Last year, over 900 enthusiastic book-lovers volunteered their time and talent to help make the Texas Book Festival the most successful ever. We could not have the Book Festival without the energy and support of these incredible volunteers.

HOW TO VOLUNTEER:

1. Read our Training & General information handbook (PDF).

2. Review volunteer job descriptions below and decide how you’d like to help.

3. Fill out our easy online application

Austin Museum of Arts Events (AMOA) Author Escorts Author Transportation Book Sales Book Signing Capitol Room Monitors & Guides Entertainment Tent Exhibitor Hospitality Family Life Center Events Information Booth & Festival Guides Lifestyle Tent Logistics / Parking / Festival Grounds Transportation Merchandise Tents Pre-festival support Sanctuary Events Signage Surprise Me! (Floaters) TBF After Hours Volunteer Tent Children's Chapter Children's Book Signing Children's Demonstrations and Activities Children's Entertainment Children's Reading

Austin Museum of Arts Events (AMOA) Location: Austin Museum of Arts, 823 Congress Ave. (Helen Ginger, Chair) Volunteers will: Assist with crowd hospitality Maintain traffic flow in out of the main room and for book signings Assist speakers and panelists Make runs to the festival Capitol grounds if supplies or equipment is needed Assist with room set-up Monitor crowds and noise so festival events do not interfere with regular museum activities Note: Location is at the Austin Museum of Arts, 823 Congress Ave. AMOA Volunteer Need: AMOA is currently full. Please pick another volunteer job description. The Book Festival needs MANY more volunteers overall. Thank you. Sign up for this job Print description Author Escorts Location: Festival Grounds (Deborah Yoens & Donna Layton, Chair) Volunteers will: assist with author check-in and hospitality at the Festival escort the author(s) to their program/panel location escort the author(s) from the program/panel location to the author signing area and stay with the author(s) until the end of the assigned book-signing time serve as "gofer" for the author(s) as needed during book signing, for items such as Festival provided refreshments Sign up for this job Print description Author Transportation Location: Various locations - driving required (Susan Rubino, Chair) Volunteers will: drive authors between the ABIA airport, their hotel, and the Capitol driving is required must use your own reliable transportation may also drive authors to special events, perhaps before and after the Festival must have appropriate Texas vehicle insurance and a cell phone numerous shifts available to interested volunteers during festival week, ranging from Thursday through Monday IMPORTANT NOTE: Shift times listed are general, APPROXIMATE shifts. The Event Chair will contact you with the specific driving shift. VOLUNTEER NEED FOR THIS EVENT: ONLY ABOUT 25% FULL - NEEDS SEVERAL MORE VOLUNTEERS Sign up for this job Print description Book Sales Location: Festival Grounds (Cathy Lane and Erin Sibley, Chair) Volunteers will: help maintain traffic flow in various book sale areas assist with inventory, boxing, and unpacking books some volunteers may be trained to handle monetary transactions Note: There are three Barnes & Noble book sales tents (Adult, Cooking, & Children’s). Volunteers will be assigned to one of these three tents. Sign up for this job Print description Book Signing Location: Festival Grounds (Tana Petrich & Susan Thornton, Chair) Expect to stand for long periods of time and to present a pleasant demeanor to people waiting in line for author signings. greet visitors and authors prepare author signing areas help maintain traffic flow, establishing lines for author signings provide loss prevention at entrances and exits by counting number of books people bring into the book sales tent and in turn checking receipts and bags upon exiting the tent assist in the set-up of tent, setting up tables & chairs, hanging posters and signage Sign up for this job Print description Capitol Room Monitors & Guides Location: Festival Grounds (Juanita Pichler & Melinda Eppler, Chair) Volunteers will: prepare rooms before and after each presentation count those in attendance monitor late entrances such as managing doors so they don't slam/make noise, exits and hall noise as needed generally help with crowd control as attendees enter and exit presentations assist visitors in finding their way around the Capitol and Capitol Extension direct traffic inside the Capitol volunteers will be contacted to discuss specific needs and scheduling note: the Capitol Grill will be open this year VOLUNTEER NEED FOR THIS EVENT: About 50% full. NEEDS MANY MORE VOLUNTEERS INCLUDING SUNDAY. Sign up for this job Print description Entertainment Tent Location: Festival Grounds (Roger Polson, Chair) Volunteers will: escort entertainers and assist them with loading and unloading equipment assist with crowd hospitality help clean the tent and straighten chairs between performances monitor the product table and assist with CD/media sales Sign up for this job Print description Exhibitor Hospitality Location: Festival Grounds (Debra Saleny, Chair) Volunteers will: monitor food/drink supplies for Festival exhibitors & volunteers at the Hospitality tent help set up & maintain Hospitality area transport supplies from concessions to these exhibitor or volunteer areas VOLUNTEER NEED: Only about 10% full. NEEDS MANY MORE VOLUNTEERS, INCLUDING SUNDAY Sign up for this job Print description Family Life Center Events Location: Festival Grounds Volunteers will: Assist with crowd control and hospitality Answer questions from attendees Assist with set up for presentations Sign up for this job Print description Information Booth & Festival Guides Location: Festival Grounds (Dawn Vogler, Chair) Volunteers will: provide maps, directions, and information to Festival attendees assist people in locating programs and activities answer festival-related questions welcome people to the festival, and present a positive, helpful attitude to festival-goers