Every year, the South Dakota Humanities Council (SDHC) sponsors the annual Festival of Books. The Festival - being held in Brookings September 20th-22nd this year – is SDHC’s premiere event, involving the participation of dozens of the most contemporary authors and illustrators. (More information about the Festival can be found at https://sdhumanities.org/festival-of-books/.)
There are a number of volunteer roles we are seeking to fill, including the following:
Info/Welcome Booth volunteers answer questions for Festival attendees. Volunteers will communicate locations of events and respond to general Festival inquiries (e.g., times of events; locations of venues, first aid, restrooms, food, and parking). Volunteers might also assist SDHC staff with Volunteer Check-In or other needs at the SDHC Information Booth.
Session Facilitators are responsible for introducing authors at the beginning of sessions. Using a provided script, volunteers will give a brief author introduction and thank Festival sponsors. Facilitators will also place table tents identifying presenting authors on the podium or table, ensure that sessions start and end on time, and record session attendance. On occasion, and only when discussed ahead of time, facilitators might moderate panel discussions by asking provided questions.
Session Support Staff are responsible for greeting and seating Festivalgoers. Support staff will keep track of session attendance and confirm with the facilitator. In the event a facilitator fails to show up, the support staff will serve as facilitator. Support staff may assist with running A/V equipment (or finding an A/V tech or venue staff member to help) and preventing interruptions (for example, audience members coming in early for the following session) once the program begins.
Venue Captains are responsible for facilitating the flow of people within a venue and accommodating the needs of facilitators and session support staff by calling or running to the SDHC Information Booth. They should check each session room in their venue prior to the start of each session, to see that volunteers are present and to ask whether they need anything.
Book-Signing Coordinators are responsible for assisting authors and Festivalgoers during the mass book signings. Authors might require their books to be opened to a specific page and/or the recipient’s name to be printed on a post-it note. Festivalgoers might also need help finding specific authors.
Author Check-In volunteers will greet authors upon arrival, provide them with Festival materials, and answer questions. The check-in is located in the Red Room Red Room at the Comfort Suites University (down the hall from the hotel front desk),
Author Transportation volunteers will drive authors from the Sioux Falls Regional Airport to hotels in Sioux Falls and Brookings, from hotels or Festival venues to local schools or other venues for visits, and from Brookings back to the Sioux Falls Regional Airport. Drivers will be reimbursed mileage if requested ($0.67/mile).
To sign up, please complete the Volunteer Interest Form: 2024 Festival of Books
For more information, contact SDHC at (605) 688-6113.
