Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older. After completing our training series (which takes place over six evenings and one full Saturday), our volunteers read aloud to children in partnering preschools throughout Oakland. Each volunteer does a weekly 20-25 minute storytime at an assigned preschool. Storytimes take place during school hours (weekdays, generally 9 am-3 pm).

We ask for a 6-month commitment from our volunteers--the idea is that you will get to know a classroom of kids and their teachers, and develop a relationship with them. As you get to know the kids, you will see how excited they are to have you visit them each week and share your love of reading.

We cover many topics, all focused on how to create a fun and engaging storytime. The training is conducted by the Oakland Public Library's Children's Librarians, so they each bring a wealth of experience and creativity to the topics they cover, and the training is super fun!

2022 Training Dates

(Volunteers must attend all seven dates)

Wednesday, September 14th, 6-8:00 pm

Thursday, September 15th, 6-8:00 pm

Wednesday, September 21st, 6-8:00 pm

Thursday, September 22nd, 6-8:00 pm

Wednesday, September 28th, 6-8:00 pm

Thursday, September 29th, 6-8:00 pm

Saturday, October 1st, 10 am-5 pm