Hot Topics Archive
| Month | Topic | Update |
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| What's New for February, 2014 | Management Tools Training Materials The Importance of Using and Understanding Background Check Screening |
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| What's New for January 2014 | New Resources | Management Tools Adult Volunteer Application – Oakland Public Library Seed Library Volunteer – Oakland Public Library "Where do I go from here? Engaging Volunteers in New Ways" – Archived Webinar from October, 2018 |
| What's New for December 2013 | New Resources | Position Descriptions |
| What's New for October 2013 | New Resources | Management Tools Getting Management Buy-In for Volunteers Teen Volunteer Programs - Infopeople Webinar
P.S. If you’re not a member of the “Get Involved: Powered by Your Library” listserv, you can keep up to date on all things library volunteers by sending an e-mail to carla.lehn@library.ca.gov and requesting to be added. |
| What's New for September 2013 | New Resources | Management Tools Volunteer Coordinator Job Description, Orange Public Library Volunteer Position Descriptions Assistant Volunteer Coordinator Ontario, September 19 – The Inland Get Involved Regional Network’s “Volunteer Coordinator Roundtable” will meet on Thursday, September 19 from 9 – 11 am at the Ontario Public Library. (includes continental breakfast!) This will be a great opportunity to meet with peers to discuss successes and challenges of working with library volunteers (Friends too!) RSVP to Shawn Thrasher at sthrasher@ci.ontario.ca.us Include your biggest challenge in the e-mail! Mission Viejo, October 29 – The Southern California Get Involved Regional Network’s workshop “Building and Sustaining a Dynamic Volunteer Program,” will be held on Tuesday, October 29 from 9:00 am – 3 pm, and includes lunch. RSVP by October 18 to monica.miltko@surfcity-hb.org
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| What's New for June 2013 | New Resources | This month we’re focusing on ESL Conversation Circles. Many libraries are running these groups with volunteers to help English language learners through conversation and practice. Here are some materials that might be of use to you in getting this project started at your library: Fresno County Library recruits volunteers to facilitate small groups of adults learning English as a second language in improving their conversational English skills. Here’s their volunteer position description. San Jose Public Library recruits volunteer leaders to enhance the library’s services to English language learners by overseeing and implementing volunteer-led English Conversation Clubs. Here’s their volunteer position description. ESL Conversation Circles volunteer facilitator training -- This great Prezi presentation should help you prepare to train your volunteer facilitators. Conversation Club Kit -- Developed by the San Jose Public Library, this “kit” is available for volunteer facilitators to use each time they come to facilitate a group. A great list of materials you might want to prepare too! P.S. If you’re not a member of the “Get Involved: Powered by Your Library” listserv, you can keep up to date on all things library volunteers by sending an e-mail to carla.lehn@library.ca.gov and requesting to be added.
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| What's New for May 2013 | New Resources | This month we’re focusing on Get Involved Regional network meetings that are being held around the state -- two in May (Roseville and Ontario) and one in June in the Bay Area. These meetings are developed and run by regional Get Involved leaders, with some financial support from the state library to reimburse library participants’ mileage. Meeting topic, registration and contact information are provided with each. Each regional team is looking for additional folks to step up to assist in organizing these. Please make your interest know to the contact person! Northern California: Strategies for Sustainability: Building a Volunteer Program that Lasts Beyond You Southern California: Serving with a Purpose Conference Bay Area: Coordinating Volunteers in Public Libraries
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| What's New for April 2013 | New Resources | This month we present an assortment of terrific volunteer position descriptions. Could you use folks to provide any of these great services? Thanks so much to the libraries who have shared these!
Upcoming Get Involved Regional Network Volunteer Engagement Training Events Near You: Northern California: Strategies for Sustainability: Building a Volunteer Program that Lasts Beyond You Southern California: Serving with a Purpose Conference P.S. If you’re not a member of the “Get Involved: Powered by Your Library” listserv, you can keep up to date on all things library volunteers by sending an e-mail to carla.lehn@library.ca.gov and requesting to be added.
