Street Books is Hiring: Part-Time Street Librarian

Street Librarian position

Part-time 12-15 hours/week

$25/hour

Status: Non-exempt/hourly

Supervisor: Library Operations Coordinator

Benefits: Holidays, paid time off, books.

Founded in June, 2011, Street Books is a bicycle-powered non-profit mobile library, serving people who live outside in Portland, Oregon. Street Books librarians set up shifts around the city of Portland at the same time and place each week. There are no fees and no fines and if we don’t cross paths again, we encourage folks to pass the books on to people who will enjoy them.

Position Summary: Street Books is hiring a new street librarian. This part-time, regular position, 12-15 hours per week, involves relationship-building with the community and serving as a bike-based Street Librarian. This includes regular weekly shifts and substitute shifts if needed. These shifts are currently usually on weekdays.

Responsibilities:

  • Assist with, and sometimes lead, library shifts.  

  • Stock the bike library, bike it to the designated shift, and return it to the garage after the shift

  • Recommend and lend books to patrons, and distribute other supplies like notebooks, flashlights, hygiene kits, and seasonally appropriate warm-weather gear.

  • Cultivate community and develop mutual relationships with Patrons.

  • Keep a log that tracks information and stories. 

  • Track and submit a timesheet monthly.

  • Participate actively in equity work.

  • Read and respond to slack messages, email, and any Street Books-related phone calls/texts.

  • Lift up to 30 lbs, ride a heavy bike or trike, navigate stairs and/or loading docks

  • Attend paid meetings, retreats, events, and trainings as needed and requested.

  • Other responsibilities as needed and requested. 

Required qualifications/experience for all Street Books staff:

  • Commitment to and experience with using an anti-oppressions lens in day-to-day work and interactions, as well as organizational and program development

  • Ability to be warm and welcoming with library patrons and others in an ever-changing, sometimes demanding environment

  • Willingness to work collaboratively with a spirit of cooperation

  • Ability to be punctual with regular attendance

  • Commitment to ensuring policies and practices are followed that lead to safe and successful program experiences for all

Preferred qualifications/experience:

  • Lived experience with houselessness or working with unhoused people

  • Experience with harm reduction and conflict de-escalation

  • Ability to listen to perspectives different from one’s own and engage in mutual, good-faith conversation with all kinds of people

  • A love of reading and books.

To Apply:  

Send a resume, a page answering the application questions, and a cover letter addressing your experience related to the qualifications and responsibilities listed above to hiring@streetbooks.org. Application questions: In 250 words or less, please describe your social justice and anti-oppressions practices. In 100 words or less, What is one of your favorite books and why?

Street Books is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action, Equity-focused organization. BIPOC people and people with experience with houselessness are encouraged to apply. 

Looking Ahead, With Gratitude

Thank you for your support at the end of 2022! As our city grapples with the continued housing shortage and debates various solutions, (ranging from interesting to inhumane), Street Books holds to the idea that each one of our library patrons is a walking story and that story matters.  It's vital that the voices of our most displaced people be part of the narrative as we find a place for every person to call home. Want to have a conversation about this and learn more about the stories we encounter every day? Invite the authors of Loaners: The Making of a Street Library to speak to your book group or organization and have a discussion about how to build a more compassionate response to houselessness in our community. Email laura@streetbooks.org to learn more. 

Thank you! Your donations in November and December not only helped us meet our matching grant from the Dos Corazones Family Fund, but also helped raise twice our goal!  Stay tuned in 2023 as we continue to provide books and community support, partner with more community-based organizations to provide libraries and librarians, co-host a world summit for bike-based street libraries, and support book groups reading Loaners: The Making of a Street Library.

Thanks to your support, Street Books continues to grow and address the need for literature, connection, equity and compassion in our community. With your help, we are able to:

  • provide literature that reflects the experiences of our library patrons

  • supply information and gear during extreme weather and global pandemic, as well as reading glasses for books, (and medication bottles)

  • offer fully paid healthcare to staff who work 30 hours a week or more 

  • work on systems change and equity within our own organization, so we live the change we want to help create in the world

Thank you for being behind us - we could not do this work without you!

