Home library service/Reading Friends volunteers
Home library service /Reading Friends volunteers choose and deliver library materials to one or more library customers at home who have mobility difficulties or caring responsibilities that prevent them regularly visiting a library.
Tasks
- Choosing library materials for the customer, taking into account their personal preferences.
- Delivering the materials to the customer’s home, at a mutually agreed time and frequency, usually once a month minimum.
- Returning materials to the library.
- Reserve items for customers either in the library or via the website.
- Chat to your customer about books and other reading materials, using resources from the Reading Agency’s Reading Friends if required.
- Contact (by phone) every 2 weeks to check in and maintain regular contact with the housebound customer.
Skills and experience
- Friendly and patient manner.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
- Ability to choose books and audio materials according to another’s preferences.
- Reliable and punctual timekeeping.
- Some experience working with the public an advantage.
Other information
- If you use your car while volunteering for us, we pay mileage. Travel expenses of mileage costs at 45p a mile for travel away from your normal volunteering base will be refunded via a Volunteer Claim Form with receipts. Your car insurance needs to cover your volunteering activity.
- Telephone expenses will also be refunded via a Volunteer Claim Form (if you do not have a free calls package). An itemised bill is required for this.
- A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is required for this role.
- Library Volunteer badge given.
- You will have a named library contact and opportunities to meet with other library volunteers.
- The minimum age for role is 18 years.