Volunteer

Get involved with FRIENDS: support local literacy and connect with great people

Are you passionate about promoting literacy in your community? Do you enjoy meeting like-minded individuals and fostering a love for reading and learning? Whether you can help out consistently or prefer to help a few times a year, there is a place for you with FRIENDS. Complete our survey to get started.

Volunteer Interest Survey

Group of ten smiling people standing behind a large sign that reads 'Book Sale Community Partner,' in a room with beige walls and wooden door.

Book Sales

Are you a book lover looking for a way to give back to your community? Join us as a volunteer at FRIENDS' book sale! We host four regional book sales at library branches throughout the year, culminating in our signature event—That BIG Book Sale, a four-day book sale extravaganza that attracts book enthusiasts from all around!

Sale volunteers assist with set-up, sales floor organization, check-out, customer service and take-down. Volunteer shifts are four hours.

A smiling woman standing in the Charleston Friends of the Library bookstore at the Citadel Mall surrounded by cardboard boxes filled with books and magazines, next to a table with colorful children's books.

Sorting Room

Looking for a weekly volunteer opportunity? Our Sorting Room is the heart of our operations and the volunteers are crucial! Sorting Room volunteers sort, research, price and organize books getting them ready for sales and distribution.

The Sorting Room, located at the Citadel Mall, is open Mon-Fri 10am-2pm.

A woman and a girl stand behind a table set up for a book sale.

Events

From coffee shops to breweries, FRIENDS organize a series of “Book Fests” through Charleston County each year. These events aim to spark excitement about books and encourage support of local literacy. Event volunteers help plan and execute events.

Events are held in the evenings and on weekends and volunteer shifts are 4-5 hours.

woman with short gray hair stands in a bookstore or library aisle holding a book. She is wearing a light green blouse, dark gray cropped pants, and brown sandals. Behind her is a large window with a blue sign that says 'Invest in Yourself', and the shelves next to her are filled with various books.

The Store

Have you ever wanted to work in a bookstore? Here’s your chance! Volunteer at our 100% volunteer-run bookstore located at the Citadel Mall. With over 2,000 books for all ages, our shelves are brimming with exciting reads waiting to be discovered. Volunteers stock shelves, organize the store, manage check-out and provide customer service.

Volunteer shifts are 4 or 5 hours:

Mon-Fri - 10am-2pm

Saturday - 11am-4pm

Support local literacy by volunteering with FRIENDS

Ready to volunteer? Want to learn more about opportunities? Have a skill you want to use to support local literacy? Have a great idea for an event? Let us know by filling out the Volunteer Survey and a member of our team will contact you (please allow 10 business days for response)

Volunteer Interest Survey

Each quarter we highlight a volunteer who has provided extraordinary service to FRIENDS

Volunteer of the Quarter - Joy Wiggins!

Congratulations to Volunteer of the Quarter (Apr-June 2026) JOY WIGGINS! Joy has volunteered with FRIENDS for three years as a Monday Sorting Room Volunteer and has also consistently volunteered at our sales for set up and take down - she hasn’t missed many in 3+ years! She is also a crafter and has provided us with framed prints that we are selling at book sales and events and in our store. We are so fortunate to have Joy as part of the FRIENDS Team!