About
Calling all lovers of literature to volunteer at JLF Colorado—an annual international literature festival of books, ideas, stories and camaraderie—September 13-14, 2025 at Boulder Public Library. A proud sister festival of the world-renowned Jaipur Literature Festival, JLF Colorado is produced by Teamwork Arts and has been hosted in Boulder every year since 2014. Each September, we collaborate to bring inspiring authors and thought leaders to discuss local and global issues. JLF Colorado is open to all and free to attend.
In Jaipur and each special city where JLF sister festivals are hosted, volunteers create an environment where ideas from different perspectives can be expressed and experienced and ensure equitable access to literature and art. Learn about volunteer roles at JLF Colorado below.
- Attendee Support (greeter, registration/check-in): Serve in a front facing customer service role. Invite the community to participate, greet authors, register and check-in attendees. Create a welcoming environment where ideas from different perspectives can flow freely.
- Author Support (author lounge, author liaison): Host authors in the author lounge and create a relaxing environment where they can rest and regroup. Serve as an author liaison to help authors get to venues on time for speaking engagements, pick up their books from the bookstore and set up for book signings.
- Production (set up, support, tear down): Leading up to the festival, prepare name badges for authors and speakers, assemble gift bags, put up signs and decorations, set up venues and author lounges. During the festival, work behind the scenes to set up stages, support audio visual, and overall logistics. After the last sessions, help pack up supplies, stack chairs, and help return the library to its usual state.
- Social Media Engagement: Build visibility for the event, authors, and artists. Repost JLF Colorado content leading up to the festival. During JLF Colorado Float throughout the festival and take photos and videos of morning music, sessions, passing periods, and attendees engaged in community. Share content with Teamwork Arts via WhatsApp so they can be shared during the festival.
- Venue Support (Canyon Theater, Brook, Steps): Help host sessions where discussions take place. Welcome authors, greet attendees, help people find open seats, manage entrance/exit and room capacity, facilitate use of the microphone during question and answer, guide authors to book signings, tidy and reset the room between sessions.
Sign up to volunteer by clicking on the blue 'Register' button. Search for shifts by typing in key words (attendee support, author support, venue support, production) and/or days (Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday). If you have questions or need help signing up, please message admin through this sign-up page or call (1) 983-888-0698. *Please note, this number cannot receive text messages.
Learn about this year's program and register:
1.All volunteers must work individually and as a team to create a welcoming environment where ideas from different perspectives can flow freely
2. Volunteers must complete one volunteer training session (~1.5 hours) prior to the festival. In training sessions, volunteers learn about the goals and roots of the festival, how to embody the library's mission, overview of the festival map, key responsibilities and tasks, and a walk-through tour of the venues.
3. Volunteers must be 18 years old to volunteer in the author lounge.
1️⃣ 10th & Walnut (beneath the St. Julien Hotel) across Canyon Boulevard from the library. Access from Walnut Street.
2️⃣ 11th and Walnut (above ground) across Canyon Boulevard from the library. Access from Walnut Street.
3️⃣ 14th & Walnut (adjacent to the Downtown Boulder bus station). Access from Walnut Street.
