Volunteering at Norfolk libraries

Norfolk Library and Information Service are running a befriending service called At Home with Reading Friends. We are seeking volunteers to help those who are unable to visit a library to enjoy a reading session at home on the telephone every week. Volunteers are paired with a member of our community who may have a visual impairment, early diagnosis of dementia, be housebound or isolated and lonely. Volunteers will spend four weekly half-hour sessions reading to the person over the telephone and having a conversation with them to discuss what they have heard.

“I have really enjoyed my role as a Reading Friend, the lady I was paired with was so pleased to share a story and a laugh. It helped us both get through Lockdown!”

Norfolk Library and Information Service run regular Bounce and Rhyme Time sessions. We are looking for volunteers with an interest in helping children to enjoy songs, stories and rhymes to help us on a regular basis. No experience is necessary, just enthusiasm and an enjoyment of singing and sharing stories with children.

Sessions normally last 30 minutes and may be followed by a Stay and Chat session.

The aim of the role is to deliver an interactive session which promotes reading and an enjoyment of books to early years children and their families.

Volunteers will help to prepare songs, stories and rhymes to share with children and their parents through an online platform called Zoom.

We will provide training to enable you to take on this role and work safely within the role.

We are looking for volunteers to lead an online code club or Micro:bit club for children. Experience of coding is not essential – the most important attribute is an enthusiasm for helping children build new coding skills. Volunteers without coding experience will be able to work through online materials in advance of sessions to develop their own skills. Each session normally lasts one hour and is delivered through Zoom to a small group of children. The sessions are always co-hosted by a member of library staff.

The sessions make use of Scratch, an intuitive programming language designed by the MIT Media Lab to promote coding to a very young audience. Materials and training are available at www.codeclub.org.uk

The micro:bit is a micro-computer designed by the BBC for use in computer science education in the UK. Micro:bits are available to borrow for free at all Norfolk Libraries. Materials and training for Micro:bits are available at microbit.org

Friends of the Library are groups of volunteers dedicated to enhancing the Norfolk Library and Information Service.  As members of the Norfolk community, their mission is to engage with the community and raise money to fund specific projects or to equip our library with new materials, furniture or collections.

Donations to the Friends of the Library support the library’s vital role to the community and supplement the library’s books, music and film collections, programmes and services.

In becoming a Friend of the Library, we would like people to come up with creative ideas and events to fundraise for their library, and to give their local library feedback on their services.

We are looking for Digital Health Champions with an interest in promoting quality sources of health information and how to access them. A training package is available to support volunteers in how to deliver the sessions. Training is also available in using Zoom.

Are you a confident with IT? Could you help others gain new skills in using basic IT?

Norfolk Library and Information Service are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help others gain confidence with using a computer.

The role will involve:

• Providing guidance on using the internet safely
• Helping with basic computer queries on topics such as using the internet, basic word processing and using email
• To help others continue to build confidence once they have completed training modules online 

We are looking for people with good communication skills and the ability to help others with basic IT enquiries.

Norfolk Library and Information Service are looking for volunteers to offer support to job seekers within their local community. The role will involve:

• Helping customers with basic IT queries such as form filling
• Supporting customers with registering on the Universal Job Match website
• Signposting customers to books and resources aimed at job seekers
• Helping customers complete Learn My Way modules to improve their IT skills

Volunteers will need to have good communication skills and wish to support people who are currently unemployed. They will have confidence in working with a wide range of adults with different learning needs.

The sessions will be delivered online via Zoom and training is available to support volunteers in this role.

We are looking for volunteers to host a Just a Cuppa session online.

Each session normally lasts an hour. The sessions are aimed at reducing loneliness and isolation across Norfolk and support Norfolk County Council’s In Good Company campaign.

The Royal Voluntary Service Home Library Service

The Home Library Service provides delivery of library materials to members of the community unable to visit the library due to age, disability or restricted mobility.
If you would like to volunteer to help us deliver the service, contact the Home Library Service on 01603 397998.
The RVS are always looking to recruit volunteers to support libraries across Norfolk, but we are especially in need of volunteers in the following areas: Swaffham, Thetford, Watton, King’s Lynn, Aylsham and Norwich's Plumstead Road Library. 

The way that we deliver the Summer Reading Challenge in 2021 will be a little different to previous years. We won’t have a role for young volunteers based within libraries, Instead, we will be offering a chance for young people to get involved with our social media coverage of the challenge.

We are looking for young people aged 13-25 who have an interest in books and reading, social media and sharing their interest with others. We will be running online sessions throughout the summer to keep our volunteers connected with each other. This will also offer a chance to find out more about how we run our social media channels and some creative writing skills. To find out more please contact us via the contact form on this page, and we’ll send you an application pack with full details about the role.