Thank you, beautiful people

Thanks to everybody who came out to our fall celebration and vigil last night. The citizenry of Portland showed up for the solemnity of the vigil against the sweeps and the joy of the dance party that followed. Check out our Instagram & Facebook pages to see photos of all the good times. Happy autumn and love & solidarity from the Street Books crew.

You're Invited...Justice & Care: Fall Vigil & Celebration of Community

Last Thursday, librarians checked out 36 books in Old Town, (eight of them poetry collections), and gave away ten coloring books. Whatever else one might read about Old Town right now, let it also be known that there is poetry there. Big thanks to our library patrons and librarians for showing up each week with love.

Speaking of love, please mark your calendars for our fall event:

Justice & Care: Fall Vigil & Celebration of Community

  • Thursday, September 29th, 5:30-7:30

  • South Park Blocks between SW Jefferson & SW Madison

  • Vigil 6:30. Dancing 7:00

  • Bring a love note for Street Books patrons and librarians and join us for a vigil against the sweeps and a celebration of community care and resistance!

Refreshments, candles, music and community provided.

Intern Elijah Freiman (left) and Library Operations Coordinator Josh Pollock (right), outside their shift at Trinity Cathedral


Street Books Summer Launch: June 6, 11-1

It’s Street Books’ 12th Summer Season of providing bicycle-based library books and community to our neighbors living outside in Portland, Oregon. We want to celebrate! Support us by donating reading glasses, coloring books, graphic novels, and art supplies, (colored pencils and gel pens especially). These are popular with our library patrons! And of course, your financial support is always appreciated. To donate books, please consider purchasing from smaller, independent bookstores like Third Eye Books and Annie Bloom's Books. (We are not currently accepting hardback books due to the weight on the bikes and in people’s backpacks - thank you for understanding!)

And Join us for Street Books Revelry in the Park Book Celebration and Summer Season Kick-off featuring Leapin’ Louie Comedy Cowboy, Portland Taiko, a kick-off of our 12th season with our brand new library bike, cake and cookies! HOMEpdx will be serving their regular Monday lunchtime good food and hospitality.  Monday, June 6th, 11:00-1:00 in the South Park Blocks between SW Jefferson and SW Madison- in partnership with our community partner - HOMEpdx!

Where to donate: 

  1. At the Summer Season Kick-off Event (see info above and please join us!)

  2. At the office - We are located at SE 12th and Stark on the ground floor of the St. Francis  Apartments please see the hours we are there and let us know you are coming by emailing librarian@streetbooks.org!

  3. Community-Owned, Worker-Run Alberta Co-op Grocery- 1500 NE Alberta St. Portland, OR 97211

  4. Financial donations, reading glasses and art supplies can be mailed to PO Box 13642, Portland OR 97213

March News From Street Books

Kerry loves science fiction and fantasy novels best, but she recently stopped by Street Books headquarters for some nonfiction in the form of her copy of Loaners: The Making of a Street Library. A longtime library patron, Kerry was featured in a documentary two years ago, talking about what it means to have access to good books and community. Kerry is just one of thousands of library patrons who have navigated life on the streets in Portland and we are grateful that she is part of our Street Books family. Your donation ensures our patrons can request books to be delivered to them in person by their librarian.

It's safe to say the Street Books team hit the ground running in 2022. Here are a few highlights:

  • Outdoor library shifts in the city, including at St. Johns, the Park Blocks, p:ear, Street Roots newspaper, among others

  • Twice weekly library shifts at our office at St. Francis Park Apartments

  • Distribution of hats, hand-warmers, socks and blankets during the cold snap

  • The addition of Monica Beemer to our team, to help build infrastructure and expand our staff. Learn more about Monica on our staff page

  • A celebration for Valentine's Day, offering books, along with homemade valentines, cookies and hats along the waterfront in southeast Portland

At Street Books we believe in empowering people on the streets through access to literature and creating a community of support through a shared love of books. Stay tuned for news about upcoming events and until then, we are grateful for your support of our mission. Be well, stay safe and take good care.