Volunteers will be assigned to work at either the information booth or may be asked to work as a Festival Guide Sign up for this job Print description Lifestyle Tent Location: Festival Grounds (Pat Saunders, Chair) Volunteers will: Assist with crowd hospitality Maintain traffic flow in and out of the tent and for book signings Assist speakers and panelists Make runs to the festival Capitol grounds if supplies or equipment is needed Assist with tent set-up Sign up for this job Print description Logistics / Parking / Festival Grounds Transportation Location: Festival Grounds (Jann Girard, Chair) Volunteers may be asked to help with any of the following tasks: transport people and/or supplies on the festival grounds assist with traffic control in parking areas Sign up for this job Print description Merchandise Tents Location: Festival Grounds (LaDonna Castanuela & Michelle Lingo, Chair) Volunteers will: Assist with merchandise sales Need to be able to stand, bend, reach, and do light lifting become familiar with the merchandise including sizes, size availability, material greet the public and list various merchandise and costs prepare and maintain the merchandise sales booths assist with inventory, boxing, unpacking and arranging merchandise for sale some volunteers will be specifically assigned to cash registers and these people will receive appropriate training and be expected to handle cash and credit card information responsibly Note: there are TWO merchandise tents (Adult & Children’s). Volunteers will be assigned to work at one of these two tents, both located on the Festival Grounds. Sign up for this job Print description Pre-festival support Location: TBF Office and Various Other Locations (Andrea Prestridge & Clay Smith, Chair) Volunteers will: Provide general office, clerical support such as filing, prepare mailings, and data processing May also be asked to deliver gift bags (must have reliable transportation) Assistance is needed on a variety of dates PRIOR to the festival Please enter dates / times you are available to assist Pre Festival Support within the COMMENT BOX located on the volunteer form. Thank you. Sign up for this job Print description Sanctuary Events Location: 1201 Lavaca St. (Ann Teich, Chair) Various Texas Book Festival events to be held at the Sanctuary, located at 1201 Lavaca Street. Events at the Sanctuary are scheduled only for Saturday. Volunteers will: Assist with room set up for panel presentations Greet attendees Other duties as assigned Sign up for this job Print description Signage Location: Festival Grounds (David Spradling, Chair) Volunteers will: assist in placing signs before Festival begins and picking up signs when Festival is over help in assessing where additional signage is needed Sign up for this job Print description Surprise Me! (Floaters) Location: Festival Grounds Volunteers will: Be assigned to where needed the most, and may include any of the above jobs, or ‘last minute’ new assignments. May also include “Floaters” (fill in where needed) Sign up for this job Print description TBF After Hours Location: Various, TBD (Clay Smith, Chair) Volunteers will: Be assigned to assist at festival events held at various locations in the Austin area Be asked to help with a variety of duties, as needed Must have own transportation to events Sign up for this job Print description Volunteer Tent Location: Festival Grounds (Leigh Kilman, Chair) Volunteers will: greet volunteers at the Volunteer Tent assist with checking in volunteers at the Volunteer Tent distribute name tags and volunteer T-shirts to volunteers direct volunteers to the location of their assignment gather evaluations about the volunteer experience may be asked to make assignments on demand – such as assigning “floaters”, as needed VOLUNTEER NEED FOR THIS EVENT: Only 25% full. Needs several more volunteers, including Sunday. Sign up for this job Print description Children's Book Signing Location: Festival Grounds - Children's Tent (V. Vera, Chair) Volunteers will: help maintain traffic flow in the book sales and signing areas greet visitors and authors prepare author signing areas assist with inventory, boxing, unpacking and arranging books some volunteers will be specifically assigned to cash registers: these people will receive appropriate training and be expected to handle cash responsibly Sign up for this job Print description Children's Demonstrations and Activities Location: Festival Grounds - Children's Tent (Elizabeth Murphy, Chair) Volunteers will: guide children of all ages, from preschool through middle school, in making reading-related crafts, like bookmarks, story-character hats, personalized books, and cartoons direct children and parents in the area and answer questions keep the area neat assist with setup and teardown of demonstration materials, chairs, and signage greet parents and children, assist as needed Sign up for this job Print description Children's Entertainment Location: Festival Grounds - Children's Tent (Jane Sheafer & Wendy Todd, Chair) Volunteers will: set up props and provide technical assistance for storytellers and entertainers dress up in story character costumes (costumes provided) direct children and parents in the area and answer questions help to quiet children before and during storytelling keep the area neat assist with crowd hospitality before and during storytelling Volunteer Need: Children's Entertainment is currently full. Please pick another volunteer job description. The Book Festival needs MANY more volunteers overall. Thank you. Sign up for this job Print description Children's Reading Location: Festival Grounds - Children's Tent (Ann Minner & DJ Harris, Chair) Volunteers will: assist with setup and teardown of table materials, chairs, and signage greet authors and Master of Ceremony at check-in table replenish stock of bottled water for authors assist the Master of Ceremony in quieting the crowd help in clearing the tent escort authors to other areas of the Festival monitor children in attendance Sign up for this job Print description