When people think about libraries, they often picture shelves of books, quiet tables, and welcoming public spaces. Less visible is the steady, behind-the-scenes work that helps make those spaces possible.
Across the Okanagan, library services are supported not only by staff, but by dedicated volunteers who take on the essential tasks that keep things running smoothly. Sorting donations. Moving boxes. Coordinating logistics. Managing storage. Showing up week after week, often out of sight.
For decades, the Kelowna Friends of the Library have been doing exactly that work.
Behind the scenes, volunteers spend thousands of hours each year sorting and preparing donated books, organizing fundraising sales, managing storage spaces, and handling the practical details that allow funds to flow back into library services. Much of this work takes place away from library branches, including at long-term sorting and storage locations such as the current Westlake Road facility, where a small team coordinates year-round operations.
This work is not occasional. It is ongoing, physical, and highly organized. Volunteers manage donation intake, assess materials for resale or recycling, prepare inventory for large-scale book sales, and coordinate transportation and venue logistics. Others support communications, volunteer scheduling, online sales, and partnerships with community organizations. In peak periods leading up to major sales, the time commitment increases significantly.
At ORL branches, the work of Friends of the Library volunteers is woven into daily library life. Funds raised through their efforts have supported library programs, technology, collections, and spaces, including Summer Reading Club, digital resources, Makerspace equipment, and the furniture and infrastructure patrons rely on every day.
Like libraries themselves, this work has had to adapt. Over time, volunteers have navigated rising operational costs, changing donation patterns, new technologies, and the realities of securing affordable storage space. They have adjusted sale formats, introduced card payments, explored online sales, and built new partnerships to keep the work sustainable.
What remains constant is the motivation. A belief that libraries matter. That shared public spaces are worth supporting. That quiet, consistent effort can have long-term impact.
Libraries are often described as community hubs, but they’re also ongoing community projects, shaped by the people who support them over time. We extend our sincere thanks to the Friends of the Library volunteers across the system for the many ways they contribute to our shared library spaces.
Interested in volunteering with the Friends of the Libray? Speak to staff at your local branch for more information.
There are many ways to support your library.
Need More Help?
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