The Traverse Area District Library has many volunteer opportunities for teens. We strive to offer tasks that are accessible to a wide range of teens. Whether you need volunteer hours for school or are just looking to be more active in your community, the library would be pleased to benefit from your time.
Volunteers will participate in the Teen Leadership Group (TLG) at their home library location. If their location does not have an active TLG, they can earn an hour for approaching the library and proposing to create and lead a TLG.
Time commitment: One hour, once a week
Meetings take place:
- Main Traverse City- Wednesday 4:30-5:30
- East Bay Branch- TBD
- Kingsley Branch- TBD
- Interlochen Public Library- TBD
- Fife Lake Public Library- TBD
- Peninsula Community Library- TBD
Volunteers will create a non craft in-person or virtual program. Programs will contain the following:
- Program title
- Description of program
- How the program meets one of these library programming goals
- Literacy
- Creativity
- Community
- Diversity & Inclusion
- Budget
- Budget for program must be $50 or less
- Include links for any material that may need to be purchased
- Specific instruction for running the program
Time commitment: 3 hours
Using Canva, Photoshop, or a program of choice, volunteers will create a letter sized poster for a book in TADL’s collection. This will be submitted as a .pdf at least 300 dpi.
No limit on availability
Time Commitment: 1 hour
Volunteers will film a 30 second to 2 minute ad for material that is in TADL’s collection. The material may be a book, game, music, movie, puppet, or any TADL material or service. More time may be given to the project depending on creativity and difficulty of execution.
No limit on availability
Time Commitment: 3 hours
Volunteers will compile a list of materials around a theme. Themes will be chosen from a list of what the library will need in the future. If approved by the librarian, other themes may be used.
Book lists will ideally include:
- 16 titles
- 10 Fiction, 3-4 Nonfiction, 3-4 Graphic Novels
- For each title: Title, Author, a brief description (may be cut and pasted from our catalog)
- All materials on list must be in circulation at TADL
Preapproved themes are:
- Asian Pacific Heritage Month
- Black History Month
- Diverse Ability Awareness Month
- Earth Day
- Hispanic Heritage Month
- Jewish American Heritage Month
- LGBTQ Pride Month
- Mental Health Awareness Month
- National Autism Awareness Month
- National Native American Heritage Month
- National Poetry Month
- Women’s History Month
24 available per year
Time Commitment: 3 hours
Volunteers will submit 2-3 sentences about a TADL owned book intended to entice another teen into reading the book.
No limit on availability
Time commitment: .25 hours (15 minutes)
Volunteers will compile 10 trivia questions around a theme. Both questions and answers must be included as well as the source. The source should be provided as a link, book title with page, or person. If a person is used as a source, their name, credentials, and contact information should be listed. Trivia will be used for passive programs and/or scavenger hunts.
20 available per year
Time commitment: 2 hours
Volunteers will come up with a craft idea and create instructions for completing the project. Information that must be submitted by the volunteer:
- Supplies Needed, including links to where they can be purchased.
- Cost per kit, aim for $1-$3 per kit. Must be under $5
- Step by step instructions.
Availability: 20 per year (six for our summer theme)
Time Commitment: 3 hours
Volunteers who designed a craft kit that is selected for use may create the instruction video after the supplies are purchased.
Availability - one for each craft kit
Time Commitment: 2 hours
Remove books from shelves, dust shelves, clean any spots, replace books in the original order.
Time Commitment: 1+ Hours, Depending on how long you volunteer
Clean up around outside of library property.
Availability: Once a week at each location
Time Commitment: .25-2 hours, depending on how long you volunteer
Take reading reports from youth and record their participation on Beanstack. Volunteers will work in the Youth Services Department directly with children and their caregivers. Scheduling for this position starts in May and continues until all shifts are filled.
Time commitments: 1 or more 2 hours shifts
This option is available at the Main Traverse City location.
Change out the story in the outdoor story walk display. The new display takes time to change out and we need to change it out weekly in the summer months.
This option is available at the Main Traverse City location and East Bay Branch.
Break apart large batches of seeds into small packets for our seed library. Packets must be labeled in legible printing.
Time commitment: 1 or more hours, depending on how long you volunteer
This option is available at the Main Traverse City location and East Bay Branch.
