Volunteering & Work Experience
Home Delivery Volunteering
We are currently at capacity for Home Delivery volunteers. We will reopen applications when possible. Please revisit this page for updates in early 2027.
Our Home Delivery service is delivered by volunteers to our housebound customers. These are library customers who are unable to come to the library themselves. Some live in their own homes, and some live in rest homes or retirement communities. Volunteers deliver bags of library items to the customers that have already been selected by Library staff. Both volunteers and customers find this a very rewarding service. As well as being a practical book delivery service, it also provides social contact for our housebound customers.
The time commitment is usually about 1 hour per customer on either a 2 or 4 weekly basis. You need to be able to provide your own transport and be able to commit to regular deliveries. It also helps if you share a love of reading. After being vetted and receiving training, you will be matched with your own customers.
Volunteer to Share Your Skills
Do you have a skill or interest that you would love to share? We're always looking for talented and interesting community members to lead events at our libraries!
Some of the events we've hosted are:
- author talks
- art/craft workshops (e.g. zine making, tote bag making)
- cultural crafts/skills (e.g. tea ceremonies, weaving)
- introductory language learning
- conversation groups for language learners
- live music (acoustic only)
To express your interest, please fill out the form below.
Work Experience
I've just reworked that intro a bit: Nelson Public Libraries may be able to offer a limited number of work experience opportunities for secondary and tertiary students interested in learning about library services and community engagement.
Work experience placements are generally arranged in partnership with schools, tertiary institutions, employment programmes, or other recognised organisations.
At present, we are unable to offer ongoing placements for routine library tasks such as shelving.
Shadowing Experience
A short introduction to working in a library environment.
- Typically lasts between half a day and one day.
- Provides an opportunity to observe library staff and learn about different areas of library services.
Short-Term Placements
A supervised placement designed to provide practical experience in a library setting.
- Usually up to one hour per week over a limited period.
- Activities are tailored to the student's age, interests, and learning goals.
- Parent or caregiver supervision may be required depending on the student's age and the nature of the activities
After-School Group Assistance
An opportunity to support library programmes for children.
- Work alongside library staff during after-school activities.
- Assist with programme delivery and support younger participants.
- Gain experience working with children and community programmes.
Please fill out the form below to express your interest in one of the above opportunities.
