Volunteer Services: Teen Program

Age Requirements
The Teen Volunteer Program is for ages 12-18.
**If you are 18 years old and finished with high school, please apply for the Adult Volunteer Program.

What Does a Teen Volunteer Do?
Teen volunteers come from all over the greater League City area to serve at Helen Hall, making up nearly 2/3 of our Volunteer Services team members!  Teen Volunteer tasks and responsibilities will vary depending on the needs of the library at the time of the volunteer shift. When signing up to be a volunteer, you will have the option to select three of the following: Craft Assistant, Operational Support, Program Assistant, Reviewer, Shelving Assistant, and Special Events Assistant.

Craft Assistant includes, but is not limited to:

• Cutting out shapes and other materials
• Coloring
• Painting
• Gluing

Operational Support includes, but is not limited to:

• Dusting the shelves
• Removing New Book stickers from books
• Stamping discards
• Assisting with weeding materials from the collection
• Searching for titles on overdue/claims returned material list

Program Assistant includes, but is not limited to:

• Assisting with setting up and breaking down programs
• Assisting with the program as needed, which may include taking photos or videos

A Reviewer will do the following:

• Write reviews on the books, movies, TV shows, CDs, and video games that are available in the library's collection
• A 300 word writing sample is required to be turned in along with your application in order to be considered for the position

Shelving Assistant includes, but is not limited to:

• Shelve materials in one or more sections of the library
• Straighten the shelves in one or more sections of the library

A Special Events Assistant includes, but is not limited to:

• Assisting with special one-off, seasonal, and/or outreach events as needed
• Assisting with setting up, breaking down, and helping with guests

Volunteers are always invited and encouraged to present new ideas for programs or creative ways to volunteer.  As long as your idea helps fulfill the mission of Helen Hall Library, we'll work together to try and make your idea happen!

What's the commitment?

Learning all of the different tasks and jobs that will help you be most effective as a volunteer at the library takes time and training.  As such, a Teen Volunteer is asked to commit to working at least 6 hours per semester, or 24 hours in a fiscal year (October-September), to be considered an active member of the volunteer team.  Our semester break down is as follows:

• Spring Term: March-May
• Summer Term: June-August
• Fall Term: September-November
• Winter Term: December-February

**At the end of every semester, the Volunteer Coordinator will do an hours check to confirm volunteers are keeping up with their commitment.  Those who have not kept their commitment will be encouraged to either re-commit for the next semester or will be asked to resign from the program until such a time that their schedule allows for their commitment to be upheld.

Credit for Earning Hours
Teens needing to earn service hours for school or other organizations are encouraged to begin volunteering several months before their due dates, to make sure they have enough time to meet their commitment by deadline.  If you are on a short deadline for your hours, the volunteer program at Helen Hall may not be the right choice for you, as we require application screening and volunteer orientation before you can begin.  

A Letter of Hours Confirmation, as well as forms that require a final signature, will only be given out once a volunteer has fulfilled their commitment to the library.  
A Letter of Recommendation from the Volunteer Coordinator for college admission or scholarship awards, as well as job references, will only be written for volunteers who have completed at least two active semesters worth of volunteering (i.e. at least 16 hours served)

1. Pick up an application at the upstairs Reference Desk in the Library or download the application on the right hand side of this screen.
2. Once you fully complete the application and have guardian signatures, turn in the application at the upstairs Reference Desk in the Library or scan and submit it on the right.  Incomplete applications or applications with missing signatures will not be considered.
3. If your application is accepted, you will be required to undergo a 20-minute informal interview. You will be contacted with a suitable time.
4. If you pass the interview, you will be notified about the next Volunteer Orientation. Attending this orientation is mandatory before you can begin volunteering.
5. You will begin being notified of available volunteering shifts and can select up to 2 shifts per week. If you select more shifts, they will not be accepted. Remember, you must commit to 10 hours of volunteer service over a 2-month period.
   *Note: Volunteer shifts are based on library, staff, and event needs so availability will vary. Thank you for your understanding.

Please keep in mind that our volunteer positions provide a job-like experience and we trust and expect our volunteers to behave in a professional manner. You are responsible for keeping up with communications from and communicating to the Volunteer Coordinator. If you need documentation confirming your service hours, you are required to ask via email at least one week in advance of when you need it. We cannot guarantee your service hours will be confirmed otherwise.

Helen Hall Library's Teen Advisory Board (TAB) is a service group whose members are library ambassadors and community leaders. Members help plan teen activities, assist with library events, promote the library, and more. The Teen Advisory Board meets from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on the first and third Wednesdays of the month (no meetings in May, August, and December).

Teens join the Teen Advisory Board to:

• Make decisions that affect teens in the library and the community.
• Plan library programs, events, displays, service projects, and more.
• Earn community service hours.
• Gain volunteer and leadership experience and job skills to add to their resume.
• Make new friends and discuss books.

Teen Advisory Board member requirements:

• Submit a completed application at the upstairs Reference Desk. Applications are provided after you attend a meeting.
• Regularly attend monthly meetings.
• Be an active participant in the group, be willing to share ideas, and interact in meetings.
• Act as a library ambassador and all-around role model of good teen behavior.
• Attend at least one teen program in addition to TAB per semester, but more is always better.
• Submit a book review of at least 150 words per semester to the Teen Services Librarian via email.

Interested in joining Helen Hall Library's Teen Advisory Board? Visit our Teen Programs page or email Teen Services Librarian Sheldon Stevens at sheldon.stevens@leaguecitytx.gov for more information.