Managing a Vibrant Volunteer Program

1. Managing a Vibrant Volunteer Program Presented by: Kimberly Sharp

2. Handouts • PowerPoint Handouts for taking notes • For all other support documents, visit: http://volunteerprograms.wikispaces.com/

3. Agenda • Adult Volunteers • Recruiting • Training • Utilizing • Celebrating • Student Volunteers • Recruiting • Training • Utilizing • Celebrating

4. Adult Volunteers

5. 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

6. 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!

7. 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.

8. Training • Group Orientation • Individual Training • Strengths & Weaknesses

9. Group Orientation • Invitations • Advertise the Event • School Calendar • Website • Welcome sign in Lobby • Allow 45 minutes – 1 hour • Snacks! • Door Prizes

10. 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)

11. 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

12. Group Orientation Agenda • Tour • Everybody (E) • Fiction (FIC) • Non-Fiction (Dewey Number) • Professional (PROF) • Reference (REF) • AV • Special Collections • Workrooms

13. 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

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

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

16. 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!

17. 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

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

19. Utilizing Volunteers • Big Events • Book Fair • Inventory • Author Visits

20. 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

21. Special Events • Evites • Christmas Luncheon • Christmas Party • End of Year Breakfast • Volunteer Book Plate • Host a Tea Party (February) • Fall Luncheon

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

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

24. 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!

25. Student Volunteers

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

27. 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

28. 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.

29. 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

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

31. Organizational Aids • Nametags • Sign In Sheets

32. Questions & Answers? This entire presentation and all supporting documents can be accessed at the following site: http://volunteerprograms.wikispaces.com/ Contact Information Kimberly Sharp Media Specialist Ivy Creek Elementary School Kimberly_Sharp@gwinnett.k12.ga.us

33. 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

34. 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.

35. 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.

36. 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.

37. 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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