Library Volunteers Welcome!: Strategies for Attracting, Retaining and Making the Most of Willing Helpers

by Carol Smallwood (Editor), Lura Sanborn (Editor)

Overview

Volunteers are crucial to the daily operation of any library. Finding and retaining the right people, motivating them and matching their skills with projects is challenging. This collection of 30 new essays brings together the experiences of numerous individuals across the U.S., providing ideas, projects and best practices for volunteer recruiting and management.

The contributors--among them library board members, heads of special collections, directors of state library associations, outreach coordinators, archivists and researchers--discuss a broad range of topics in five sections: recruitment and retention; policies and process; mentoring and empowering; placement, programs and responsibilities; and outreach.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476623825
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	09/02/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	264
File size:	4 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

A Michigan resident, Carol Smallwood has practiced in school, public and special libraries. Her primary interest is practical librarianship, and she is the author of journal articles and editor of numerous books. Lura Sanborn is the instruction & research librarian at St. Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire.
A Michigan resident, Carol Smallwood has practiced in school, public and special libraries. Her primary interest is practical librarianship, and she is the author of journal articles and editor of numerous books.
Lura Sanborn is the instruction & research librarian at St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Foreword by James LaRue
Preface
Part I: Recruitment and Retention
More Meaningful Recognition, Support and Appreciation of Volunteers
(Jeannine Berroteran)
Retaining English as a Second Language Tutors for an Adult Literacy
Program at a ­Joint-Use Library (Rayla Hanselmann and Rachel Dellinger)
Projects to Increase Teen Volunteer Retention and Get More Done! (Monena M. Hall)
Creating Carrots: Promoting Productivity and Motivating Student Workers in Academic Libraries (Patti Gibbons)
Finding and Keeping Good Volunteers: From Recruitment to Sustainability (Carla Campbell Lehn)
Recruitment (Lindsey F. Smith)
Retaining Volunteers: How to Get Volunteers to Stay for the ­Long-Term (Felicia M. Vertrees)
Part II: Policies and Process
Why Not a Volunteer Interview? (Jeannine Berroteran)
Volunteers and Policy: Working Together for the Support of All (Su Epstein)
Going Beyond Shelving: Meaningful Internships for Student and
Academic Library Success (Theresa McDevitt and Judith Hagan Villa)
Volunteer Partnerships: Defining Success (Maryann Mori)
How to Undermine Your Volunteer Program: A Dozen Ways to Fail (Faye C. Roberts)
Job Descriptions: Roadmaps to Success (Faye C. Roberts)
Part III: Mentoring and Empowering
Training Tomorrow’s Workforce: Teaching Lifelong Job Skills and
Cultivating Professionalism During Student Employment (Patti Gibbons)
Recruit, Retain and Advise: The Role of the ­Librarian-Mentor in the
Volunteer Experience (Keith Phelan Gorman and Kathelene McCarty Smith)
Rethinking Volunteerism in the Academic Library: Shifting Attitudes
Toward a Skilled Workforce (Keith Phelan Gorman and Kathelene McCarty Smith)
Service Learners: Taking Teens to the Next Level (Chelsie Harris and Miko Osada)
Empowered and Empowering: Library Outreach with Older Volunteers (André R. Powe)
Recognition (Lindsey F. Smith)
Part IV: Placement, Programs and Responsibilities
Teaching Technology with Volunteers in the Library (Justin de la Cruz)
Technology Volunteers in the Idea Lab: Fun with Robotics and Computer ­Programming (Justin de la Cruz)
Volunteers in Academic Libraries: The Southeastern Louisiana University Experience (Eric W. Johnson and Janie Branham)
Maximize Teen Engagement with Highly Skilled Teen Volunteers (Jane Gov)
Baby Boomer Volunteers: Make the Best Use of Their Skills (Carla Campbell Lehn)
Tapping into Teens (Maryann Mori)
Part V: Outreach
Volunteers with Disabilities: How to Make It Work (Carrie S. Banks)
Volunteer Handlers and Therapy Dogs: An Innovative Community
Outreach Activity for Libraries (Mary Renck Jalongo and Theresa McDevitt)
Case Study: Get Involved: Powered by Your Library—A California Statewide Library Volunteer Initiative (Carla Campbell Lehn)
Volunteers in Archives, Special Collections and Special Libraries
Academic Settings (Tomaro I. Taylor)
How to Leverage Library Volunteers for Community Outreach (Felicia M. Vertrees)
About the Contributors
Index

Editorial Reviews

exceptionally well organized and presented”—Midwest Book Review; “A handy anthology of practical advice for institutions looking to build mutually rewarding relationships with volunteers of all stripes, from students to retirees.”—Kate Swisher, Registrar, DuSable Museum of African American History; “This is a valuable resource for any size or type of library with a large volunteer base...or for any library seeking to build their volunteer program. The tips on training volunteers to help with technology training are particularly timely.”—Jenny Brewer, City Librarian, Helen Hall Library, League City, Texas; “If you are searching for a wealth of practical ideas and solutions to working with library volunteers, look no further than this outstanding resource!”—Gloria G. Adams, President, Board of Trustees, Peninsula Library & Historical Society; “This volume provides a wealth of information on using volunteers in your library; from selecting and training, to recognizing and appreciating their efforts; this resource has the answers you need for your volunteer program to thrive.”—Karen Evans, Reference and Instruction Librarian, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Indiana.

From the Publisher