Check here if you're ready to become a Book Sale Volunteer

Click here to volunteer for the upcoming Book Sale

Otherwise, read here to learn more

The Big Book Sales are the Friends’ primary fundraisers.  The events are held twice per year, Spring and Fall, at the Central Library lower level.  Although you don't need to be a Friends member to volunteer for many tasks, Friends members are automatically placed on the volunteer mailing list, and receive a letter 6-7 weeks prior to the sale outlining volunteer opportunities and how to sign up.

If you are not already a Friends’ member, we encourage you to join to be among the first to learn of the opportunities available.

Or visit www.bigbooksale.org

Volunteer opportunities include:

  • Book Sorters - In the months prior to the sale itself, preview books that arrive on a daily basis and sort according to subject and condition. 

  • Pre-Sale Setup - While much of the sales floor is set up by the library maintenance staff, volunteers are still needed to hang signs and set up miscellaneous shelving. 

  • Sales Day Organizer - Tidy the books on the display tables, move boxed stock to open spots, and answer questions.

  • Sales Day Cashier - Tally purchases, take money and make change, and assist customers in bagging their purchases (cashiers must be Friends members).

  • Sales Day Transporter - Assist customers in bringing their purchases to their vehicle. Should be able to lift 20 pounds

  • Post-Sale Take Down - At the end of the sale, help box up leftover books and transport to a staging area; remove signs and miscellaneous shelves and return to storage.

Shifts are usually 2-3 hours, and all but cashiers will spend much of the time on their feet.  We are always most in need of cashiers, transporters, and take down helpers.


Volunteer as a Book Sorter

In order to produce the Friends successful week-long semi-annual BIG Book Sale, much work is required behind the scenes to make it all possible.  We receive books intended for the Book Sale on a regular basis throughout the year, either donations by the general public or withdrawals from the library's collection.  

To manage and organize those incoming books leading up to the sales, a sorting room has been set aside for the Friends in the lower level of the BCL Central Library.  Volunteers give their time year-around to sort the books into 40+ categories.  Once sorted, the books are then boxed and moved into stacks within the room, ready to be moved to the sales floor the weekend before the sale.  Boxes weigh 25-40 lbs. 

New volunteers receive 3 hours (two 90 minute sessions) of orientation and training.   After that, they are asked to commit to volunteering several hours per week in the sorting room.  Once trained, volunteers set their own hours, during the library's open hours. 

Volunteers must be members of the Friends of Brown County Library.  To learn more, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator at volunteer@browncountylibraryfriends.org



Volunteer for the 2024 Spring Book Sale

We need YOU to help make our Big Book Sale run smoothly!  If you are a member of the Friends, please consider volunteering for one of many positions, including cashier, organizer, team leader, transporter, wristband checker, and more.  Each volunteer will receive 5 FREE BOOKS as our way of saying “Thank you!”

The volunteer opportunities can be viewed on SignUp.com (note that the SignUp app will not be activated until approximately one month prior to the sale):

Volunteer to help run our 2024 Spring Book Sale

Click on this Signup.com button to volunteer for 3-4 hour shifts to help

with the setup, operation, and/or take down of the sale:

Saturday Setup - April 27th, 12:30am-3:30pm
Monday Member-Only Sale - April 29th, 10:00am-7:30pm
Tuesday/Wednesday Sales - April 30th+May 1st, 9:00am-7:30pm

Thursday Sale - May 2nd, 9:00am-6:30pm

Thursday Takedown - May 2nd, 6:30pm-7:45pm 


Volunteers in action!


Have you ever wondered how all those books get out onto the sales floor?
Watch this amazing time-lapse video of our volunteers setting up the sales floor at a recent sale!

The Friends of the Brown County Library is a

501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Copyright 2020 Friends of the Brown County Library

515 Pine Street, Green Bay, WI 54301


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