State Library of Louisiana Library System

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2014

Format:	Book
Author:	Holt, Leslie Edmonds.
Title:	Success with library volunteers / Leslie E. Holt and Glen E. Holt.
Publisher, Date:	Santa Barbara, California : Libraries Unlimited, an imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC, [2014] ©2014
Description:	xv, 156 pages ; 27 cm
Summary:	In these tough economic times, librarians must maximize the potential of their volunteer programs. This innovative guide not only provides readers with the practical information they need to recruit, manage, and retain effective volunteers, but also demonstrates how to create a dynamic volunteer program -- one that offers purposeful work and emphasizes rewards rather than rules and forms. Illustrated by best practices, this book also offers practical guidelines for evaluating the success of a volunteer program -- in terms of the library's benefit, and in terms of the experience from the volunteer's point of view.-- (Source of description not identified).
Subjects:	Volunteer workers in libraries -- United States.
Other Author:	Holt, Glen E.
Notes:	Includes bibliographical references and index. HOUSED IN REFERENCE.
Contents:	Basics -- Hidden volunteers -- Popular types of library volunteers -- Planning -- Recruitment, retention and recognition -- Evaluating your volunteer program -- Volunteers that require special attention -- Volunteer management information system -- The future of library volunteerism.
LCCN:	2013033814
ISBN:	9781610690485 1610690486
Other Number:	852220675
System Availability:	1
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Trade Reviews

Library Journal Review

Authored by professionals in school and public libraries, this work offers nine chapters to guide librarians in today's era of budget and staffing cuts successfully to recruit, use, and retain volunteers. Regardless of their type of library, readers will gain insight from the basics and information on everything from identifying volunteers to planning and evaluating effective use of these resources. Specific types of volunteers, such as Friends, youth, persons with disabilities, and partnerships are also explored, along with volunteer management information systems and the future of volunteers in libraries. Examples and guidance in creating one's own policies and practices will help all types of libraries to explore the use of volunteers, while those working in other fields may benefit from the ideas presented, too. The volume ends with a model of successful volunteering at the King County Library in Washington State for others to follow. VERDICT Readers can take advantage of all or part of this book, based on individual needs and existing policies regarding volunteer practices, and can use the material to open conversations regarding future volunteer use.-Sara Marcus, -Queensborough Community Coll. Lib., Bayside, NY (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

School Library Journal Review

Leslie Holt and Glen Holt, two library practitioners, create a clear and "ready to use" book on volunteers in the library. Success is the key to any program. The authors share practical examples from multiple libraries and instructions on how to make this happen in your library. Two of the specifically helpful sections are chapter four, "Planning" and chapter five, "Recruitment, Retention and Recognition." In each of these chapters you will find exact steps that tell you what you need to do or not to do at your library. Build on your own volunteer program with proven successes from this book. The authors include new volunteer areas such as technology volunteers and virtual volunteers. Through quotes and articles, readers will understand the basics of volunteering. Be ready to "make volunteers so happy about their...experience that they spread your positive message to friends and family members alike." Where past volunteer library books focus on managing or training, these authors offer essential new strategies on how to have a successful program and offer additional resources. Success with Library Volunteers is a must-read for any librarian who has volunteers or is thinking about adding a volunteer program.-Paige Bentley-Flannery, Deschutes Public Library, Bend, OR (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

This well-organized, clearly written, cogent work will help practitioners plan and implement volunteer services in a wide range of libraries and fills an important niche. The authors bring wide experience as they examine the array of possibilities and discuss how hidden volunteers are already at work on boards, in Friends groups, and as advocates. They stress the importance of careful planning and involvement of staff from the beginning; cover job descriptions and recruitment; and discuss training, managing, budgeting, and handling problems that may arise. Examples are drawn from a variety of successful programs, such as the King County (Washington) Library System, and provide many solid references to further information available online. Libraries seeking to begin or strengthen volunteer services will find this book valuable.--Meyers, Arthur Copyright 2010 Booklist

Summary

Covering principles, practical guidelines, and best practices for establishing and operating a successful library volunteer program in any type of library, this is a must-have resource for the 21st-century librarian.

In these tough economic times, librarians must maximize the potential of their volunteer programs. This innovative guide not only provides readers with the practical information they need to recruit, manage, and retain effective volunteers, but also demonstrates how to create a dynamic volunteer program--one that offers purposeful work and emphasizes rewards rather than rules and forms. Illustrated by best practices, this book also offers practical guidelines for evaluating the success of a volunteer program--in terms of the library's benefit, and in terms of the experience from the volunteer's point of view.

