by Mary Keeling, May 2016

A solo librarian has only so many hours in the day, but hundreds of tasks comprise a strong library program. Consider how coordinating the actions of volunteers can enrich and extend library services.

People volunteer for a variety of reasons. A successful volunteer program will meet the needs of volunteers and avoid things that turn people away (Beck). To develop a volunteer program, the librarian needs to plan tasks, projects, and job descriptions; match volunteers with appropriate work; orient new volunteers to the library and school; train and supervise so tasks are done correctly; engage socially with volunteers; and express appreciation (Driggers and Dumas 2013).

Advance Planning

Determine what volunteers will do. Some jobs will be ongoing, but others can be stand-alone or short-term projects. Volunteers need a sense of accomplishment, so build in as many checkpoints as possible. Design some tasks that volunteers can complete in one work session. Describe each job or project in terms of expected outcomes and skills. Concrete descriptions help you talk with potential volunteers about things they can do. This helps people realize that they CAN help or benefit from helping in the library (McGown 2007).

Decide on attendance standards and responsibilities (Drigger and Dumas 2013). If the volunteer is responsible for daily maintenance or service desk hours, provide a list of substitutes and a procedure for notifying the librarian of an absence. Document procedures for the volunteer program in a central location, website, or handbook. In addition to the job descriptions and expectations, include school board policy requirements and conflict resolution procedures (Driggers and Dumas 2013).

Match Volunteer Interests and Skills to Tasks

Parent organizations recruit volunteers at the beginning of the school year. Contact potential volunteers immediately to discuss your needs and theirs. A prompt response prevents the feeling that they were not really needed (Beck). Be open to a variety of skills and interests. McGown describes several library tasks tailored to personal needs and schedules: a dad drops in monthly to clean computers screens and AV equipment; a home-bound parent covers paperback books in Mylar; parents come in before or after carpool to help with shelving or repair; others help students find materials, complete assignments, or stay on task (McGown 2007).

Orientation, Training, and Supervision

Once volunteers have been given a task, the librarian orients them to the library and the school, provides training, and supervises the work to make sure the volunteer can do the work properly. Include the basics of library ethics, such as the right to read, confidentiality, and student privacy (Bogel 2013). Explain how the volunteer's task contributes to student learning or relates to other work in the library. Finally, be sure to introduce the volunteer to other staff members and show them where the staff lounge and restrooms are located! Volunteers need to feel they are a part of the school. You can facilitate that connection (Driggers and Dumas 2013).

Engage Socially

Two reasons people volunteer are to feel better about themselves and to meet people (Beck). Volunteers need to belong. Greet them as they arrive and spend a few minutes talking with them. Make sure they know you are interested in them as individuals, and facilitate their social interactions with other volunteers and staff members. Be positive about the school community and refrain from gossip (McGown 2007). Taking time to talk with volunteers helps prevent problems, too. Occasionally issues between team members will arise, and it is best to address them early (Driggers and Dumas 2013).

Express Appreciation

Volunteers give of their time and skills and need to be appreciated! At the very least, thank them every time they work. Thank them for a specific action that contributed to the library's purpose, such as: "Thank you for repairing that book so Liz could borrow it today. She was thrilled!" Consider sending personal thank you notes; hosting an appreciation event; putting bookplates in new books to honor volunteers; highlighting a "volunteer of the month" in some form of communication; or other small tokens of appreciation (McGown 2007).

Volunteers are an important part of a library program, but building a team takes time, planning, and effort. Begin to plan today for next year's volunteers so you can enrich and extend your impact.

Works Cited:

Beck, Evelyn. "Why Don't People Volunteer? The Real Reasons People Don't Help, and What You Can Do about It." PTO Today: Helping Parent Leaders Make Schools Great. http://www.ptotoday.com/pto-today-articles/article/5940-why-dont-people-volunteer (1/3/2016)

Bogel, Gayle. "The Art of Managing Volunteers in the School Library." School Library Monthly 29, no. 4 (2013): 26-28.

Driggers, Preston, and Eileen Dumas. "Rights and Duties of Library Volunteers." In Whole Library Handbook V, ed. George M. Eberhart, 109-113. American Library Association, 2013.

McGown, Sue W. "Valuable Volunteers: How to Find, Use, and Keep Them." Library Media Connection 26, no. 2 (2007): 10-13