Managing a Vibrant Volunteer Program

Presented by: Kimberly Sharp

Handouts• PowerPoint Handouts for

taking notes• For all other support

documents, visit: http://volunteerprograms.wikispaces.com/

Agenda• Adult Volunteers

– Recruiting– Training– Utilizing– Celebrating

• Student Volunteers– Recruiting– Training– Utilizing– Celebrating

ADULT VOLUNTEERS

Recruiting• Parents

– Create Flyers• Ivy Creek, Gwin Oaks, White Oak

– Website from Dyer Elementary– Volunteer Table on Registration Day– PTA Information & School Newsletters– Casual Conversation

• Business Partners• Community Members

– Colleges & Universities– Senior Citizens – Retired Teacher Organizations

Recruiting – Unique Ideas• Sandy Wise of Twin Rivers Middle hands out

invitations in the car rider line! “Encourage parents to get out of the weather and pick their children up in the media center!”

• Ask the PTA to make Library Volunteers a committee. Encourage room parents to recruit two people per classroom!

Recruiting• Find out your current volunteers’ plans for next

year.• Invite potential volunteers to shadow a current

volunteer.• Set up a tentative schedule to begin the first

week of school.• Prepare schedule reminders to send home once

the volunteer has been added to the schedule.

Training• Group Orientation• Individual Training• Strengths & Weaknesses

Group Orientation• Invitations• Advertise the Event

– School Calendar– Website– Welcome sign in Lobby

• Allow 45 minutes – 1 hour• Snacks!• Door Prizes

Group Orientation Agenda• Welcome & Introductions• Available Jobs

– Shelving– Assisting students– Check-in/check-out– Creating displays– Copying flyers and teaching materials– Supervising & training student volunteers– Storytime– Special projects (i.e. Book Fair 9/14-9/26)

Group Orientation Agenda• Important Documents

– AUP– Volunteer Guidelines– Patron Privacy

• Scheduling– Every week or every other week – your

preference! – Carol Bates from Hull Middle School suggests

sticking to weekly volunteers to avoid confusion– Sharon Amolo posts her volunteer schedule on

her website.• Handbook

Group Orientation Agenda• Tour

– Everybody (E)– Fiction (FIC)– Non-Fiction (Dewey Number)– Professional (PROF)– Reference (REF)– AV– Special Collections– Workrooms

Group Orientation Agenda• Circulation Desk

– Log-In– Check-In & Check-Out– Pay attention to “honking”

Sound and other alerts– Rules

• 1 book for K, 2 for everyone else • Teachers unlimited – no need to stamp• No books if overdue or outstanding fines• Can renew once

• Problem Situations• Schedule Reminders

Individual Training• Get to know your volunteer!• Introduce volunteers to the students• Shadow Train• Specific Tasks

Strengths & Weaknesses• Creative? • Detail Oriented?• Perfectionist?• Artsy?• Social?• Friendly?• Grouchy?• Timely?• Consistent?• English-Speaking?

Tricks & Treats• Invitations• Welcome update calendars, schedules• Update any missing paperwork or contact info• Tweak the schedule as needed• Review upcoming special events• Go over Catalog

– Library Searches– Locating AV Materials– Books on Hold

• Q & A• Pumpkin Voting• Don’t forget holiday snacks & door prizes!

Utilizing Volunteers• Keep everyone busy!!• Maintain an ongoing list of tasks for volunteers

– Shelving– Working the Circulation Desk– Reading shelves for accuracy– Straightening tables, chairs, computers, etc.

• Specialty Assignments– Create bulletin boards– Monthly book displays– Book Repair– Cover paperback books– Book Processing

Utilizing Volunteers• Copying• Die-Cutting• Book-Binding• Pulling books for teachers• Laminating

Utilizing Volunteers• Big Events

– Book Fair– Inventory– Author Visits

Celebrating• Say Thank You – OFTEN• Write personal thank you notes for extra effort

– Inventory– Book Fair

• Provide Certificates of Appreciation• Share Encouraging Words• Award a “Volunteer of the Month”• Donate books in their honor with book plates• Recognize Birthdays

Special Events• Evites• Christmas Luncheon• Christmas Party• End of Year Breakfast

– Volunteer Book Plate• Host a Tea Party (February)• Fall Luncheon

Gift Ideas• Plants• Books• Stationery• Recipe Cards• Cute office supplies• Mouse pad with photo of child• Coffee Cups filled with candy• Homemade Bookmarks

Organizational Aids• Nametags• Sign In Sheets• Library Accounts• Contact List

Potential Challenges• Inconsistency

– Encourage them to find substitutes if they can’t make it. Welcome them back anytime!

