volunteer
Volunteer at Calgary Reads Big Book Sale 2025
Stay tuned for the opening of applications!
Volunteering at the Calgary Reads Big Book Sale comes with big perks: being a part of the buzz, access to our pre-sale event and the chance to help young readers thrive. We’ve got all kinds of roles and all kinds of shifts—and every minute helps us get books into the hands of children furthest from opportunity.
Be sure to join our newsletter so you're among the first to learn about the next volunteer season.
what our volunteers do
There are so many fun and meaningful ways to share your time at the Big Book Sale – on site and off! Our volunteers range in age from 13 to 85 and their energy and diverse skills are the reason for our success. From operations and sorting to setting up book sections and helping customers find the perfect book – we need dedicated volunteers like you to help make this our best sale ever. So, grab a friend and join us!
Roles: On site – Join us at the Calgary Curling Club and be part of operations (set up, recycling, lifting), help sort and organize books, help out in the hospitality room, assist customers during sale days or join in the clean-up festivities.
Off site – Join one of our Stuff-A-Truck or Banner teams.
Safety: Our floor plan and sorting stations provide plenty of room for volunteers to spread out.
Shifts: Shifts are four hours and you can choose morning, afternoon or evening.
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be among the first to shop the sale
When you volunteer at the Calgary Reads Big Book Sale, you can attend Spread the Words, our volunteer appreciation event. Get first pick of 200,000+ books and let us thank you for your support!
volunteer faq’s
Thank you for taking a moment to read these FAQ’s before reaching out.
The minimum age for volunteers is 13. Those under 15 need an adult supervisor at all times.
Absolutely! Volunteering with friends, family and group members is a great idea. Register as volunteers and then choose the same shifts.
You only need to have volunteered once to get free access to Spread the Words, our pre-sale volunteer appreciation event – but most of our volunteers enjoy their time so much and are such great champions of early literacy that they volunteer a handful of times or more. We are glad to have whatever time you can give.
You’ll receive a short video explaining what you need to know about the sale and volunteer roles. When you arrive for your shift, there’ll be a safety orientation and we’ll set you up with someone who will explain the role and be there to answer any questions.
95% of our volunteer jobs are at the Calgary Curling Club at 720 3 St. NW. However we also need volunteers to be part of our one day stuff-a-truck and Banner Teams. These events happen in various parts of Calgary.