A few people you will meet... View All
Shifts (44)
| Shift | Start Time | End Time | Address | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday Production: Set up | 9:30am (MT) | 11:30am (MT) | Help Sunil from Teamwork Arts decorate the library for the festival. Wrap pillars in fabric, hang banners and signs. Set up tables and chairs. Tasks involve light lifting, standing and bending. | Over | ||
| Wednesday Production: Set up | 3:00pm (MT) | 5:00pm (MT) |
| Over |
| Shift | Start Time | End Time | Address | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday Production: Set up | 11:00am (MT) | 1:00pm (MT) | Transform the library into a vibrant festival and prepare to host authors and attendees. Help prepare badges for authors with Teamwork Arts, set up venue spaces and author lounges with the production team, put up signs, decorations, and finishing touches. | Over | |
| Thursday Production: Set up | 2:00pm (MT) | 4:00pm (MT) | Transform the library into a vibrant festival and prepare to host authors and attendees. Help prepare badges for authors with Teamwork Arts, set up venue spaces and author lounges with the production team, put up signs, decorations, and finishing touches. | Over |
| Shift | Start Time | End Time | Address | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday Production: Set up | 10:00am (MT) | 1:00pm (MT) | Transform the library into a vibrant festival and prepare to host authors and attendees. Help prepare badges for authors with Teamwork Arts, set up venue spaces and author lounges with the production team, put up signs, decorations, and finishing touches. | Over | |
| Friday Attendee Support: Pre-Event Registration | 10:30am (MT) | 2:00pm (MT) | Boulder Public Library Boulder, COLORADO 80302 | Serve in a front facing customer service role. Invite the public to attend, answer questions, and assist with online pre-registration. Volunteers need to be comfortable with basic technology and working with simple web-based forms. | Over |
| Friday Attendee Support: Pre-Event Registration | 1:45pm (MT) | 5:00pm (MT) | Serve in a front facing customer service role. Invite the public to attend, answer questions, and assist with online pre-registration. Volunteers need to be comfortable with basic technology and working with simple web-based forms. | Over | |
| Friday Production: Set up | 3:00pm (MT) | 6:00pm (MT) | Transform the library into a vibrant festival and prepare to host authors and attendees. Help prepare badges for authors with Teamwork Arts, set up venue spaces and author lounges with the production team, put up signs, decorations, and finishing touches. | Over |
| Shift | Start Time | End Time | Address | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday Attendee Support: Registration & Check-in | 8:00am (MT) | 12:30pm (MT) | Serve in a front facing customer service role. Invite people to register and check in for the festival, be a welcoming host, and answer questions as the festival unfolds. Volunteers need to be comfortable with basic technology and working with simple web-based forms. | Over | |
| Saturday Author Support, Author Lounge | 8:00am (MT) | 12:00pm (MT) | Author lounges are designated areas where authors can rest in-between speaking engagements. Help open the author lounge as the festival starts. Welcome authors, answer questions. and keep the lounge running smoothly. | Over | |
| Saturday Production: Support Morning Music & Sessions | 8:00am (MT) | 12:30pm (MT) | Set the stage literally and figuratively for JLF Colorado! Help produce the iconic morning music stage, support soundcheck, assist artists and event producers, carefully load instruments in/out if needed. After morning music help transition the venue for the inaugural session. Prepare additional venues to host first sessions of the day.... | Over | |
| Saturday Venue Manager Canyon | 8:00am (MT) | 6:15pm (MT) | Host morning music and festival sessions in the Canyon Theater. Set the tone for each session to be engaging and accessible, ensure smooth transitions, keep time, and create a platform where people can engage with ideas from different perspectives and practice civil discourse. | Over | |
| Saturday Venue Support Canyon | 8:15am (MT) | 1:00pm (MT) | Welcome authors and attendees to the venue, identify where there are open seats, manage door and capacity limits, facilitate use of microphone during Q&A, guide author(s) to book signing after the session. | Over | |
| Saturday Social Media Volunteer | 8:45am (MT) | 1:00pm (MT) | 1001 Arapahoe Avenue Boulder, COLORADO Social media volunteers will be added to a WhatsApp group where they can share content with Teamwork Arts marketing team. | Build overall visibility for the event, authors, and artists. Take photos and videos of morning music, sessions, passing periods, and attendees engaged in community. Share photos and videos with Teamwork Arts via Whatsapp so they can be shared. | Over |
