Volunteer Program

Volunteers are an invaluable presence at the State Library. We rely on our fantastic volunteers donating their time and efforts to help us fulfill our mission and vision and welcome any dedicated individuals who are looking to donate their time and talents. Whether you are looking to fill some free time, to gain new skills or just looking to give back, the State Library is a great place to achieve your volunteering goals.

Benefits of Volunteering at the State Library:

Volunteering is a great way to give back and if that is what you are trying to achieve the State Library can help! State Library volunteers make a huge and immediate impact on our staff and customers. For instance, they assist staff daily with audio book inspection in the Talking Book & Braille Library division, helping inspect thousands of books each week. This process ensures the books are ready to go out to print disabled Oregonians, some of which have no other resource for entertainment and rely on the prompt delivery of new books.

Another benefit is to gain skills that can help when pursuing your career. We have library professionals and library school students who provide reference services with the State Library’s Answerland Program and assist individuals with their questions. Opportunities like these offer volunteers valuable work experience that can assist them with current and future employment.

There are too many benefits to list and the benefit of volunteering may differ from person to person. We are happy to work with you to help you achieve your goals when volunteering!

Frequently Asked Questions:

If there are no volunteer opportunities available, can I still submit a volunteer application?

Yes! Even though there are no volunteer opportunities advertised, please feel free to submit a volunteer application. We will keep your application handy for when a new opportunity is available. We will keep your application for 6 months and reach out to those in the order of applications received and based on fit (some volunteer opportunities require specific skills and experience to complete).

Do I have to have a set schedule?

Yes. Although we do not have a requirement for time volunteered per week. We do our best to balance the need of the task supervisor and the availability of the volunteer. Some tasks have a strict schedule and time commitment, while others are more flexible. All volunteer opportunity listings found on Volunteer Match will include the desired schedule for the task.

How old do I need to be to volunteer?

You must be at least 14 years of age to be considered for a volunteer position. We have made exceptions for younger volunteers when they are volunteering with a group.

What is the process for becoming a volunteer?

First, review the open volunteer opportunities on the State Library’s page on Volunteer Match. Second, fill out a volunteer application. The Volunteer Coordinator will review your application and reach out to you shortly after. If selected for a volunteer opportunity, we will set up a meeting to discuss the task in more detail and review the State Library volunteer policies and expectations. Lastly, we will set your schedule, introduce you to your task supervisor and train you on the task you’ll be completing.

Do you have opportunities for high school students to gain work experience over the summer?

Maybe. We have previously offered summer work experience programs for high school students. However, there are a few requirements for this opportunity to happen. Those requirements are:

We normally take only 1 student at a time, so it’s first come, first serve.
Programs normally last around 2 months.
Please contact Cam Amabile by email at cam.amabile@state.or.us no later than April 15^th. This gives us time to brainstorm a list of tasks. We will notify you if we were able to come up with enough tasks to offer a summer work experience opportunity no later than May 15^th.
A weekly time commitment will be based on the needs of the tasks and the availability of the student. In most cases the students will volunteer between 6-10 hours per week.

If an opportunity is available, this is a great chance for students to learn about the State Library and gain some valuable experience they can use for future employment.

Are there opportunities for groups to volunteer at the Library?

Maybe. We have had opportunities for groups to volunteer before; although sparingly. We would be happy to talk to you about any available opportunities, please contact Cam Amabile by email at cam.amabile@state.or.us.

Other ways to volunteer:

Internship Program -

For college students looking to get work experience in their field of study.

Answerland Reference Volunteer -

Oregon's online reference service - a place where librarians help Oregon residents find answers to questions.