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| What's New for February 2013 | New Resources | The National Association of Counties (NACo), along with its affiliate, The National Association of Volunteer Programs in Local Government (NAVPLG) promotes volunteerism in local government and assists counties in their efforts to organize and expand volunteer programs. Working in almost every area of county government operations, volunteers enable local governments to provide more services to residents. This revised edition of The Volunteer Toolbox is part of NACo’s effort to provide local governments with information and resources to establish and expand volunteer programs. P.S. If you’re not a member of the “Get Involved: Powered by Your Library” listserv, you can keep up to date on all things library volunteers by sending an e-mail to carla.lehn@library.ca.gov and requesting to be added. |
| What's New for December 2012 | New Resources | This month we’ve added an assortment of “Library Greeter/Concierge” volunteer position descriptions in use around the state: Library Concierge – Roseville Public Library Library Greeter – Monrovia Public Library Welcome Desk Volunteer – Tulare County Library
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| What's New for November 2012 | New Resources | This month’s focus is on some high skilled volunteer positions for library literacy programs: |
| What's New for October 2012 | New Resources | This month’s focus is on liability issues and background checks for volunteers: Here are Huntington Beach’s Guidelines for Volunteers Working with Children which include a place for volunteers to sign that they understand what’s appropriate, and also, their background checks procedures. From San Jose – Volunteer Fingerprinting Procedures. Paso Robles City Library’s new Volunteer Handbook includes mission statement, objectives, expectations and policies and procedures. A brief document identifying some things to think about when considering implementing volunteer background checks. Q&A on Background Checks by John Patterson, Senior Program Director, Nonprofit Risk Management Center -- The Nonprofit Risk Management Center receives many questions concerning the screening of staff and volunteers using criminal history record checks. Criminal history record checks are important risk management tools but must not replace other risk management strategies designed to lessen the opportunity for abuse of vulnerable service recipients. P.S. If you’re not a member of the “Get Involved: Powered by Your Library” listserv, you can keep up to date on all things library volunteers by sending an e-mail to clehn@library.ca.gov and requesting to be added. |
| What's New for September 2012 | New Resources | This month we have a treasure trove of things to share from the Huntington Beach Public Library – thanks, Monica and crew! -- starting with a volunteer position description for an “EBooks Coach” who helps patrons one-on-one to use their E-Book Reader to use the library’s collection. These powerpoint slide decks were created for high skilled volunteers to deliver workshops in the library on: -- “Applying for a Job Online” -- “E-mail Basics”
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| What's New for August 2012 | New Resources | Want to take your volunteer Computer Coach program to the next level? How about recruiting a leadership volunteer to serve as “Computer Coach Program Coordinator?” Here’s the Position Description being used at the Huntington Beach Library.
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| What's New for July 2012 | New Resources | Still finding that staff aren’t on board with volunteer engagement as much as you’d like? Check out some common concerns and steps you can take here: Addressing Common Staff Concerns About Volunteers |
| What's New for June 2012 | New Resources |
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| What's New for May 2012 | New Resources | We are thrilled to announce the Grand Opening of our new searchable database (we call it the “Clearinghouse”) of all the great resources we currently have stored in the system for your use! -- https://getinvolvedclearinghouse.org -- You’ll find hundreds of professionally taken photos – all with permission from the subjects in the photos -- they are sized for immediate use on your VolunteerMatch postings. Remember, VolunteerMatch research shows that opportunities posted with a picture of a volunteer engaged in the job you’re recruiting for gets 3 times as many “hits” as one without a photo. You can browse all of the photos, or search for a particular one by using some general volunteer job description titles in a Keyword drop down menu on the photos page. You’ll see that you can “Suggest a Resource” – please do!! As you develop more volunteer engagement materials, please use that option to send us more things we can share with everyone. |
| What's New for April 2012 | New Resources | A veritable treasure trove of useful documents from the San Jose Public Library's award-winning Volunteer Engagement Team has been added for April! Coordinator of Volunteer Engagement (for a branch or unit) Tips for Getting Staff Buy-In for Volunteer Engagement |
| What's New for March 2012 | New Resources | Successful Volunteer Recruitment Strategies: Capturing the Talent of Baby Boomers and the Generations that Follow (1 hour archived webinar)
• Do you ever wonder what motivates volunteers? Baby boomers and the generations that follow are seeking new ways to use their skills and experience to make a difference in their communities. Your library is uniquely positioned to benefit from these volunteers. This webinar will provide tools, techniques, and models for volunteer engagement.
At the end of this one-hour webinar, participants will:
• Understand the potential for engaging high impact, skilled volunteers to assist public libraries. Link: |
| What's New for February 2012 | New Resources | One of our sustainability strategies for the Get Involved: Powered by Your Library statewide volunteerism initiative is the development of "Regional Peer Networks." In addition to our statewide efforts, the goal is to facilitate the sharing of library volunteer engagement success stories, resources, ideas and materials among folks in various geographic areas. This will help to sustain current gains, share strategies, and ensure that libraries new to Get Involved are exposed and mentored to achieve their own successes. Bay Area: The other 3 networks are gearing up too, so if you haven't made contact with them yet, here's how -- and many thanks to ALL these folks who've stepped up to take the lead! Sacramento Region: Central Valley: Southern California: |