As a Reading Troubadour, you will help children learn from a very early age the joys of reading, and encourage parents to spend time reading to their children. You will also distribute gift books to children and help them learn to build a personal library.
Responsibilities
- Work alone or in teams of two at non-profit health care clinics throughout Brooklyn to select appropriate books for reading to children, and their parents and caregivers.
- Schedule visits with clinic liaison.
- Transport books to and from the sites.
- Organize and keep track of books.
- Read aloud to groups of children and their parents at selected sites.
- Distribute gift books purchased with grant funds, to children.
- Teach parents the importance of reading aloud to children, and share information on library hours and locations, and seasonal incentives.
- Prepare and submit monthly reports to the Coordinator for Hospital Storytelling and the Manager of Volunteer Services.
- Promote the use of the Library and its resources by referring families to specialists at their local library, when appropriate.
Required Skills
- A strong commitment to helping families read aloud together.
- Experience working with children, formally or informally.
- Ability to be comfortable in a medical setting.
- A friendly, respectful, and approachable manner and the ability to get along with diverse groups of people.
- Excellent communication skills.
- Knowledge of Spanish or Cantonese, a plus.
Program Notes
- Training is provided.
- Volunteers are asked to make a minimum commitment of two hours per week, Monday - Friday between 9:00 AM and 8:00 PM or Saturday between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM, for a period of at least six months.
- BPL will conduct an investigative background check on volunteers 18 and older, which may be used when considering a prospective volunteer's application.
How to Apply
Complete an Online Application