Library Volunteers
Grove Library is run by a single manager with the help of unpaid volunteers. The library always welcomes additional volunteers so if you are interested in becoming a volunteer Grove Library would be grateful for your help.
Volunteers need no previous experience, but must be 18 years or over, and volunteering at the library is a great way to meet people locally whilst supporting your local community.
How do I join Grove Library as a volunteer?
Please contact Pauline Larder, Volunteer Co-ordinator by email for more details or leave a message with the library on 01235 763841.
The help given by Volunteers is key and we need to have people in place quickly once a Volunteer leaves. Therefore, our Volunteer Coordinator is responsible for maintaining a waiting list of potential volunteers and will be very pleased to add your name to the list.
What would I do?
The main duties in Grove Library are shelving books, packing and unpacking books that are arriving into or leaving the Library and helping customers use the Self Service machine used to borrow or return books.
What hours would I work?
You would help out for one session per fornight on a rota basis (unless agreed otherwise). The majority of volunteers are working a 1.5 hour session and sharing the hours that the library is open with another volunteer and there is always a Library Manager present.
When could I start?
Our experience shows that we can go for some time with no-one leaving but then 1 or 2 volunteers will leave in a short space of time. The Volunteer Coordinator will contact you once a vacancy arises to offer you the vacant session. Should the available session not suit you, they will keep your name on the list and offer you a session in the future.
What if I can’t attend one of my sessions?
There may be times, of course, when you are not able to attend your session. The Volunteer Coordinator is responsible for arranging cover and will send you further information about this once you have started.
What about training?
The Library Manager will give you ‘on the job’ training and will support you throughout your time in the Library. In addition, Oxfordshire County Council’s Community Liaison Officer will give a training session to provide you with essential information about stock, some information about some of the wider services Oxfordshire Libraries provides for all its customers and it ends with some information on Health and Safety and safeguarding.
Anything else I need to know?
If you have any medical conditions that might restrict what you can do then please contact the Volunteer Coordinator to discuss what may or may not be possible.
You will be asked to provide a reference once you have been offered a vacant session.
Feedback from library volunteers
“I am a volunteer at Grove Library for 3 hours once a fortnight and sometimes fill in for other volunteers when they are unable to attend, as they kindly do for me when the need arises. Caution: volunteering at Grove Library can be infectious”
Paul
“I love being a volunteer as it keeps me up-to-date with new books, recommendations, different authors and also the knowledge that some authors write different books under different names. I like helping people to find new and different books to read. I enjoy working with the staff and like the friendly atmosphere there is at the Grove Library. I have been a volunteer since the very beginning when volunteers were requested in order to keep the Libraries open.”
LMD
“I became a Volunteer 10 years ago after I left paid employment. I wanted something worthwhile to do and as I think libraries play an important role in communities, volunteering at Grove Community Library seemed just right for me. It would be a shame if Grove were to lose its library and that’s why I want to support it. The only trouble with going into the library is that my own reading list gets longer!”
Pauline
Current Vacancy
We currently have a vacancy for a volunteer on alternate Friday afternoons from 15.30 – 17.00.
Contact for further information
The contact details for our Volunteer Coordinator are as follows:
or leave a message with the Library on 01235 763841