Teen Volunteering

You must:

• Be in grades 9-12 (2023-2024 school year).
• Be a Princeton resident or attend a high school in Princeton.
• Have an active Princeton Public Library card in your own name. Library cards that are expired or belong to a family member will not be accepted.
  

You must first complete the application by September 28. You’ll need your library card number on hand. You’ll also need to submit a signed reference form by the deadline date. Applications are not complete without an active library card number and signed reference form.

You will be contacted for an interview in September or early October. All applicants will hear back by October 16 regarding admission into the program.

Please note that while we encourage all student engagement at the library, the Teen Advisory Board membership has limited capacity, and we aim to ensure that the Board is a diverse, balanced representation of the Princeton teen community.

As a TAB member, you are required to:

• Support teen literacy initiatives. All TAB members are required to create at least one “Teen Book Tuesday,” a short social media video that promotes a YA book in the library’s collection. Members also commit to participating and completing Teen Summer Reading 2024.
• Participate in bi-monthly planning meetings. TAB meets twice a month on the first and third Tuesday at 7 p.m. from October 2023 to June 2024. Meetings last one hour. TAB members are expected to attend every meeting.
• Contribute 10 hours of volunteering with the library over the course of the school year. TAB members will be provided with volunteer opportunities, and they are also welcome to suggest others.
• Collaborate with your peers and library staff to plan and execute teen programs, including “I Read This Book,” our annual teen literacy event.

In support of the library’s mission and vision, TAB’s various projects focus on:

• Teen literacy – You will support initiatives that promote books and reading to teens.
• Programs and engagement – You will brainstorm, plan and execute dynamic small and large-scale library programs for teens.
• Teen space and services – You will be assisting with services and projects to make a Teen Center that is welcoming and exciting for all teens.
• Social media outreach – You will create digital content that promotes the library’s teen initiatives to the wider teen community through the library’s teen social media accounts, including Instagram, TikTok, and Spotify.

As volunteer service requirements vary from organization to organization, we can not guarantee that TAB fulfills your program’s requirements. It’s important to contact your organization to make sure the hours count toward your service requirements.

1. Be a rising 8-12th grader (2023-2024 school year).
2. Have an active Princeton Public Library card in your own name. Library cards that are expired or belong to a family member will not be accepted.
   
3. Complete an application, including a signed reference form.
4. Be accepted & volunteer for at least 10 hours!
5. Sign up for and complete Teen Summer Reading: read for 20 days over the summer and log it.

To participate in TSV, you must first complete the application by June 5. You’ll need your library card number on hand. You’ll also need to complete a signed reference form. Applications are not complete without an active library card number and signed reference form. Applicants will hear back on June 16 regarding acceptance into the program.

There are three ways to volunteer at the library during the summer. You can apply to be a Literacy Advocate, Maker Assistant or Program Intern. Each position requires a commitment to a minimum 10 hours of volunteering.

Maker Assistant and Program Intern openings are limited. Your volunteer placement will be according to availability and preference. Should interest exceed capacity, participants to the program will be selected by random lottery. We cannot guarantee a spot.

• Literacy Advocate: You will earn volunteer hours for reviewing books and creating digital content that promotes books and reading for the library’s teen Instagram, TikTok, and Spotify accounts. This position is self-paced and work can be completed according to your own availability and schedule.
• Maker Assistant: Work in small groups to make take-home craft projects, design interactive bulletin boards, and participate in craft-and-chat groups. Sessions run weekly on Mondays (2-4 p.m.) and Thursday (10 a.m.-12 p.m.), and you must commit to attending at least five sessions during the summer.
• Program Intern: You’ll volunteer for 10 hours over the course of four consecutive days (Tuesday-Friday) to plan and execute a large-scale library program for children. Alongside a small group of peers and with the support of library staff, you’ll create activities, games, and crafts for an event you will staff. Assignments to the camps will be according to availability and preference and are not guaranteed.
  • Camp 1: July 11-14, 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
  • Camp 2: July 18-21, 1:30-4 p.m.
  • Camp 3: August 1-4, 1:30-4 p.m.

As volunteer service requirements vary from organization to organization, we can not guarantee that TSV fulfills your program’s requirements. It’s important to contact your organization to make sure the hours count toward your service requirements.

Participants will receive a letter in early fall verifying their volunteer hours. If you have additional verification forms you would like us to complete, you may send them to teens@princetonlibrary.org. If you have not met the requirements of completing Teen Summer Reading and the minimum 10 hours of volunteering, your service hours will not be verified.