Library - Alviso Branch

If you have some extra time, and would like to assist our staff in serving the community by maintaining program equipment at the Berryessa Branch of the San Jose Public Library, this is the opportunity for you.

This opportunity is not structured in a way to help teens develop the leadership and teamwork skills that colleges desire. If you are interested in an opportunity where you can practice more leadership and teamwork skills, please sign up for our Active Teens Reach Opportunity: details below.

Duties and Responsibilities

Process seeds for the Seed Library

Process/Inventory Wee Play and Learn Activity Boxes

Process Storytime Toys so that they are ready for use

Other Duties as Assigned

Travel Requirements

Currently, this opportunity is not available at the Alviso Branch. When you apply, if you express an interest for this position, your account will be transferred to the Berryessa Branch. You will also have to commute to the Berryessa Branch to volunteer.

Expected Commitment

Extra Hours Volunteers are expected to volunteer in some capacity at least one hour per quarter, and we only accept Extra Hours Volunteers on 1st and 2nd Fridays excluding city holidays and days with Teens Reach Meetings. We also recommend that you sign up for a shift by Wednesday of the same week. If you cannot sign up by Wednesday, please email me. Those who drop in will only be accommodated if we have the space and tasks that need to be completed. All others will be sent home without hours.

Drop-In Attendance Policy

Restrictions due to COVID and limited staff at our branch will impact how many drop-in volunteers that we can accept at one time. In recognition of that, please only sign up for opportunities when you know for sure that you will be able to make it. If something comes up, please cancel your shift or email me as soon as possible so that other volunteers can take your place. If you don't cancel and don't arrive, it will be considered a no-show. Three no-shows in one quarter will result in the suspension of volunteer privileges until the end of the quarter. The year will be divided into the following quarters: January to March, April to June, July to September, and October to December.

Dress Policy

Each volunteer represents the City to library customers. Your appearance contributes to the overall impression that our City portrays. Clothing appropriate to a casual business environment is expected as all volunteers are expected to present an image that is both professional and appropriate for their working conditions. And for your safety, please avoid wearing open-toed shoes.

Requirements

1. Review the  Volunteer Handbook, which will be emailed to you, and be aware of the following branch-specific policies.
   1. In some instances, you hours will be auto-logged, but it is still your responsibility to make sure that all hours that you have volunteered will be credited to you.
   2. The volunteer handbook says to contact your Coordinator of Volunteer Engagement if you will be late or absent, however, as you are a teen volunteer, I am you onsite supervisor, so you will contact me if you are going to be late or absent from a shift you sign up for.
   3. Do not use electronic devices if they will interfere with completing your assigned volunteer tasks.
   4. Do not visit with friends who are not volunteering with you.
   5. No eating or drinking on the public floor (bottled water is permissible). You may take a break to eat if volunteering for 4 hours or more in a day. Please inform me when you are taking a break.
   6. Do not bring a child/sibling you must supervise.
   7. While we will allow you to use onsite lockers to store valuables, please make sure to bring your own lock, and the library cannot be held responsible for lost or stolen items.
2. Sign and submit the volunteer signature form: a link will be sent to you after you apply and answer some questions.
3. Verify your vaccination status prior to beginning your volunteer assignment.
4. Additionally, you will be required to attend an orientation when in-person volunteering and onsite meetings resume. 

Other Volunteer Opportunities

As volunteers are needed for other programs and services, we will email all volunteers. Please check your email regularly.

Additionally, if you are interested in taking a more active role in how programs and services are delivers to teens and the general public, please sign up to be an Active Teens Reach Member: only one application is necessary. Volunteers with our Teens Reach are required to attend meetings once a month. This is also a great way to meet other teens who are volunteering at the library.

Policy for References and Letters of Recommendation

As volunteers in this program will not receive a regular schedule, and accomplishments will vary, requests for employment references and letters of recommendation will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis at the sole discretion of the Teens Reach Coordinator of Alviso and Berryessa Branch: Shih Fa Kao.

What's Next?

This is the steps of our application process after you have completed an application:

1) You will receive 3 emails with questions regarding your vaccination status, goals for volunteering, and availability. Please answer these questions promptly, so that we can move forward with your application. Even if you have already selected and applied for a role, please still take the time to answer these questions, so that we can make sure that the role that you have selected will be appropriate for the goal that you want to meet.

2) After you have answered the 3 emails, you will be sent a list of recommended roles at the Berryessa Branch. Please choose 1 or more of these roles, and I will discuss with you how the schedule for that role will be set up.

Thank you for your patience during this process. I usually send these questions out to you within a few days of submitting your application. If you are not getting these questions, please check your SPAM folder, and if you still cannot find them, please send me an email at shih.kao@sjlibrary.org.