Table of Contents

	Illustrations	p. xi
	Introduction	p. xiii
1	The Basics	p. 1
	Everybody's Doin' It	p. 1
	What Is a Volunteer?	p. 2
	The American Volunteer Legacy	p. 3
	Volunteer Library Users	p. 4
	Infrastructure Is Critical	p. 6
2	Hidden Volunteers	p. 9
	Volunteers Start Libraries	p. 10
	Volunteers Govern Libraries	p. 11
	Volunteers Find Funding for Libraries	p. 13
	Volunteers Advocate for Libraries	p. 16
	Volunteers Help Provide Cultural Diversity	p. 17
3	Popular Types of Library Volunteers	p. 23
	Volunteers Lend Experience to Collections	p. 23
	Volunteers Provide Literacy Instruction	p. 25
	Volunteers Provide Technology Instruction	p. 26
	Volunteers Provide Life Help	p. 26
	Volunteers Keep the Library Functioning	p. 27
	Librarian Volunteers Help Other Librarians	p. 28
	Volunteer Special Projects Help Change the Library's Future	p. 28
4	Planning	p. 33
	Practical Questions	p. 33
1	Can You Define a Needed Volunteer Project in a Clear and Realistic Way?	p. 34
2	What Time Commitment Docs the Project Require?	p. 34
3	Is Volunteerism the Best Way to Deal with the Problem You Want lo Solve? The Least Bad Way? The Only Way?	p. 34
4	What Kind of Volunteers Do You Need?	p. 35
5	What Kind of Orientation and Training Will Volunteers Need?	p. 35
6	What Is Your Potential Budget? If the Budget Is Tight or Nonexistent, What Changes or Cuts Will Be Made in Current Operations to Obtain the Project Budget? How Can You Raise Funds?	p. 36
7	How Will You Connect the Library's Volunteer Program into the Other Parts of the Organization to Ensure Good Communication and Access to Resources?	p. 36
8	What Skills and Attitudes Do You Want the Manager of Volunteers to Have?	p. 36
	Management Decisions	p. 37
	A Job Description for Each Type of Volunteer Task	p. 37
	Recruitment: How Are Volunteers Recruited?	p. 37
	Orientation and Training: What Orientation and Training Do Your Volunteers Receive?	p. 37
	Retention: How Long Do Volunteers Stay? Do You Want Them to Stay Longer or Shorter?	p. 38
	Benefits: What Benefits Do Volunteers Get?	p. 38
	Benefits: What Does the Library Get?	p. 38
	Exercise Caution in Volunteer Assignment	p. 39
	Conflict of Interest	p. 40
	Volunteer Position Descriptions	p. 40
	Leadership for the Volunteer Program	p. 41
	Performance Appraisal	p. 43
	Staff and Volunteers	p. 44
	Staff Training	p. 45
	Community Help with Managing Volunteers	p. 47
	Community Agencies	p. 47
	Other Libraries	p. 47
	Your Own Staff and Volunteers	p. 47
5	Recruitment, Retention, and Recognition	p. 51
	Motivations for Volunteering	p. 51
	Deterrents to Volunteering	p. 53
	Volunteering as an Exchange	p. 53
	Recruitment Demographics	p. 54
	Where to Recruit	p. 55
	Expand the Prospective Volunteer Pool	p. 57
	Online Volunteer Recruitment	p. 57
	Online Volunteer Sites	p. 58
	Recruitment with and from Partners	p. 59
	Who Not to Recruit	p. 60
	Application Content	p. 61
	Volunteer Turnover and Retention	p. 62
	"Right"-Sizing the Commitments of Volunteers	p. 63
	Special Emphasis on Communication	p. 63
	Volunteer Recognition	p. 65
6	Evaluating Your Volunteer Program	p. 69
	Calculating the Costs and Benefits of Volunteers	p. 69
	Costs of Volunteer Supervision-Some Ratios	p. 70
	Library Outcome Planning and Evaluation	p. 73
	Finding Evidence That Your Volunteer Program Is Successful	p. 74
	Measuring Volunteer Program Impact	p. 75
	Using Evaluation Results	p. 77
	Reporting Outcomes	p. 78
	Assessing Individual Volunteers	p. 79
	Problem Volunteers	p. 80
7	Volunteers That Require Special Attention	p. 83
	Friends of the Library	p. 83
	Benefits	p. 83
	Friends and Foundations	p. 84
	What Do Friends Groups Do?	p. 84
	Concerns	p. 85
	How to Help Friends Help the Library	p. 86
	Youth Volunteers	p. 86
	Benefits	p. 87
	Who Are Youth Volunteers?	p. 87
	What Do Youth Volunteers Do?	p. 88
	Concerns	p. 88
