Volunteer With the Friends
Our 120+ active volunteers are the heart of everything we do. Find a role that matches your skills, schedule, and passion for community literacy.
Current Volunteer Opportunities
We welcome volunteers of all ages and backgrounds. High school students may earn community service credit hours for most positions.
Story Time Reader
Read aloud to young children during our Tuesday and Thursday morning Tiny Readers sessions. Training in interactive read-aloud techniques is provided by our Programs Chair. Ideal for retirees, parents, and anyone who enjoys bringing stories to life. Commitment: one morning per week during the school year (September through June), approximately 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM including setup and cleanup. Background check required for all volunteers working directly with children, processed at no cost through our partnership with the Groveland Police Department.
Homework Help Tutor
Provide one-on-one and small-group academic assistance to students in grades three through twelve at our after-school Homework Help Center. Subjects include mathematics, English language arts, science, and test preparation. Tutors should be comfortable with at least one core academic subject at the middle or high school level. College students pursuing education degrees are especially encouraged to apply. Commitment: one to two afternoons per week, 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM, during the academic year. Tutors may choose which days and hours work best for their schedule.
Technology Mentor
Guide senior and adult learners through our eight-week Digital Literacy Workshop curriculum, covering email, internet safety, video calling, telehealth, and government service portals. Patient, encouraging demeanor is essential; technical expertise beyond everyday computer use is not required. Full training and lesson plans are provided. Commitment: Wednesday afternoons from 2:00 PM to 4:30 PM for each eight-week cohort (three cohorts per year, starting in January, April, and September). Mentors are paired with two participants for the duration of each cohort.
Book Sale Sorting Crew
Help sort, categorize, and price the thousands of donated books that make our annual Great Groveland Book Sale possible. Sorting sessions run on Saturday mornings from January through March in the Town Hall storage room. No special skills required beyond the ability to lift boxes of books and a willingness to alphabetize with reasonable accuracy. This is our most social volunteer role, with a dedicated team of regulars who have turned Saturday sorting into a beloved community tradition complete with coffee and conversation.
ESL Conversation Facilitator
Lead or co-facilitate our Friday morning English Language Learner Conversation Circle. Bilingual volunteers are especially valued, though all patient, supportive English speakers are welcome. Facilitators guide structured conversation exercises, vocabulary games, and role-playing scenarios covering workplace, medical, educational, and civic topics. Experience teaching or tutoring English as a second language is helpful but not required; orientation training covers facilitation techniques and cultural sensitivity. Commitment: Friday mornings, 10:00 AM to noon.
Administrative & Events Support
Assist with the day-to-day operations of the Friends organization including membership database entry, newsletter assembly and mailing, event setup and teardown, social media content, photography at events, and special projects. These flexible roles can often be done from home on your own schedule, making them ideal for volunteers with unpredictable availability. Contact our office to discuss which tasks match your skills and time constraints. We especially need volunteers with experience in graphic design, social media management, or database administration.
Volunteer Interest Form
Complete this form to express your interest. Our Volunteer Coordinator will contact you within five business days to discuss placement options.
Volunteer Requirements & Onboarding
All Friends volunteers complete a brief orientation session covering our organizational mission, code of conduct, safety procedures, and the specific responsibilities of their chosen role. Orientation sessions are held monthly on the first Monday evening of each month from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM at the library, or by individual appointment for volunteers who cannot attend the group session.
Volunteers who work directly with minors (Story Time Readers, Homework Help Tutors, and Summer Reading Marathon staff) are required to complete a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) background check, which is processed at no cost to the volunteer through our partnership with the Groveland Police Department. The process typically takes seven to ten business days.
High school students volunteering with the Friends may earn verified community service hours applicable to National Honor Society requirements, college applications, and school-mandated service learning programs. The Friends office will provide signed documentation of hours upon request. In the 2025–2026 academic year, 34 high school students from Pentucket Regional High School and Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School earned a combined 1,860 community service hours through Friends volunteer placements.