All TCLP volunteers, librarians, members have to adhere by the Code of Conduct to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for all members.
As a TCLP volunteer you will commit to a minimum of 4 hours per week for the duration of at least six months. The hours and days of the week for volunteering can be chosen based on your convenience. This is not a paid position – you will not receive remuneration for volunteering. Please go through the information on this page carefully before applying. TCLP reserves the right to not accept volunteers if it is identified that the application and the organization's volunteering requirements do not match.
Volunteers are key to establishing a sustainable model of free, public-access community libraries. They drive programs like circulation, the Reading Project, Head Start To Learning, arts & craft, workshops, book clubs, and can volunteer with our digital library - Duniya Sabki, Cyber Project, Laptop Access and Learning Program. They also participate in critical jobs like community mobilisation & relationship building, fundraising, media outreach etc. TCLP is open to different skills, talents and aptitudes volunteers bring in and in fact, many of its programs have grown from volunteer-led initiatives.
Please note: We only work with volunteers, who are 18 years old or above, and have 12th or equivalent education certificate. Exceptions for the education requirement can be made on a case by case basis. We rarely consider long distance volunteers, but anyone who is interested in volunteering with us may write to volunteertclp@gmail.com and share a proposal for how they can contribute long distance. We do not take on short-term volunteers i.e. volunteers available for only a few weeks or months, due to the training period required to understand and integrate into our programs, and due to members' need for stability and community.
For TCLP members who wish to volunteer:
Our library members are welcome to volunteer with us if they meet minimum requirements for volunteering. However we urge you to consider the difference between volunteering, which is mostly an option for those who wish to help and are not part of the library membership already. Those who wish to help and are library members can speak to Sumit Parewa and understand better the option of training in the Leadership Development department of TCLP to lead our work in the library and the library movement. Please reach out to Sumit by contacting the circulation desk of your branch library. Leadership in TCLP offers you the chance to help in the library with accountability to library members and to build relationships with library members and leaders to put your ideas into practice about the justice you wish to see in the world. Very rarely do we accept library members as volunteers and we do so if there are compelling reasons why a person prefers volunteering to leadership.
TCLP thrives when volunteers don’t just come in to ‘do good unto others’ but are motivated to work in partnership with communities and engage in thinking about empowerment strategies & activities.
TCLP’s work is centered around questioning privilege, and issues around caste, religion, race, gender, sexual orientation, and discrimination in any form. These can be uncomfortable questions but we strongly believe they need to be discussed in our free library spaces. As part of TCLP it is expected that you leave room for self-examination and reflection.
We will not tolerate any actions that compromise child / members safety.
Opening hours:
Saturday - Thursday 12 pm to 8 pm, Friday - Closed
Before applying volunteers must go through the following important documents:
Once you've gone through the above documents, and ONLY if you feel confident about abiding with the policies, work ethics and values of the organisation, should you fill the application form. Someone from the organization will then reach out to you for an interview.
TCLP reserves the right to not accept volunteers if it is identified that the application and the organization's volunteering requirements do not match.
It may take us 2-3 weeks to review you the application and get back to you, although often you may hear from us sooner.
(Not for books donation. For books donation see)
