Volunteer at the Library

Share your skills and passions

Make a difference in someone’s life

Volunteering with us means developing new skills, sharing your love of libraries with others, and making new friends.

Each year, over 3,500 dedicated Library volunteers help Calgary’s citizens build learning skills, make stories come to life, deliver Library materials to seniors, help patrons explore computer technology, and much more.

What kind of volunteer are you?

Our programs are growing and changing all the time, so our volunteer needs change as well.

Volunteer Resources constantly reviews applications and will match applicants with the right volunteer role, including an interview and police check for adult volunteers

Applications are kept on file if a match can’t be found right away, so sometimes it may take a week to several months to be contacted for a volunteer position.

Volunteering does not automatically improve your chances of getting a job at the Library. Experience, including volunteer experience, is considered by HR when reviewing employment applications. Shelving books is a paid position at the Library and not open to volunteers.

If you have questions about volunteering, please contact volunteers@calgarylibrary.ca or 403.260.2613.

Meet our volunteers

Each year, our 3,500 dedicated volunteers contribute 90,000+ volunteer hours. These hours have a value of over $2.8 million that directly benefits over 700,000 patrons by allowing us to offer more programs, in more locations, more often, to more Calgarians.

Read up on our Volunteer Stories

The Bright Futures Scholarship

These scholarships are awarded to three young volunteers who are committed, enthusiastic, and take initiative in their volunteer role.

The scholarships are made possible by a gift from Barbara Killick, formerly a senior staff member at Calgary Public Library, and witness to the positive impact made by young volunteers on the lives of Calgarians.

Applications for 2023 are now closed.

Applicants for the Bright Futures Scholarship must:

  • Be an active volunteer in good standing at Calgary Public Library
  • Have contributed approximately 100 volunteer hours to Calgary Public Library
  • Be in Grade 12 or have completed high school and entering or currently enrolled in a full-time course of study at a post-secondary institution in Fall 2023
  • Be between the ages of 17 – 25 years old