Glencoe Book Buddies Volunteer Application

Book Buddies Volunteers are between the ages of 10 and 17 years old. They meet one-on-one with program participants (ages 4-10) to read together and engage in literacy activities at the library. Book Buddies Volunteers are patient, encouraging, dependable, and a positive role model for their buddies.

Please review the information below to ensure this program is a good fit for you/your child.

What is the schedule/time commitment?

Mandatory Volunteer Training

Volunteers must attend 3 sessions at the Glencoe Library on Fridays after school on June 5, 12 and 19 from 4:00 pm until 5:30 pm (a light snack will be provided). This is a total of 4.5 hours of training.

Group Events

There are two group events for volunteers to attend. A Meet & Greet on Thursday, July 2 from 12:00 pm until 1:00 pm and a Pizza Party on Thursday, August 20 from 12:00 pm until 1:00 pm.

Weekly Shifts

Volunteers are asked to work a shift every Thursday for six weeks. The dates are July 9, 16, 23, and 30 and August 6 and 13. The shifts are a minimum of 1 hour a week, but can be up to 4 hours.

Each 1 hour shift consists of 15 minutes of preparation time, followed by a 45-minute meet up with a buddy (ideally, the same buddy each week). An example of an hour long shift if:

Volunteer arrives at 10am to prepare
Buddy (participant) arrives at 10:15am
Choose books and read until 10:40am
Games and activities until program ends at 11am

What if I/my child is not available for all these dates?

We understand that vacations, jobs, and other commitments are a part of summer – absences will happen! If there are dates that a volunteer is unable to attend, this will not disqualify them from the program. If an absence is planned/expected, we ask that notice is provided so that we can make alternate arrangements. We also ask that all volunteers be available for at least 4 of the 6 weekly shifts (barring unexpected illness or injury), to provide their buddies with as much consistency as possible.

What is the deadline to apply?

All applications must be received by Saturday, May 30, 2026.

If you have any questions or concerns about the Book Buddies Program, please reach out to cjoris@middlesex.ca

What if I want to register my child as a participant in the program?

If you are interested in registering a younger child (age 4-10) as a participant in the Book Buddies program please register using our Event Calendar.

Complete this form to apply to be a Book Buddies Volunteer:

Full Name

Phone Number

Email Address

Email Reminders I agree to receive weekly program-related reminders and communication to this email address.

Age as of July 2, 2026

Preferred Weekly Shift All shifts are on Thursdays.

Preferred length of weekly shift and preferred number of buddies For each hour you volunteer you'll be assigned a buddy. For example, a 2 hour shift means you'll have two buddies.

Are you available to attend all volunteer training sessions? Dates are Friday, June 5, 12, and 19 from 4-5:30pm

If you selected No, please indicate which dates you cannot attend:

Please share some of your/your child’s skills, experiences, interests, and hobbies. This will help us when matching you/your child with a buddy.

I/my child will attend all weekly shifts as best as possible and to notify the library as soon as possible in the event of an absence.

I understand that completing this application does not guarantee me/my child a volunteer position. In late spring, the library will reach out directly to all applicants to confirm whether or not they will be volunteering with the program this year.