Friends Volunteers

Friends volunteers setting up for a booksale

Volunteers are the backbone of the Friends' active efforts to strengthen public libraries in Washoe County. Friends volunteers contribute thousands of hours of service — serving on the Board, helping at the office, working at Secondhand Prose, sorting donated books all year long, or working at the monthly booksales or the huge semi-annual Booksale Bonanza.

The volunteers of the Friends of Washoe County Library have been recognized many times both nationally and locally:

Recognition of booksale volunteers by The National Association of Counties (NACO) for their hard work raising over one million dollars for Washoe County Libraries
Outstanding Volunteer Fund Raising Group from the Association of Fund Raising Professionals.
Silver Star Award from Truckee Meadows Tomorrow
Shakespeare Award for sustained excellence in support of the arts, Sierra Arts' annual Business and Arts Awards

Your Help is Always Welcome!

We are a group that gets things done, and we would love to have you join us. By getting involved in our activities, you will find out how much fun our volunteers have while helping Washoe County Library and promoting literacy.

Sorting Volunteers help out year-round to sort donated books into categories for sale.
Event Volunteers pitch in at booksales and events — helping to set up, breakdown, take cash, and assist customers.
Secondhand Prose Volunteers act as cashiers at the Secondhand Prose Bookstore inside the Northwest Reno Library, welcoming customers and answering questions about our merchandise.
Office Assistant Volunteers help with data entry, photocopying, mailing and other office duties.
Special Projects Volunteers can act as ambassadors, educating the public about the Friends at community events and fundraising projects, and also help with setup, breakdown of events.

We have trainings year-round. If you are interested in joining the fun and volunteering for the Friends, please download the volunteer application.