa Meet and greet
You will be welcoming customers arriving for their UK Visa appointment, show them where to wait and direct them to the UK Visa area when required.
What will I be doing?
- Record customers’ correct appointment on the daily manifest
- Promote library services, whilst they wait for their appointment, including public toilet provision and café.
- Assist customers to use the designated library computer to print off their QR code
- Handing out the buzzers to UK Visa customers and take them to their appointments
- In quieter moments, help tidy library shelves (only in the Meet and Greet area)
- To signpost queries from members of the public to the appropriate member of staff
What skills or experience do I need?
- Friendly and welcoming
- Ability to follow simple instructions about processes
- Understanding of equality issues
- Understanding the role of the library within the community
- Ability to shelve accurately according to the library shelf sequences and in the correct area
- Ability to commit to a regular time each week, no more than two hours per day
Location - current availability
Community library volunteer
When you'll be needed
You will be working regular sessions which will be agreed with your library.
Benefits of volunteering
- Meet new people and work as part of a team.
- Contribute to the local community.
- Learn new skills.
- Get training and support.
- Improve your CV.
- Get travel expenses (where agreed).
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