Volunteers are the backbone of our organization. Their generous donations of time, talent, and expertise allow the organization to maximize its support of the Thousand Oaks main library and the Newbury Park branch library. Though the Friends of the Thousand Oaks Library is a 501(c)(3) corporation with hundreds of dues-paying members governed by an all volunteer board with multiple volunteer committee coordinators, it is the thousands of hours of dedicated volunteer effort that generates the revenue needed to pay for equipment, materials, and programs provided by the library to the community.

Most of the our revenue is currently generated from sales of donated items, mostly books, DVDs, and CDs online and in our Friends’ Bookshop. Friends’ Bookshop and online sales activities require regular attention and maintenance.

You can help us. A few hours of your time periodically or on a regular basis when combined with those of similar-minded volunteers will help us meet our goals . The main reward of volunteering in addition to the comradery that results from working with fellow book lovers is the satisfaction of knowing that your efforts make a difference in your community. Consider how you might best utilize your interest, experience, time and/or talent to assist with any of the following activities:

  • Friends’ Bookshop sales (sorting/searching/alphabetizing/shelving)
  • Friends’ Online sales (scanning, listing, shipping – Amazon, eBay)
  • Cart/Overstock Sales (setup/takedown, cashier, hospitality)
  • Documentation (formatting, writing, reviewing, editing)
  • Special events (One City One Book, Street Fair, Open House, Arbor Day)
  • Cultural tour coordinator (create, organize, chaperone)
  • Publicity (articles, press releases, social media, marketing)
  • Graphics/design (hard copy and digital signage)
  • Fundraising (grant writing, memberships, sponsorships, partnerships)
  • Membership (billing, tracking, renewals, notices, incentives)
  • Board Member (officer, at-large)
  • Financial (budgeting, accounting, taxes, reporting)
  • Legal (501(c)(3) compliance, governance, insurance, contracts)
  • Newsletter (editing, organizing, formatting, publishing)
  • Website (creation, organization, maintenance)
  • Technology (scanners, cell phones, computers, software applications)

Interested? We’d welcome hearing from you! Please check the appropriate box on our membership form and/or e-mail us at volunteer@ftol.org.

More information about volunteering as well as application forms may be found at https://www.tolibrary.org/services/get-involved/library-volunteers.