Volunteer
Applications closed
We aren't accepting applications for volunteers at the moment. Check back here for when applications open again.
If you have any questions about volunteering, email us.
About our volunteers
Our volunteers:
- Form a community of passionate and like-minded people.
- Continually learn about the work of our cultural institution.
- Listen to guest speakers from the Library over morning tea at monthly volunteer meetings.
- Gain and develop skills in public speaking.
- Receive a free Friends of the National Library membership after 6 months of volunteering, which allows you discounts to the Bookshop and Bookplate café. Find out more about the benefits of being a Friends member.
- Receive free parking whilst you're at the Library on a volunteer shift.
Read more about our volunteer program policy
Volunteer roles
Volunteers can participate in the following front-of-house activities.
Greeting
Volunteers greet visitors in the Library foyer, assist them in finding their way around the building and provide visitor information. Greeting shifts go for 2 hours from 10am-12pm, 12-2pm and 2-4pm on weekends and public holidays.
Tour guiding
Volunteer tour guides provide a welcoming and informative experience for visitors. Tour guides share information regarding the National Library’s history, architecture, collecting activities and services in an engaging way. Daily tours are held at 11 am and go for 45 minutes.
Who can volunteer
To volunteer, prospective candidates must:
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Be willing to obtain Working with Vulnerable People and National Police checks before commencing. All associated expenses will be covered by the National Library.
- Sign a Volunteer Agreement.
- Complete our onsite induction program and online training modules.
Required skills and commitment
- A passion for sharing stories from the Library’s collection, and a willingness to commit to the Library’s mission and values.
- Good public speaking and visitor service skills.
- A friendly and welcoming manner.
- Ability to commit to one greeting or tour guiding shift per fortnight. Volunteers nominate their preferred shifts to suit their schedules.
What our volunteers say
I find it particularly rewarding to see visitors’ interest and excitement when they learn a little about the Library – the beautiful building, the collections, the services it provides, the way technology has changed things, digitisation initiatives, our exhibitions, and how they can use the Library and its many resources in-person or online.
I very much appreciate both the flexibility to choose my own shifts, and the professional development offered each month by Library staff.
I enjoy sharing with visitors the essentials of what the Library is about. Most visitors tend to go away impressed by the Library’s diversity of collections and its digitisation reach.
