How to Help Your Community
For Active Volunteers
Volunteer Hour Verification Letters: If you have already volunteered, you can request a letter verifying your hours by emailing your name, volunteer job, and the date range you want verified in the letter to teenvolunteers@oldbridgelibrary.org. Please allow a few days. The letter can be emailed or printed for you to pick up at the Youth Services desk.
Ways to Volunteer
There’s no shortage of ways to earn volunteer hours on your summer break! Volunteer opportunities are open to participants who have completed grades 6-11.
- Summer Reading Desk: Volunteer at our Summer Reading Desk for a week at a time, or choose a block of weekend days. You’ll give out Summer Reading game boards, help keep track of participant progress, and award prizes. This opportunity requires you to fill out an application and attend an orientation. Applications are available at the Youth Services desk beginning Monday, May 18th and are reviewed on a first-come-first-served basis.
- Math Buddies: Our summer math tutoring opportunity, open to volunteers who have completed grades 8-11. Math Buddies takes place on Saturdays (11:00am-1:00pm) from July 11th to August 15th. This opportunity requires you to fill out an application and attend an orientation. Applications are available at the Youth Services desk beginning Monday, May 18th and are reviewed on a first-come-first-served basis.
- Volunteer Power Hours: Our no-registration-required way to drop-in and earn volunteer hours! Over the summer we’ll work on a variety of different projects and community initiatives, so be ready to go with the flow. For Power Hour dates and times, please see our online calendar.
- Library Art Club: Show off your artistic talents and earn volunteer credit by helping complete art projects for the library. Library Art Club will meet on the first Wednesday of each month, beginning in July, from 6:30pm-7:30pm. This opportunity begins this summer, but you’ll have the option to continue year-round. No registration is required.
- Splash of Math: Splash of Math is a fun, interactive math program for kids that takes place on select dates in July and August. Assist our librarians with setup, cleanup, and guiding participants as they play a variety of math games. To sign-up, visit the Youth Services desk beginning June 10th.
- Kids Dance Party: Help with our Kids Dance Party program on certain Fridays during July and August. Assist our librarians by doing silly dances, helping with music, and instructing participants. To sign-up, visit the Youth Services desk beginning June 10th.
- Summer Reading Kickoff: Our Summer Reading Kickoff is our big beginning-of-summer party! Volunteers will help with setup, cleanup, overseeing games and crafts, and more. Summer Reading Kickoff is on June 27th and volunteers will need to be available from 11:45am to 3:15pm. To sign-up, visit the Youth Services desk or email teenvolunteers@oldbridgelibrary.org beginning June 10th.
More opportunities may be added as the summer progresses. For more information, visit the Youth Services desk or email teenvolunteers@oldbridgelibrary.org.
Volunteer on your schedule, in-person at the library! Organization Club members help to keep the library shelves neat and organized in the children’s and teen sections. All prospective volunteers must attend an orientation. Check back for more orientation dates.
Missed the last orientation? No problem! Email teenvolunteers@oldbridgelibrary.org to see if there are any open spots in Organization Club.
Be a leader in your community, and make your voice heard. Our Teen Advisory Board is responsible for helping to choose what programs and events the library has for teens, using their artistic skills to create displays, and deciding what community projects they want to take on through the year. If you have big ideas, we want to hear them!
Meetings are usually the first Wednesday of each month at 6:30pm, and volunteer credit is awarded for participation. Be sure to check our calendar for any updates!
If you love chess and want to teach others how to play, Chess Tutoring is the volunteer opportunity for you! Chess Tutors volunteer at the library once a week, instructing participants in grades 3-7 on the basics of chess. We’re looking for volunteers in grades 8-12 who have an understanding of chess, patience, and good communication skills.
To apply, please visit the Youth Services desk of the library to complete an application. Applications will be accepted until all spots are filled or until March 20th, and reviewed in the order they are received. Volunteer spots are limited, and not guaranteed.
Our Math Tutors assist students in grades 1-12 with math questions and problems each Saturday from 11:00am-1:00pm during the school year. This opportunity is open to volunteers in grades 8-12 who have good math skills and who are able to guide others through the steps of solving math problems. Math Tutors must fill out an application to receive a spot in the program, and these applications are available before the start of a new school year. New positions are not filled once the school year has begun.
Tech Helpers assist patrons with basic technology questions and issues on Mondays and Saturdays, year-round. If you have awesome troubleshooting skills and can walk others through solving technology problems, Tech Helpers might be the volunteer opportunity for you! Tech Helpers must fill out an application to receive a spot in the program, and spots become available as they are needed. Be sure to keep a lookout for more information if this is an opportunity you are interested in!
Earn volunteer credit for your opinion of our Teen programs and events! To participate, attend any qualifying Teen program. Then, before you leave the library on the day of the program, stop by the Youth Services desk and complete a feedback form. Each completed form will earn you one hour of volunteer credit.
Most Teen programs qualify for Teen Library Feedback. Programs that award their own volunteer time (like Teen Advisory Board), that are not Teen-specific, or that are part of larger library events (like Maker’s Day) do not qualify for Teen Library Feedback. If you have any questions about the program or qualifying events, stop by the Youth Services desk or email teenvolunteers@oldbridgelibrary.org.
Teen volunteering is for Grades 6-12. We cannot accept volunteers after they turn 18.
