volunteer with us

Volunteer sessions are held every Thursday and Sunday from 6pm to 10pm at 3106 East 14 1/2 Street, Austin, TX.

Volunteers open letters from people incarcerated in Texas prisons, select books to best fit the request, and make packages of books to send back to the person who requested them.

The books selected by the volunteers become the personal property of the recipient. Volunteers find this to be rewarding work that helps foster literacy, education, and a sense of connection with people who are behind bars.

Volunteer nights are fun, relaxed, and a great way to meet interesting people and make a real difference.

Please sign up to reserve a volunteer slot

  • New volunteers

    If you’re new to Inside Books Project, use the link below to schedule a time to volunteer with us.

    Sign Up

  • Returning Volunteers

    If you have volunteered with us within the last 6 months, please use this link.

    sign up

Volunteering with Inside Books Project can count towards most community service requirements. Please bring your own forms each time.

Due to the broad range of requests and the difficult topics that may come up in letters from people in prison, we require volunteers be at least 16 years old, or 15 years old with a parent present.

Unfortunately, we have very limited capacity to accommodate volunteer groups at this time. If you are interested in group volunteering opportunities, please email us with a description of your group, the number of people, and whether or not you or others have volunteered with us before.

For additional information, please email us at insidebooksproject@gmail.com

A stack of book packages ready to be mailed to people incarcerated in Texas

“The volunteer experience at IBP is one-of-a-kind. With a laid back but passionate staff, a welcoming environment, and a sense of shared purpose, volunteers at IBP are sure to leave knowing they made a difference in the daily life of Texas’ least looked-after population. The work that you guys do is important on so many levels! Books change lives; even those who no longer have freedom can choose to create their own through knowledge made available by IBP.”

— Traci K, volunteer