Celebrating the volunteers who make the Library stronger.
This National Volunteer Week, we’re taking a moment to thank the volunteers who help the Library make an impact in our community.
Across London Public Library, 508 volunteers support programs, answer questions, and help create welcoming spaces for people of all ages. Over the past year, Library volunteers contributed 17,019 hours supporting learning, connection, and community across the city.
Volunteers are part of many of the services people rely on. READ Mentors help children build reading confidence. English Conversation Mentors create space for newcomers to practice English and feel more connected. Tech Tutors help patrons navigate devices and digital tools. Gaming volunteers support programs that bring people together through play, creativity, and shared interests.
Their impact is felt in the connections they build. Through conversation and shared time, volunteers create space for people to feel more comfortable, confident, and connected.
For Robert, an English Conversation Mentor, those moments are often the most meaningful.
Each week I feel blessed to share in the facts and stories from countries I have never visited,” he says. “To learn first hand about a person’s culture and personal history is exceptional.
That sense of impact can be felt across many volunteer roles. Mark, a Tech Tutor, says many of the patrons he supports are grateful to become more comfortable using their devices in everyday life.
I come away from each shift feeling like I’ve made a small difference in someone’s life through helping their continual path of learning,” he says.
For Debbie, a READ Mentor, one of the most rewarding parts of volunteering is “seeing a child realize they can read a book and tell the story to someone else.”
Many volunteers have been part of the Library community for years. Forty have volunteered for more than five years, including eleven who have contributed for more than a decade. Their time, care, and commitment help make the Library stronger every day.
During National Volunteer Week, and throughout the year, we are grateful for everything our volunteers bring to the Library.