| Saturday Author Liaison Canyon | 9:30am (MT) | 2:00pm (MT) | Make sure authors arrive at the Canyon Theater 15 minutes before the start of each session. Introduce author to venue support volunteers. Collaborate with Boulder Bookstore to set up book signing area during sessions. | Over | |
| Saturday Venue Manager Steps | 10:00am (MT) | 5:00pm (MT) | 1001 Arapahoe Avenue Boulder, COLORADO Steps is the Mount Sanitas room on the first floor of the Main Library | Serve as the host of Steps for Saturday and Sunday. Set the tone for each session to be engaging and accessible, create a platform where people can engage with ideas from different perspectives and practice civil discourse. | Over |
| Saturday Author Liaison Brook & Steps | 10:30am (MT) | 4:00pm (MT) | Make sure authors arrive at Brook and Steps Venues 15 minutes before the start of each session. Introduce author to venue support volunteers. Collaborate with Boulder Bookstore to set up book signing area during sessions. | Over | |
| Saturday Venue Support Steps | 10:45am (MT) | 5:00pm (MT) | Welcome authors and attendees to the venue, identify where there are open seats, manage door and capacity limits, facilitate use of microphone during Q&A, guide author(s) to book signing after the session. *From 12:00-1 pm volunteers will have a break to eat lunch and/or attend another session | Over |
| Shift | Start Time | End Time | Address | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday Attendee Support: Registration & Check-in | 10:00am (MT) | 1:45pm (MT) | Invite people to register and check in for the festival, be a welcoming host, and answer questions. Volunteers need to be comfortable with basic technology and working with simple web-based forms. | Over | ||
| Sunday Author Support, Author Lounge | 10:00am (MT) | 2:00pm (MT) | Author lounges are designated areas where authors can rest in-between speaking engagements. Help open the author lounge as the festival starts. Welcome authors, answer questions. and keep the lounge running smoothly. | Over | ||
| Sunday Venue Manager Canyon | 10:00am (MT) | 5:00pm (MT) | Host morning music and festival sessions in the Canyon Theater. Set the tone for each session to be engaging and accessible, ensure smooth transitions, keep time, and create a platform where people can engage with ideas from different perspectives and practice civil discourse. | Over | ||
| Sunday Venue Support Canyon | 10:15am (MT) | 2:00pm (MT) |
| Over | ||
| Sunday Production: Support Morning Music & Sessions | 10:30am (MT) | 2:30pm (MT) | Set the stage literally and figuratively for JLF Colorado! Help behind the scenes to produce the iconic morning music stage. Support soundcheck, ensure the stage is ready, assist artists with instruments and loading in/out if needed. After morning music help transition the venue for the inaugural session. Prepare additional venues... | Over | ||
| Sunday Social Media Volunteer | 10:45am (MT) | 5:00pm (MT) | 1001 Arapahoe Avenue Boulder, COLORADO Social media volunteers will be added to a WhatsApp group with Teamwork Arts and BPLD marketing teams. Content will be shared in the chat and then shared on social media. | Build overall visibility for the event, authors, and artists. Take photos and videos of morning music, sessions, passing periods, and attendees engaged in community. Share photos and videos with Teamwork Arts via Whatsapp so they can be shared. | Over | |
| Sunday Author Liaison Canyon | 11:30am (MT) | 5:00pm (MT) | Make sure authors arrive at the Canyon Theater 15 minutes before the start of each session. Introduce author to venue support volunteers. Collaborate with Boulder Bookstore to set up book signing area during sessions. | Over | ||
| Sunday Author Liaison Brook & Steps | 12:30pm (MT) | 3:30pm (MT) | Make sure authors arrive at Brook and Steps Venues 15 minutes before the start of each session. Introduce author to venue support volunteers. Collaborate with Boulder Bookstore to set up book signing area during sessions. | Over | ||
| Sunday Venue Manager Steps | 12:30pm (MT) | 3:45pm (MT) | 1001 Arapahoe Avenue Boulder, COLORADO Steps is the Mount Sanitas room on the first floor of the Main Library | Serve as the host of Steps for Saturday and Sunday. Set the tone for each session to be engaging and accessible, create a platform where people can engage with ideas from different perspectives and practice civil discourse. | Over | |
| Sunday Venue Support Brook | 12:45pm (MT) | 3:45pm (MT) | Welcome authors and attendees to the venue, identify where there are open seats, manage door and capacity limits, facilitate use of microphone during Q&A, guide author(s) to book signing after the session. | Over |
| Shift | Start Time | End Time | Address | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday Production: Tear down & Close | 9:00am (MT) | 12:00pm (MT) | Help return the library back to its usual state. Help the production team pack up supplies, stack chairs, bundle equipment, and close the loop. | Over |