Training Materials

Learn more about best practices in volunteer recruitment and engagement, and how to get the results you need.

NOTE: These are examples from public libraries and should be reviewed and modified to ensure fit with local policies and culture.

Title Keyword Tags Year
Bibliography on Volunteer Engagement
Bibliography and Web Resources on Volunteer Engagement developed by Carla Lehn
Capacity BuildingStaff Training bibliography, Lehn 2025
Why Your Library Needs a Reading Dog
In 2010, the University Of California - Davis completed a study on reading dog programs, which found that readers who participated in a 10-week… more
Staff TrainingJob Specific Volunteer Training Pet Therapy, dog, reading 2025
Hands-On Help and Generous Giving: How Volunteering and Donations Fuel Each Other’s Impact
Studies show that giving and volunteering work collaboratively to support each other and that volunteers are 14.5 percentage points more likely to… more
Capacity BuildingStaff Training fundraising, giving and volunteering 2025
Resources for Internship Programs - Idealist
Several articles on interviewing, hiring, and training interns, as well as managing an internship program.
Interviewing VolunteersCapacity Building intern, internship 2025
Volunteering: An Antidote to the Epidemic of Loneliness
In this webinar, experts and global leaders explore how volunteering serves as a powerful antidote to the growing epidemic of loneliness. The… more
Capacity BuildingStaff Training loneliness 2025
20+ Volunteer Survey Questions to Improve Your Program
This guide covers the ins and outs of volunteer surveys, from the best questions to ask to top tips for making the survey process a success.
Staff TrainingCapacity Building surveys 2025
Let’s Make Volunteering Accessible to All
In this episode of Volunteer Nation, Tobi Johnson is joined by Allyson Ferrari, Director of Connections at Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually… more
Staff TrainingCapacity Building diversity, equity, inclusion 2025
If Volunteers Were Yelp Reviewers: Would You Get 5 Stars?
Imagine if volunteers could rate their experience with you like they rate restaurants . . . what would they say? This article suggests 5 ways to… more
Staff Training recognition, impact, appreciation 2025
Disability Awareness and Inclusive Behaviors
This is a section of another publication that provides some great guidance. It starts on Page 9 of "Serving Patrons with Disabilities in Small and… more
Staff Training inclusive, inclusion, disabilities 2024
Tips for Selecting a Volunteer Management Database
Wendy Johnson of the Indianapolis Public Library presented this session for the Get Involved Initiative in July 2024. If it's time to investigate a… more
Staff TrainingCapacity Building volunteer management system, vms, database, Tracking, Reporting 2024
Time Management for Volunteer Engagement Coordinators: Putting Volunteers to Work to Help YOU
This one hour webinar was recorded March 7, 2024, and was presented by Jennifer Bennett, CVA, Director of Education and Training for VolunteerMatch.… more
Staff Training time management, Program Assistant 2024
6 Strategies to Involve Young People in Your Nonprofit
Great suggestions from Nonprofit Tech for Good.
Millennials young volunteers 2024
Book to Action - Santa Barbara CA
A history of Santa Barbara Public Library's Book to Action programs since 2019.
Staff Training Book to action 2024
Introduction to LGBTQ+ Inclusion
This 90-minute webinar presented by All Children - All Families covers foundational information related to serving LGBTQ+ youth and families.
Topics… more
Staff Training LGBTQ+, equity, diversity, inclusion 2024
Disability Inclusive Volunteering Toolkit
Whether your organization already understands the benefits of welcoming volunteers of differing abilities, or has less experience with including… more
Staff TrainingCapacity Building disabilities, inclusive, inclusion, diversity, equity 2024
Neither//Nor: Stories of Life Beyond Binary Gender
More and more people are negotiating gender beyond the binaries of Male/Female/Man/Woman/Boy/Girl. 
This 60-minute webinar from the Human Rights… more
Staff Training diversity, equity, inclusion, non-binary, Gender 2024
Inclusive Volunteering Training Video
This 8 minute video is an accompaniment to the Disability Inclusive Volunteering Toolkit developed by Volunteer Fairfax.  You can find it here:… more
Staff TrainingCapacity Building disabilities, inclusive, inclusion, equity, diversity 2024
Neither//Nor: Stories of Life Beyond Binary Gender
More and more people are negotiating gender beyond the binaries of Male/Female/Man/Woman/Boy/Girl. This 60 minute webinar from the Human Rights… more
Staff Training equity, diversity, inclusion, Gender 2024
Inspiring Action: How Volunteer Stories Can Drive Recruitment & Engagement
Including the story and impact of volunteers in recruitment messages can help recruit more volunteers and can help build stronger connections and… more
Staff TrainingCapacity Building Recruitment, public relations, social media 2024
Designing Volunteer Training in Niche Academy
This webinar was presented on March 27, 2024 by Jessica Link, Library Volunteer Supervisor, Cedar Rapids Public Library (Iowa) and Amy Selmi Amy… more
Staff TrainingVolunteer OrientationJob Specific Volunteer Training Niche Academy, orientation, Training 2024