• We invite you to make a difference by contributing your time and talents to enhance our library services and programs.RCPL  volunteers are active participants in our mission to provide experiences that inspire, inform and entertain.  Regardless of your volunteer position, you help us make a positive impact on the quality of life of our customers and community.  RCPL volunteers are recognized with individual awards for accumulated service hours, an annual recognition event and the selection of RCPL Volunteers of the Year.

 As a RCPL volunteer You Are Able To:

  *Acquire new skills and gain recognized work experience.

  *Expand your social horizons.

  *Serve in your own community.

  *Keep up with the latest books, movies, magazines,   downloadables......

  *Help, and be appreciated for it.

  *Contribute to the success of the largest, busiest public library system in South Carolina.

Who is a RCPL volunteer?

  *You support the mission and values of RCPL.

  *You understand that your work is important and are conscientious  and dependable about your attendance.

  *You are able to work independently and take pride in your work.

  *You are welcoming, friendly and respectful to library customers and staff.

  *You understand that as a volunteer, you represent the library by your actions and behavior.

  *You take pride in your community and the impact that you  have as a library volunteer.

How Can I Get Involved?

If you are interested in joining the Volunteer Program, contact the Volunteer Coordinator at 929-3436 or volunteer at myrcpl dot com.  You may also check out some of our current positions listed at the bottom of this page.  Application forms are available at any of our 10 library locations and  the volunteer application is also available in .PDF format so you can download and print a copy. This requires that Adobe Acrobat Reader be installed on your computer. You can download a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader from the AdobeWeb site. Junior Volunteers may apply at the location where they wish to volunteer. Please note that volunteer positions are selective, but anyone who is interested is encouraged to apply. We look forward to hearing from you!

Volunteer Positions

Help your library this summer! Our Summer Volunteers (5th-12th grade) learn about the library while helping our staff meet the needs of our customers and community.  Summer volunteers sort books and magazines, straighten and clean books and assist staff with the preparation of materials for programs. Just complete our special summer application (available at all RCPL locations starting May 1, 2012) and return  it to your preferred volunteer location.   Branches will accept applications until Saturday, May 26 with the Children's Room accepting volunteers until Thursday, June 28 or until positions are filled.  Volunteers who work at least 3 hours will be invited to the appreciation event in August.

Show your passion and enthusiasm for the library by assisting with some of our summer programs!

* Be a Summer Movie Host for our Monday afternoon summer movie series in June and July. You will greet families, hand out popcorn and drinks and enjoy a family friendly movie with other members of our community.

* We need  welcoming and friendly volunteers excited about impacting literacy in our community on our Summer Reading Team. Encourage reading each day and reading in a new way, hand our program materials and help us register adults, teens and children for this fun and important program.

Make a difference by helping an adult gain technical skills.  We need Computer Training Volunteer Assistants for our Main Library computer classes for the general public.  You would support a librarian instructor by assisting customers who need some extra attention during the class session.  You don’t have to be a technical expert but need good basic computer skills with the ability to engage well with customers from a variety of backgrounds. Classes are held weekday mornings, evenings and on Saturdays.

 A Branch Assistant is a jack of all trades.  They support the branch library with an assortment of duties that might include pulling and organizing library materials, assisting with programs, welcoming customers and special projects.  You will need to engage well with others and have the physical ability to push, bend and reach our materials.  Our North Main Branch seeks a bilingual Branch Assistant who can help us in our outreach efforts to provide services and information to members of our Hispanic/Latino community. Our Cooper Branch is in need of a tech savvy volunteer who can provide support and assistance to customers on the public computers.

     Be a consultant for the library!  Teen volunteers (7th-12th grade) on our Teen Advisory Board meet once a month to provide programming ideas and assist with web-site content development for Teen Central. You can volunteer once a  month and earn community service hours at the library. Locations for TAB meetings include Cooper Branch, Main Library, Northeast Regional and Southeast Regional. Visit myRCPL.com/teen for an online application.