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Volunteer Services: Teen Program

Discover our volunteer opportunities, unique service groups, and other opportunities in League City!

Volunteer Services: Teen Program

Helen Hall Library is not taking any new volunteers for the time being. Thanks for your understanding!

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.  Their jobs can be anything from assiting with crafts for a children's program or cleaning around the library to shelving books and helping the Circulation Department with inventory checks, or assisting at community outreach events. 

Some volunteers may become parts of more specificied teams such as Book Review Team, Photography/Video Team, or Program Assistants, and will serve when/how their team is needed specifically.   

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 wiill 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 8 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 Semester: January-April
  • Summer Semester: May-August
  • Fall Semester: September-December

**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-committ 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.

Summer Volunteer Program

The Summer Volunteer Program is for Teens who only wish to volunteer during their summer break.  The program is from May - August. 

Due to limited availability of shifts and work load, spaces for this program are limited and invitations will be extended to previous volunteers first.  Only volunteers who can make a 15-hour commitment will be considered.  Orientations for the Summer program begin in early May and are held until early June. 

The deadline for summer applications is June 2, 2023.

**Orientation dates will be assigned based on date of application received.  Orientations are held on Wednesdays at 6:30pm at the library and will be held on the following dates:
May 3, May 17, and June 7.
If there is enough demand due to scheduling conflict, a Saturday morning orientation may be scheduled as well.

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)

Getting Started

  1. Get an application. 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. Submit your application. 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. Attend orientation.  If your application is accepted, you will be formally invited to the next Volunteer Orientation.
    **Attending orientation is mandatory before you can begin volunteering.
  4. Sign up for shifts.  After orientation, you will receive an invitation to download and register with Sling, our Volunteer Scheduling program.  You will have to respond to a second email from Sling, after the Volunteer Coordinator approves your initial request to join Sling, before your set-up is complete.  Once you are fully registered, you will be able to sign up for shifts in the Sling App or on the Sling website. 
    • ​​​​​​​You can select up to 2 shifts per week, and each shift can be up to 2 hours. If you select more shifts than this, or sign-up for more than 2 hours in a single shift, they will be denied. Remember, you must commit to 10 hours of volunteer service over a 2-month period.
    • Note: Volunteer shift availability is based on library circulation levels, staffing, and program/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.

More Teen Volunteering

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 Mondays 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.