Volunteer
Inspiring Confident Readers
Creating Published Authors
Giving Away Books
Supporting Our Stores
We Couldn't Do It Without Volunteers
Volunteering on See Chicago TV
To get started as a volunteer, please join us for a new volunteer information session! We will be hosting them around Chicago in all of our neighborhood partners.
November Info Sessions
- For November 19 at 5:30pm at Open Books West Loop, click here to register
- For November 21 at 2pm at Open Books West Loop, click here to register
We are so excited to meet you, so please join us soon! If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to our Volunteer Manager, Alison Gerber, directly at [email protected]
Looking for group volunteer opportunities? Check out our corporate opportunities.
Volunteer Opportunities
Reading Coach
- Coach 1-2 elementary school students in our Reading Buddies program for an entire semester!
- Volunteer reading coaches venture out into the city to a school site twice each week, for an hour each day.
Writing Coach
- Coach students of all ages as they develop and build confidence around the skill of writing!
- Join our school-based ReadThenWrite program and commit to an 8 week session with the same students, or coach in our Creative Writing Workshops 2-3 times per month with different students each time.
- Join one of our in-school volunteer corps, or coach at our West Loop location!
Bookstore Volunteer
- Support Open Books operations (and satisfy your inner book nerd at the same time) by sorting, shelving, or mailing donated books!
- Maintain a flexible schedule and volunteer at our West Loop Bookstore (651 W. Lake St.) or our Pilsen Warehouse (905 W. 19th St.) in 2-hour shifts during store hours.