	How to Run a Successful Youth Volunteer Program	p. 89
	Persons with Disabilities	p. 90
	Partnership Volunteers	p. 91
	Benefits of Volunteer Partnerships	p. 91
	What Kinds of Partnership Volunteers Are There?	p. 92
	Concerns	p. 93
	How to Organize a Successful Volunteer Partnership	p. 93
8	Volunteer Management Information Systems	p. 97
	Rationale for a VMIS	p. 97
	Some VMIS Options	p. 98
	Volgistics (Volunteer Logistics)	p. 98
	VolunteerHub	p. 99
	CERVIS	p. 99
	Capterra.com	p. 99
	Choosing the Information You Need: KCLS Selection List	p. 100
	Data	p. 100
	Automated Functionality	p. 101
	Scheduling	p. 101
	Timekeeping	p. 101
	Reports	p. 102
	Communication	p. 102
	Recruiting	p. 102
	Volunteer Access	p. 102
	Support	p. 103
	Data Conversion	p. 103
	Training	p. 103
	Choosing the Information You Need: What KCLS Chose to Use	p. 103
	Noncommercial Record-Keeping Choices	p. 104
	Conclusion	p. 104
9	The Future of Library Volunteerism	p. 107
	Different Futures: Librarians, Libraries and Volunteers	p. 107
	Librarians Use Volunteers as an Adaptation Mechanism	p. 110
	Volunteers as Information Providers	p. 110
	Where Volunteers Fit in Changing Libraries	p. 112
	Uncertain Volunteer Use	p. 113
	Emerging Issues	p. 114
	Libraries Face Decreasing Funding and Higher Costs	p. 114
	Education and Experience for Successful Librarianship Will Become More Specialized	p. 114
	Libraries Offer Experiences in the Library	p. 115
	The Library as a Place for Escape from a Chaotic World	p. 115
	Digitization Offers another Challenge	p. 115
	The Future of Library Volunteerism	p. 115
	Virtual Volunteerism	p. 116
	Short-Term Volunteerism Will Continue to Grow to Match Rising Short-Term Employment	p. 117
	More Pressure to Create Internships-i.e., More Formal Job Training	p. 118
	Pressure on Libraries to Export Their Job Training Away from Their Buildings	p. 118
	Volunteer Managers Will Get More Professional, and Certification Will Increase	p. 118
	Volunteers Will Be Pressed into Service as Volunteer Trainers	p. 119
	More Specialized Jobs Will Be Done by Volunteers	p. 119
	Volunteer Cadres Will Be Formed around Information Consultant Librarians	p. 119
	When More Libraries Close, Volunteers Will Move to Operate Many of Them	p. 119
	Volunteerism Is a Way That Libraries Can Add Value to Their Measured Outcomes	p. 120
	A Concluding Word about Library Volunteerism	p. 120
	Appendix: A Success Model: Integrating a Volunteer Program into the King County Library	p. 123
	KCLS' Analysis of Its Volunteer Problems	p. 123
	Decision to Survey Staff and Results	p. 124
	Planning Changes in the Volunteer Program	p. 125
	Management	p. 126
	Communication	p. 126
	Recruitment	p. 126
	Training	p. 127
	A Volunteer Program Mission Statement: What Should It Say and Why?	p. 127
	KCLS Historical Overview of the Volunteer Program	p. 128
	Analysis Based on Research of the Volunteer Coordination Project Committee	p. 129
	Recommendations for Changes in the Volunteer Program	p. 131
	Staff Changes	p. 131
	Internal Culture	p. 131
	Staff Tools	p. 132
	Volunteer Experience	p. 132
	Building Administrative Capacity: Volunteer Project Coordinator	p. 133
	Building Administrative Capacity: Cluster Volunteer Services Liaison	p. 135
	Volunteer Services Policy (VSP)	p. 138
	Statement of Policy	p. 138
	Affirmative Action Recruitment Pledge	p. 139
	Criminal History Check	p. 140
	Minors as Volunteers	p. 140
	Court-Ordered Volunteers	p. 141
	Expectations of Volunteers	p. 141
	Volunteer Services Guidelines	p. 142
	Supervision and Scheduling	p. 143
	Hours and Record Keeping	p. 144
	Recognition	p. 144
	Oversight and Communication	p. 144
	Volunteer Recruitment Procedures	p. 145
	Procedures	p. 145
	Volunteer Applications	p. 146
	Selection Process	p. 147
	Definitions	p. 148
	KCLS Current Volunteer Programs	p. 148
	Index	p. 151

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