Thank you for your interest in volunteering at the Library. Please contact us to let us know of your interest, skills, and experience. Most of our volunteer projects are conducted at the library in -person; we also have some remote and digital projects. 

Whether you can give a few hours a week or can help out at special events,  we will add you to our volunteer roster and be in touch.

Volunteers must be age 12 or older and able to work with minimal supervision.  Please note that the Library cannot  accomodate or supervise court-mandated service for juveniles or adults.

Working under direction of the Library’s senior Research Assistants, student interns and volunteers greet library users and connect them with resources.  Tasks include staffing the welcome table and assisting with basic research.  Additional projects may include filing materials, preparing mailings and newsletters for distribution, designing publicity to promote library services and events, or preparing social media outreach.   Other duties may be assigned based on aptitude and interest.

The library accepts both regular volunteers and students completing service hours for school or club requirements; the library does not offer opportunities for court-mandated service. Volunteer shifts may include service on Saturdays. To ensure opportunities are available to the widest number of interested students, volunteers should expect to serve for one (1) or two (2) semesters; some summer opportunities are available. 

Working under the direction of the Archivist and Research Assistants, college interns provide assistance with managing the library’s collections.  We offer a flexible internship, tailoring assignments to a candidate’s academic interests and skills. We seek a minimum commitment of two (2) or three (3) hours per week on a semester basis.  Most of our collections are in physical format and most interns work in our facility; some tasks may be suitable for remote work.

We provide professional supervision throughout an internship, including regular reporting to faculty advisors. At the end of a successful internship, we may offer a professional reference and access to a network of connections within the library and archival field.

The following are examples of some of the projects and tasks available to interns:

• Collections management: Shelf read and straighten materials on shelves; shift materials from closed to open stacks; code materials for improved retrieval; inventory collections and match contents with inventories; convert Finding Aids from Word to PDF format and submit documents to online repositories
• Office administration: Organize supplies and workspaces for better workflow; conduct equipment inventories and research new equipment; convert and upgrade media files
• Communications & Outreach: Using the library’s collections, create and post social media content; promote genealogy and local history research; like and follow similar institutions; create content for newsletters and e-newsletters; design brochures, flyers, and posters; curate and create physical exhibits

Graduate-level internships are intended for students pursuing a master’s or doctorate in library science or archival science. Students pursuing a graduate degree in related fields such as history, information science, or records management may also be considered.

Working under the direction of the Library’s Executive Director or Archivist, graduate interns help manage the collections.  We offer a flexible practicum experience, tailoring assignments to a candidate’s academic and professional interests, skills, and expertise. We expect a minimum commitment of five (5) hours per week on a semester basis.  Due to the fact that most of our collections are in physical format, internships include some in-person or hybrid scheduling.  

We provide professional supervision with regular reporting to faculty advisors and institutional partners. Interns are supervised by staff who hold terminal degrees in library and information science. At the end of a successful internship, we may offer a professional reference and access to a network of connections within the library and archival field.

The following are examples of the types of projects and tasks that may be available:

• Process collections; identify opportunities for acquisitions; preserve and repair rare materials
• Digitize items from physical collections; create and manage metadata using controlled vocabularies; create digital exhibits; conduct community outreach to share digital resources
• Develop and manage staff workflows for collections; catalog books and materials; track and report usage of materials, identify and implement improvements to reduce and eliminate barriers to accessibility of collections
• Plan and present programs on topics related to the library’s collections; conduct community outreach with area organizations and public library partners; develop opportunities to cultivate and expand engagement with underrepresented audiences.

The library is exploring a fellowship to support graduates and post-graduates who want to conduct research in our collections.  In exchange for a modest stipend, the library offers dedicated work space and access.  We are particularly interested in proposals that use materials from our architectural and newspaper collections and promote the study of central Virginia. Fellowships commitments range from a few weeks or months to a maximum of one academic year and require a residency component.  The library expects fellows to pursue scholarly publication.