Volunteers are need to work alongside paid staff when the Library is open. This is a vital contribution to staffing the Library and it wouldn’t be able to be open otherwise.
Volunteering in the Library
Volunteering is fun, is a vital contribution, and can offer valuable work-place experience. Volunteers are already:
- helping customers with self-issue
- helping customers get online
- serving tea and coffee and washing up
- returning books to shelves
- moving furniture for events
- organising events
- helping customers with family and local history
- telling stories
- helping with craft activities
You may have other ideas on ways to help too!
The library can offer you
- a chance to meet new people
- relevant training to learn new skills and enhance your current skills
- experience of working with different age groups
- an opportunity to extend your knowledge of your local area and develop skills to share that knowledge
- A sense of pride and satisfaction from helping others in your local community
Hit the button to send us an email and let us know you’d like to volunteer in the Library. The library will contact you to tell you about next steps including:
- completing a short application form and meeting with the Customer Services Manager to discuss your skills and suitability for volunteer activities
- completion of a DBS Check for any volunteer roles that may involve working with children or vulnerable adults (this will depend on the role and location)
- providing two references (these don’t have to be a previous employer)
- signing a Volunteer Agreement Form and undertaking training
What does the volunteer training involve?
Volunteers will be invited to an induction session and the training they receive will depend on the role they choose. Volunteers supporting with frontline enquiries will be required to attend a number of classroom based training sessions (mostly based in the library) followed by a period of time shadowing existing staff.
Is it possible to ‘job-share’ as a volunteer? (e.g. 2 people agree to cover one session between them).
Yes. This may be a good way for people who have other responsibilities, (e.g childcare) that make it difficult to commit on a weekly basis but could perhaps manage every other week with a friend covering the alternate sessions. Please speak to the library to discuss this option.
Friends of Marsden Library Trustee Steering Group
FoML is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, with a formal constitution and elected Trustees.
The Trustee Steering Group meets monthly to oversee our activities, ensuring that these are aligned with our charitable objectives and that we operate in accordance with the requirements of the Charity Commission.
We’re here to support the Library and we do this by:
- Recruiting and coordinating volunteers to work in the Library
- Providing events and activities that raise awareness of the Library, encouraging new users and benefitting our community.
- Fundraising to support our events and activities
- We maintain this website, a Facebook page, and Twitter account, and work in partnership with the Library to promote library events.
The number of Trustees is specified by our constitution. Trustees may be appointed at any time, with a proportion retiring annually. Those retiring are eligible for re-election at the AGM. Trustees appointed between AGMs must retire at the AGM following their appointment and are eligible for re-election.
Current Trustees
- Chair: Diane Barkley
- Treasurer: Gail Ward
- Secretary: Mike Binns
- Communications: Jenny Hemming
- Volunteers Coordinator: Anne Barnes
- Calendar Production and Sales: Jenny Hemming and Rachel Payne
- Other Members: Gary Godolphin, Mary Snadden, Rachel Payne, Janette Martin
Trustee vacancies are advertised here, via our mailing list, and on Facebook.