Hot Topics Archive

Month Topic Update
What's New for March 2019 New Resources

NOTE: Please share your materials - volunteer job descriptions, handbooks, policies & training materials - with us for the Clearinghouse. Just click on "Suggest a Resource."

Position Descriptions

Genealogy Group Facilitator - Texas

Circulation Assistant – Texas

Volunteer Technology Coach – Texas

Training Materials

Shelving with Dewey - Illinois

Recruitment Success Story – Flagstaff, Arizona

Buckeye Arizona Library’s Experience with Get Involved
 

What's New for February 2019 Handling Common Problems

Can We Reject a Volunteer?

You Can’t Fire Me, I’m a Volunteer!

Controlling Complaint Conversations

 

What's New for January 2019 New Resources

Three Things We Know About Engaging Millennials in Your Cause
 

What's New for December 2018 Risk Management

Liability, Insurance, and Risk Management Issues for Volunteer Programs

Managing Volunteers: Balancing Risk and Reward

Checklist to minimize the most common volunteer risks

Nonprofit Volunteers – Minimizing the Risks 

Volunteer Background Checks: Giving Back Without Giving Up on Privacy

Background Checks – Nonprofit Risk Management Center

 

What's New for November 2018 New Resources

October 24th Archived Webinar – Where Do I Go from Here? Engage Volunteers in New Ways

Volunteer Engagement Roles Matrix
 

HandsOn Network Volunteer Leader Guidebook
 

What's New for October 2018 New Resources

September 2018 WebJunction Webinar: Revitalizing Library Volunteer Engagement

50 Project Ideas for Skilled Volunteers

Demographic Trends Shaping America and Service
 

What's New for September 2018 New Resources

August 22, 2018 archived webinar: Successfully Managing Library Volunteer Program Changes

What should you do when it’s time to change the policies and procedures that govern or guide the volunteers that work with your organization? How can you create a culture of inclusion and get buy-in for those new policies? This training will give you the tools to approach program changes in a strategic way. We will also cover what to do if volunteers either can’t or won’t adopt the policies, how to manage that situation, and what to do if ultimately you need to ask a volunteer to leave.

What You'll Learn: 

* Theories for change management

* Pitfalls and challenges around implementing changes in a volunteer engagement program

* Opportunities to build buy-in and support for changes

* What to do if you need to ask a volunteer to leave

What's New for August 2018 New Resources

 June 27, 2018 webinar archive – New Volunteer Manager’s ToolKit

Handouts shared at 6/27/18 webinar:

Sample Volunteer Interview Questions

Sample Confidentiality Agreement

Volunteer Program Evaluation Checklist

 

What's New for July 2018 Making Volunteer Engagement More Inclusive

Engaging Volunteers from Diverse and Immigrant Communities

Volunteers with Disabilities: What You Need to Know, Library Accessibility Tip Sheet 9 (ASCLA)

More ASCLA tip sheets on specific accessibility issues

Inclusive Volunteering: Recommendations for Volunteer Coordinators on How to Develop a More Inclusive Volunteer Programme

Building Inclusive Bridges: A Guide to Facilitating Inclusive Referrals
 

What’s New for June 2018 New Resources

Archived Webinar – Build Staff Buy In for Volunteer Engagement (4.25.18)

Archived Webinar – VolunteerMatch “Tour” (5.10.18)

Sample Volunteer Service Agreement
   
GenerationON Projects, Ideas and Resources

Grow Staff Volunteer Harmony
 

What's New for May 2018 Volunteer Management Systems

Are you looking for a way to manage information about your volunteers and create reports on your volunteer engagement activity? If so, here are some materials in the Clearinghouse you might want to take a look at:

Volunteer Management Software Comparisons

A Consumer’s Guide to Volunteer Management Systems – Idealware

Survey of Software Tools Used to Track and Manage Volunteers

Volunteer Management Software Comparisons

Online Volunteer Management Software Expo (Archived Webinar)

CRM Integration - Idealware

Additional materials in this Clearinghouse on this topic include reviews of specific volunteer tracking systems in use by several California public libraries. To access them, click on “Management Tools,” then in the keyword drop-down menu, select “Volunteer Management Systems.”

If you would like to provide a review of a volunteer management system your library uses, or share any other materials with your colleagues, please use the “Suggest a Resource” link on this page.

