About
What Is It?
The Friends processes books that have been donated by Houston Public Library branches and by the community, then sells the books at affordable quarterly book sales and on its Amazon storefront. The sales fund literacy and cultural programs for the Houston community.
Help Needed:
Sort and scan books, list books for sale on Amazon, help move boxes in the warehouse,or similar tasks. Please contact Friends for COVID-related updates.
Details
Minimum Age to Volunteer
13
Time Commitment
2 hour shifts
Suitable for Groups of Volunteers?
Yes
Training Needed
No prior experience needed: guidance provided at the warehouse.
Help Needed
ORGANIZE DONATED BOOKS
Sort donated and discarded books for community book sales, and/or scan books using Neatoscan scanner.
GENERAL WAREHOUSE HELP
Break down boxes, move books to other areas, and similar physical tasks, or enter book details into the computer for potential buyers around the world.
HELP WITH BOOK SALES
Help set up, assist customers and sell books, and/or help put away books and displays at the Friends of HPL’s regular book sales.
DONATE BOOKS
Friends of HPL accepts new and gently used books at its Book Warehouse by appointment only. (It cannot pick up donated books.) Small donations of 2 boxes or less may be dropped off at any HPL branch. More information about the types of materials the Friends accepts is here.
Contact Details
Contact
Bryan Cardenas, Volunteer and Warehouse Coordinator
For more information, please visit the Friends of the Houston Public Library volunteer web page.
Location
FRIENDS OF THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
Houston, Texas 77040
Location Details
Houston, Texas 77040
The Friends warehouse at 6510 Little York is in the Chase Bank Plaza, between Chase Bank and CVS.
Additional Information
Examples of past Scout projects
The Warehouse would welcome books from Scout book drives! The warehouse is happy to accept adult books.
Gallery
I have a daughter that would like to volunteer. please inform how to get this started. thanks
You can sign up here! https://www.houstonlibraryfoundation.org/volunteer That webpage link shows the volunteer options, and your daughter can sign up for specific dates. Thank you (to you and your daughter) for helping the library.
I am a library volunteer in our retirement community. Alot of residents donate books in very nice condition. If I were to pack these books in small boxes can I take them to our area library on Stella Link?
You could call them and ask! Many libraries sell books that they can’t use, and use the money to upgrade their collections, but these sales stopped during COVID. They may be starting again. The McGovern-Stella Link library’s number is (832) 393-2630. If they can’t take the books, you can try the VA hospital and other area hospitals, the Houston Area Women’s Center, and other nonprofits. If you can’t find a home for them, Goodwill happily accepts (and sells) books.