Volunteer with the Friends Book Cellar!
Volunteering your time with the Friends Book Cellar is a fantastic way to give back to your community! Being a Friends Book Cellar volunteer is not only a way to meet other book lovers, but also a great way to see your work impact the community you live in!
Our volunteers are a widely diverse group. They’re high school students needing community service hours, they’re working professionals with free time, they’re retirees – businesspeople, engineers, academics, and other former workers. No matter what their backgrounds are, our volunteers all share a love of reading and a belief in dedicated service to their community.
A number of our volunteers have spent their time at the Friends Book Cellar for many years – it’s their favorite place in Lexington! We’re excited that you want to join them in spending some time volunteering with us. Please take some time to read about different roles that you may be interested in, as well as some frequently asked questions that others have had. The application link can be found at the bottom of the page.
Book Cellar Store Assistant: The store assistant will work on the “front lines”—the” main store of the Friends Book Cellar. The volunteer will be responsible for cashiering, shelving books, pricing inventory, and dealing with customers. This is easily the most front-facing volunteering opportunity and is a great opportunity to interact with our large customer base, who represent a broad spectrum of readers and book lovers from all walks of life.
Sorting Room Assistant: The sorting room assistant isn’t public-facing, but the position is just as important. Each week, the Friends Book Cellar receives donations of hundreds, if not thousands, of books, magazines, and media. The volunteer will be responsible for processing these donations into their proper sections for the store, evaluating their condition, and dealing with donations unfit for resale.
Online Sales Assistant: The Friends of the Lexington Public Library operates a robust and constantly growing online sales department. Here, our more valuable items receive broader exposure than they would in the store. Volunteers in this area will mainly be responsible for listing items determined to be valuable on our eBay store platform. Sometimes the volunteer will also assist our online sales department with the packaging and shipping of online orders.
Off-site Sales Assistant: Recently, our organization has been bringing inventory to various local breweries and community spaces, setting up smaller off-site sales for a given afternoon. We always need volunteers at these events as well, primarily to assist with setting up, cashiering, and helping customers.
Seasonal Volunteer Opportunities: Every year, we host two large book sales—in April and October—and volunteers are in great demand at these events as well. The book sale volunteer will be responsible for setting up the displays, helping customers, and breaking down the setup following the end of the sale. This is another great opportunity to meet and interact with our customers and other volunteers.
Some FAQs:
How many hours a week do I have to come in?
You can come in as much as you like! A great thing about volunteering with us is the ability to set your own schedule.
Do I need any pre-existing knowledge or experience?
Not at all! All we ask is that you bring a willingness to learn, a positive attitude, and a passion for books.
I am a high school student in a student organization (NHS, Beta Club, Y Club, etc.) that requires service hours. Can I volunteer?
Yes! Over the years, we’ve had several volunteers from Lexington-area schools completing service hours for their student organization. We are happy to accommodate you, and we will validate any paperwork that you need us to.
Can I choose what I want to do when I volunteer?
Of course! When filling out the application form, you will be asked to indicate which area(s) you’d like to specialize in. Take a second and read through the descriptions above before deciding. You can select more than one!
As a volunteer, am I qualified for a discount on items?
Yes! Any item that you buy in our store will automatically be granted a 20% discount. This applies any time you make a purchase! No other discounts apply, and if you find an item while sorting that you’d like to buy, we will insist that someone else price it to ensure that it is priced fairly.
Please call (859) 321-5505 or email sboes@lexpublib.org with any additional questions or requests for additional information.
Perks of volunteering:
- Meet amazing people – volunteers, staff, and customers!
- Support a local business with your time!
- Learn about the inner workings of a small bookstore!
- Discount (20%) off of your Friends Book Cellar purchases!
- Yearly volunteer gatherings!
Our volunteers have a blast helping us out! They do a lot of good and they have many skills, but there’s one particular thing they do best – have fun while supporting the Lexington Public Library!
