Volunteering at the Green Hills Public Library District is a great opportunity to meet friends and to give back to your Library and community. There are several different ways for youth and teens to volunteer at the Library. Pick the one that best suits your schedule.
Individuals interested in volunteering must complete a participation form and be at least 10 years old. Volunteers under 18 years of age must have written permission from a parent or guardian to participate in the volunteer program. Once the participation form has been processed and approved, volunteers will receive a welcome email from the Youth Services Librarian Emily Meszaros.
Please note that court-ordered volunteers are not accepted.
Questions can be directed to Youth Services at 708-598-8446 ext. 117 or youthservices@greenhillslibrary.org.
Volunteering Options
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In-Person Volunteering
- In-person volunteering includes a variety of activities such as program assistance, craft preparation, shelf straightening, shelf reading, and helping keep the Youth Services Department neat.
- Volunteers can sign up for shifts using SignUpGenius.
- Volunteers are limited to signing up for two shifts per month, but may sign up for additional shifts if there are still openings the week of the shift.
- Volunteers must give 24 hours’ notice if they are unable to make their shift. Exceptions will be made for emergencies.
- If a volunteer has two no-call no-shows, they will be unable to volunteer at the Library for six months.
- Final school submission forms must be signed by the Head of Youth Services. Forms may be dropped off during all operational hours and volunteers will be contacted when the signed form is ready to be picked up.
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Monthly Volunteer Programs
- Monthly volunteer programs allow volunteers to sign up to participate in a monthly service project.
- All monthly programs will be published on our event calendar. Programs may not run every single month.
- Final school submission forms must be signed by the Head of Youth Services. Forms may be dropped off during all operational hours and volunteers will be contacted when the signed form is ready to be picked up.
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Virtual Volunteering
Earn volunteer hours from home! Students ages 10-18 can earn virtual service hours from the Library by writing reviews about books, audiobooks, TV series, movies, and video games, and coloring pages for charities. Final school submission forms must be signed by the Head of Youth Services. Forms may be dropped off during all operational hours and volunteers will be contacted when the signed form is ready to be picked up.
Writing Reviews
- Reviews must be a minimum of two paragraphs, and a minimum of 250 words.
- 1st paragraph
- Summary
- 2nd paragraph
- What did you like about it? What did you dislike?
- Would you recommend it? Why or why not?
- 1st paragraph
- Reviews must not contain spoilers.
- Reviews must be written in your own words, without the assistance of AI.
- Items do not need to be owned by GHPLD but must be available within SWAN. Please check our online catalog.
- When emailing your review, include your full name and age, and include how you would like your name to appear alongside your review (i.e. first and last name, first name and last initial, first name only, anonymous).
- Two hours of volunteer credit will be granted per review.
- Reviews can be sent via email to youthservices@greenhillslibrary.org for approval. Approved reviews will appear in whole or part on the Library’s website, social media, or in promotional resources at the Library.
Coloring Pages and Making Greeting Cards for Charities
- Pick up Color a Smile coloring sheets from the Library’s Youth Services Desk or print them from home (single-sided). Use crayons or markers to color each sheet; please do not use stickers or glitter. Write your first name only (no last name) and age on each sheet; please do not include the date. Bring your coloring sheets back to the Youth Services Desk at the Library when you’re done. Participants will receive one service hour for three completed coloring sheets, which can be done up to three times for a total of three hours.
- Create fun, uplifting cards for kids in hospitals through Cards for Hospitalized Kids. View sample cards and instructions on the organization’s website before starting. Make sure to write a friendly message (no religious comments, please) on the inside and sign your first name only (no last name). Cards should be handmade and not store bought. Please use cardstock or construction paper and not regular paper. Cards do not need to be in envelopes. Participants will receive one service hour for four completed cards, which can be done up to three times for a total of three hours.
- Reviews must be a minimum of two paragraphs, and a minimum of 250 words.
Featured Reviews
Book: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Reviewed By: Anonymous
This novel is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast but with a twist. The Beast, Tamlin, isn’t just some cursed prince—he’s more of a fairy-like character. At first, Feyre, the main character, despises him, but of course, things change over time. This is your typical "enemies to lovers" story but with much higher stakes. There’s danger rising in the fae world, and Feyre might be the only one who can stop it.
As with most first books in a series, the first 100 pages focus a lot on world-building and introducing the characters. At first, I wasn’t completely sold on it—some parts were slow, and Feyre’s reactions were a little frustrating. But, little by little, I got hooked and couldn’t put the book down. Now I get the hype and why so many people love this series. I’ve become a fan myself, even though I can see some issues with the writing that will probably bother me more in the third book. I’ll talk about those later.
I also have some of my usual complaints about young adult/new adult books, where characters sometimes act much older than they are. In this case, even though there are fae who are 500 years old, they often seem less mature than Feyre, who’s just 19. There is also Tamlin who can't seem to grasp the fact that Feyre was not there by choice and it was not up to her to love him. Lucien seems to be the most realistic character in this book with an ounce of personality. He also was my savior when Feyre cringed me out too much. Still, overall, it’s an engaging read, and I’m looking forward to seeing where the story goes next.
Book: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Reviewed By: Anonymous
This book was somewhat of an interesting read. While the writing isn’t perfect and the romance feels pretty cringy at times, I still found it pretty readable. The magic system and dragons were the coolest part, and I can see why it’s getting so popular—there are some similarities to Throne of Glass. Honestly, I even enjoyed it more than that series.
The beginning was really solid, and it gave me some nostalgic vibes, like books I’ve read in the past. But by the middle, I started losing interest a little, mostly because the romance got a bit too much for me. I get that it’s a romantic (romance + fantasy), but I think I could’ve done without some of the romance-y stuff. That said, I tried to look past it and enjoy the rest of the story.
By the time I reached the end, I was just ready for it to be over, which wasn’t a great feeling. But the ending itself was awesome! It was a total rush, and I understand why people are so hyped about this book. I’m just not sure I’ll continue with the series even though the cliffhanger at the end did leave me hanging.
Overall, it’s not a bad book. The dragons and the magic made it fun, and even though some of the plot didn’t always make sense (what is a rune??), it still kept me interested enough to want to understand what was happening. All in all, I don’t think I’ll pick up the sequel, but it was a fun ride while it lasted and the hype isn’t that misplaced.
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