This is Haslemere met Rea, Haslemere Library’s Volunteer Champion in Autumn 2025. Rea has been working at Haslemere Library for a year. Her opening line when we met her was, 

"Volunteers are a vital asset at Haslemere Library and it’s wonderful to work with so many dedicated local readers."

Haslemere Library is one of 52 libraries in Surrey and we heard how our local library is about so much more than lending books. The guiding principle of Surrey Libraries is No-One Left Behind and this mantra feeds through to our Haslemere branch. It’s free to enter the library for residents. There is no judgement. It’s free to stay to read your book and all community groups are helped and supported. It offers companionship for older readers where they can chat and combat loneliness and, in colder months, it’s designated a Warm Hub. It’s a safe space.

The library has five paid part-time staff and two paid weekend assistants. Pam is the Branch Manager and is passionate about the role Haslemere Library plays in the community. As Rea put it: “She listens, empowers and is open to trialling new ideas.”  Staff members have regular training that is checked and monitored. They each have targets and initiatives to support the library.

In Summer 2025, Haslemere Library had the second highest number of completers for its Summer Reading Challenge across all Surrey libraries. The Summer Reading Challenge is a national scheme that is run in partnership with The Reading Agency. It’s supported by local libraries and, in the case of the Haslemere branch, is very much supported by local schools as well as by families. Before this year’s challenge began, library staff visited local primary schools to promote the scheme and incentivise great reading habits with rewards. They also linked nature-centred craft events to this year’s theme of Story Garden – Adventures in Nature and the Great Outdoors so that readers could explore the magical connection between storytelling and nature. The schools themselves gave house points for an extra layer of motivation. This reading success was supported by 12 teen volunteers who each gifted 10 hours of their time over the summer holidays to chat with the junior readers, discuss the books, support their next book choices and encourage them throughout the challenge. For the teens, they gained skills and experience in a workplace.

Haslemere Library has various community volunteers. For example, one resident is a Digital Support Volunteer and offers weekly sessions on Tuesday mornings. This is great if you need general support using a smartphone, tablet or dealing with software upgrades. 

The Haslemere branch has recently agreed a partnership with the U3A locally supporting their members with technology to help them grow in confidence and gain tech skills. This has already resulted in U3A members making appointments with the Digital Support Volunteer. For Get Online Week friendly volunteers will guide you through spotting and avoiding online scams, with tips to keep you safe when browsing, shopping, or connecting online. There is currently a vacancy for an additional digital support volunteer, with applications welcome from local residents.

In addition, Haslemere Library has Stock Volunteers and Activities/Events Volunteers. Four volunteers help out at Rhymetime which is a session for babies and toddlers. Rea said: 

“Rhymetime is absolutely gorgeous. The volunteers say it is a weekly highlight as the babies/toddlers are so receptive and it’s lovely seeing how they interact.”

Surrey Libraries works with Surrey Choices, the latter providing person-centred support to those with additional needs to enable them to live active lives in their communities in ways that they choose, provided by skilled, engaged and inspired colleagues. Their library partnership gives NEETs aged 16-24 the opportunity to volunteer in stock support. This means helping process new books that have come into the library and sifting out old and damaged books.

Haslemere Library also collaborates with Undershaw School with a placement scheme for post-16 pupils. This is a 6-week programme where, for one hour a week, the young adults develop and learn new skills. They show they can follow instructions, learn about reader interest categories and receive their first introduction to the library system for shelving books.

There’s good news for DoE Volunteers too. Haslemere Library welcomes 6 volunteers each year for the Bronze level. In addition, they offer a one week work experience position for a secondary school pupil.

Surrey Libraries have adopted the "Carnegie Model" which defines a modern library service with a focus on aspects relevant to local communities and aims to be a community hub. It links to their No-One Left Behind mantra. In Haslemere, its cornerstones are employment, skills, education, community and culture. We have already read above about the varied volunteering support for youngsters in the context of skills and education. Additionally, Rea gave some examples of how they promote culture here in our lovely community. This includes The Haslemere Thespians visiting in their Panto garb and/or doing Shakespeare readings as well as local authors/academics giving talks.

Haslemere Library has opportunities for more volunteers and would love to hear from you! Maybe you could help with Lego Club on a Wednesday afternoon? Or could you help at Stay and Play on a Friday morning? Could you help support parents meeting other parents and signpost to other Surrey County Council services? Rea described the process to become a volunteer. Your first step is to submit an expression of interest form via this page. Then there will be an opportunity to meet Rea where she will answer your questions, explain volunteer roles and gauge your interest. You’ll be given a defined job description and become part of the Library Volunteer Team.

As we finished up our meeting, Rea said: “It is lovely working here and feels great to be part of a team. It’s so rewarding and we feel like we are at the heart of the community.”