What's New for April 2018 New Resources

  
Volunteers are the Reputational Assets your Organization is Overlooking

A Different Kind of Volunteer Work: More companies are encouraging employees to donate their professional expertise

Directory of Volunteer Engagement Professional Associations by Geographic Region

How to Turn Away Volunteers and Still Have an OK Day

Target Market Success Story: Volunteers with Full Time Jobs

Building Capacity: Strategic Volunteer Engagement
 

What's New for March 2018 New Resources

READINGS

Tips for Gaining Staff Buy-In

Getting Management Buy-In for Volunteers

Volunteer Engagement: Changing Our Volunteer Culture

What Leaders of Volunteers Can Do to Gain Executive Attention

Confidentiality and Other Objections to Volunteers

Collaborating with Unions to Engage Volunteers

VIDEO CLIPS AND ARCHIVED WEBINARS

A Library Director Talks About Staff Buy-In

Build Staff Buy-In for Volunteer Engagement

Getting Staff Buy-In for Volunteer Engagement

 

 

What's New for February 2018 Forms/Templates #2

Confidentiality Agreement

For more Confidentiality Policy examples – Click Management Tools, then select Keyword: Confidentiality Policies

Emergency Contact Form

Goal Setting Worksheet

Volunteer Exit Interview

Volunteer Exit Clearance Form

Have a form or template you're willing to share? Use the "Suggest a Resource" link on the right to help increase resources in the Clearinghouse.

What's New for January 2018 Forms and Templates #1

Volunteer Job Description Template

Targeted Recruitment Plan

Volunteer Applications
Build your Volunteer Applications by reviewing library examples in this Clearinghouse: Click Management Tools, then select Keyword: Adult Volunteer Applications or Teen Volunteer Applications

Sample Volunteer Reference Check Questions

Sample Volunteer Handbook

For more Volunteer Handbook examples – Click Management Tools, then select Keyword: Volunteer Handbooks

Confidentiality of Customer Records Form

 

What's New for December 2017 New Resources

Focus on Small and Rural Library Successes

Small Library Skilled IT Volunteer Success Story – Johnson City Texas

Small Library Graphic Design Volunteer Success Story – Brownwood Texas

Management Tools

How Changing Our Volunteer Interview Approach Increased Our Retention by 30%

The Volunteer Interview: Making the offer . . . or not

Position Descriptions

Instead of sharing volunteer position descriptions this month, here are some resources to help in hiring staff to coordinate volunteer engagement.

Sample Volunteer Engagement Coordinator Job Description

A Letter to Nonprofits that Want to Hire a Volunteer Manager

 

What's New for November 2017 New Resources

Here are some resources from the Clearinghouse on English as a Second Language services. If you have others to share with colleagues, please submit them by clicking on "Suggest a Resource" in the column on your right.

Volunteer Position Descriptions

ESL Conversation Club Facilitator

ESL Conversation Club Program Coordinator

Facilitator – ESL Conversation Circle

English Language Tutor for K-12 Students

Director, Citizenship Programs

Management Tools

ESL Conversation Club Program Coordinator Interview Questions

Volunteer Agreement: ESL Conversation Club Coordinator

ESL Conversation Club Kit

Training Materials

ESL Conversation Circles - Training Overview

ESL Conversation Circles Toolkit

 

What's New for October 2017 Skilled Volunteers

Management Tools

12 Tips for Engaging Pro Bono Volunteers

Position Descriptions

Public Relations Specialist

Social Media Specialist

Social Media Ambassador

Assistant Volunteer Coordinator

EBooks Coach

Job Center Coach

Training Materials

From Management to Engagement: Skilled Volunteers in Public Libraries

Interview with the Volunteer PR Specialist

Interview with the Volunteer Assistant Volunteer Coordinator

Interview with the Volunteer Social Media Specialist

What’s New for September 2017 New Resources

TRAINING
 
In Lieu of Money, Toyota Donates Efficiency
 
Arizona libraries have just joined Get Involved! Here are a few of the first materials shared by our Arizona colleagues:
 
Management Tools
 
Adult Volunteer Application – Buckeye Public Library System
 
Volunteer Guidelines & Procedures - Chandler Public Library 
 
Branch Volunteer Liaison – Yuma County Library District

Teen Volunteer Agreement – Buckeye Public Library System
 
Volunteer Job Descriptions
 
Computer Instructor – Chandler Public Library

Job Center Volunteer – Chandler Public Library

 
 
 

What's New for August 2017 Computer Coach Programs

Volunteer Position Descriptions

Computer Coach – Huntington Beach Public Library

Computer Coach Program Coordinator – Huntington Beach Public Library

Computer Learning Center Coach – Lodi Public Library

Computer Literacy Ambassador – Roseville Public Library

Computer Coaching Team Leader – San Jose Public Library

Training Materials

Computer Coach Training Outline – Huntington Beach Public Library

Computer Coach Program Video – Huntington Beach Public Library

Computer Coach Training Materials from Ohio Online

Management Tools

Computer Coach Flyer #1 – Huntington Beach Public Library

Computer Coach Flyer #2 - Huntington Beach Public Library

Computer Coach Name Badge – Huntington Beach Public Library