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 |
|---|---|---|---|
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 |
6 Ways to Make Your Volunteer Opportunities Appeal to Short-Term Volunteers
Short-term volunteers bring invaluable fresh energy and a diverse skill set, contributing significantly to the success of initiatives. However, to… more |
Engaging High Impact Volunteers, Staff Training | short term, job descriptions | 2025 |
8 Volunteer Recognition Ideas to Show Your Gratitude
A few new ideas mixed in with some old ones . . . worth a look. |
Staff Training | recognition, appreciation | 2025 |
6 Ways to Make Your Volunteer Opportunities Appeal to Short-Term Volunteers
The shift towards shorter volunteer commitments is no longer a passing trend; it's a lasting change. Short-term volunteers bring invaluable… more |
Capacity Building, Staff Training | Recruitment, job descriptions | 2025 |
Success with Idealist
This webinar was recorded on December 3, 2025. Jennifer Bennett, Director of Education and Training for Idealist helps us make a successful… more |
On-line Volunteer Recruitment, Staff Training | Idealist, Recruitment | 2025 |
Revitalizing Your Friends
Here’s the link to the recording and slides from our July 8 2025 webinar - Strategies for Revitalizing Your Friends presented by Isabella… more |
Staff Training, Capacity Building, Engaging High Impact Volunteers | Friends, Friends of the Library, Teens | 2025 |
Recruiting Multilingual Volunteers
This is a 7.5 minute video from consultant Dana Litwin with some excellent tips on reaching out to potential volunteers with language skills. |
Staff Training, Capacity Building | Recruitment, equity, diversity, inclusion, outreach, translator | 2025 |
Engaging Youth Volunteers: How Young People are Showing up in Service
2025 Galaxy Digital webinar on youth volunteers. |
Millennials | Youth, Teens, young adult | 2025 |
Ask an Exec: What Execs Really Think About Volunteer Programs
Recording of July 2025 webinar from the Association of Leaders in Volunteer Engagement dealing with executive director and leadership team support (… more |
Staff Training | leadership, staff buy-in, Director | 2025 |
Volunteer Retention: How to Foster Long-Term Loyalty
Includes why we should care about volunteer retention, how to calculate volunteer retention and retention strategies. |
Staff Training, Capacity Building | retention, Recruitment | 2025 |
Volunteer Recruitment Activities
Good overview of recruitment ideas in a 3 & 1/2 minute video. Check it out to see if you're missing a piece of the puzzle. |
Staff Training | Recruitment | 2025 |
Volunteers Can Make or Break Your Space: Volunteer Involvement in a Makerspace
In this July 24, 2025 webinar, Makerspace Librarian Trina Camping of the Woodland Public Library (CA) shares what she’s learned about how best to… more |
Engaging High Impact Volunteers, Capacity Building | maker space | 2025 |
How to Engage Gen Zers as Volunteers and Advocates
Trying to attract younger supporters sometimes feels as foreign as deciphering an ancient scroll. Compared to the traditional methods we’re… more |
Capacity Building | Gen Z | 2025 |
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 Training, Volunteer Orientation, Job Specific Volunteer Training | Niche Academy, orientation, Training | 2024 |
Successful Volunteer Interview Strategies
This webinar was delivered October 15, 2024 by Jennifer Bennett, Director of Education and Training at VolunteerMatch. She discussed why interviews… more |
Staff Training, Interviewing Volunteers | Interview Questions, interview | 2024 |
Volunteer Value Beyond Numbers, Hours and Dollars
A great summary from Sue Carter Kahl of alternatives we can use beyond just numbers, hours, and dollars to measure the value of volunteer engagement. |
Staff Training | ROI | 2024 |
How to Write Volunteer Surveys for Big Impact
Guidelines for creating your best surveys from VolunteerPro. |
Staff Training | surveys | 2024 |
Creating a Diverse Volunteer Pool
This is the recording of the May 23, 2024 – Get Involved Live Zoom Conversation: Creating a Diverse Volunteer Pool. An excellent discussion for… more |
Staff Training, Capacity Building | diversity, equity, inclusion | 2024 |
Engaging Position Descriptions for Boomers and Future Generations of Volunteers
A great list of dynamic words and catchy titles to use when describing your volunteer opportunities! – created by MAVA (Minnesota Alliance for… more |
Baby Boomers, Engaging High Impact Volunteers | job descriptions | 2024 |
Volunteer Recognition Ideas Across Generations
Ways to think about the types of recognition you provide for different generations of volunteers. |
Baby Boomers, Millennials, Staff Training | recognition, generations | 2024 |