• Lazy Workers– Give them less urgent tasks.

• Too Much Talking!– Redirect! “I’m sorry to interrupt, but could you

help me with ______.”• Nosy

– Watch what you say in front of volunteers.• Incompetent

– Find the job for which they are most capable!

STUDENT VOLUNTEERS

Recruiting• 4th & 5th Grade Library Orientation• Applications• Teacher Recommendations

Training• All applicants attend a 30 minute session• Stress HARD work & GREAT behavior• Media Leaders represent the media center• Explain selection process• Describe shelving methods

– Call Numbers– Left to Right/Top to Bottom– Dewey Classification

• Students put Call Number flash cards in order• Test shelve 3 books• Order in the Library Site

Selection• Acceptance is Based on:

– Quality of Application– Teacher Recommendation– Student Performance in Training– Available Work Times

• Semester Schedule– Group A & Group B– Stellar Group A members will be invited to remain

media helpers all year long.• Scheduled 20-30 minutes one day per week.

Utilizing Volunteers• Daily Instructions• Errands & Classroom Deliveries• Cleaning & Straightening• Preparing flyers to send home• Pick up and deliver newspapers• Unpacking copy paper• Cleaning and re-filing letters from school sign• Logging computers off and on• Shelving• Helping younger students• Adopt a Shelf• Job Jar

Celebrating• Award Certificate• Free Book at Book Fair• Pizza Party

Organizational Aids• Nametags• Sign In Sheets

Questions & Answers?This entire presentation and all supporting

documents can be accessed at the following site:http://volunteerprograms.wikispaces.com/

Contact InformationKimberly SharpMedia Specialist

Ivy Creek Elementary SchoolKimberly_Sharp@gwinnett.k12.ga.us

Contributions from Gwinnett Colleagues ~ Thank You!!• Judy Parks, Ivy Creek Elementary• Sharon Amolo, Gwin Oaks Elementary• Ammee Robbins, White Oak Elementary• Carol Bates, Hull Middle• Houston Cloer & Beth Smith, North Gwinnett

Middle• Giselle Escobar, Richards Middle• Paula Flageolle, Dyer Elementary• Linda Houghton, Camp Creek Elementary• Sandy Wise, Twin Rivers Middle• Shannon Scott, Patrick Elementary

Resources• Anderson, C. (1998, November/December).

Salute Your Library Volunteers. Library Talk , 11 (5), p. 15.

• Barban, L. (1997, June/July). Building Character and Responsibility: A Decade of Junior Volunteers. American Libraries , pp. 94-96.

• Berg, B. (2004, January). Shelving Ambitions. Library Media Connection , p. 32.

• Bourke, C. (2009, December). Working with Older Volunteers: Opportunities and Potential. Aplis , 22 (4), pp. 181-183.

Resources• Curriculum Review. (1994, November). How to

Get Parents to Volunteer at School. Curriculum Review , p. 10.

• Davis, S. K. (2004, September/October). Harnessing the Power of Parent Volunteers. Knowledge Quest , 33 (1), pp. 30-31.

• Farmer, L. S. (1995, January/February). Managing Volunteers Through Managing Yourself. Book Report , 13 (4), pp. 19-20.

• Fullner, S. K. (2004, January). Perks, Rewards, and Glory: The Care and Feeding of Volunteers. Library Media Connection , pp. 38-39.

Resources• Gallo, E. M. (2010, Winter). A Year in

Volunteering at the Library. Young Adult Library Services , pp. 17-19.

• McGown, S. W. (2007, October). Valuable Volunteers: How to Find, Use, and Keep Them. Library Media Connection , pp. 10-13.

• Nicol, E. A., & Johnson, C. M. (2008). Volunteers in Libraries: Program Structure, Evaluation and Theoretical Analysis. Reference and User Services Quarterly , 48 (2), pp. 154-163.

Resources• Smallwood, C. (1999, January/February).

Training Students and Adult Assistants, Interns and Volunteers: Tips for New Librarians Servicing Small Libraries. Book Report , 17 (4), pp. 24-26.

• Snyder, B. (2009, August/September). Recruiting Library Volunteers. Library Media Connection , pp. 22-23.

• Suellentrop, T. (2007, December). Step Right Up. School Library Journal , p. 24.

• Troisi, A. (1997, November/December). 105 Things Parent Volunteers Can Do - Other Than Raising Funds. Library Talk , 11 (5), pp. 10-12.

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