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 |
|---|---|---|---|
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 |
Building the Case to Fund Volunteer Engagement
Based on our annual survey of the Get Involved listserv, we find far too many missed opportunities to engage community members as library supporters… more |
Staff Training, Capacity Building | funding, staff buy-in, leadership buy-in | 2025 |
Stop Rejecting Volunteers. Start Redirecting Them.
Redirection communicates helpfulness, preserves dignity, and keeps the door open for future connection. It is the opposite of “thanks but no thanks… more |
Staff Training, Interviewing Volunteers | rejection, interview | 2025 |
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 |
A Guide for Creating Inclusive Volunteer Position Descriptions
This is one part of the 2024 "Is Everyone Welcome? Tools to Broaden Volunteer Engagement" toolkit found here: https://www.idealist.org/en/orgs/is-… more |
Staff Training | inclusive, Position Descriptions, job descriptions | 2024 |
Managing Volunteer Risks -- Where Are You Now?
In this blog, Volunteers Insurance Service Association, Inc. (VIS) suggests that to know where you need to be in managing your organization’s risk of… more |
Staff Training | Risk Management | 2024 |
Engaging the Volunteer of the Future
This 1 hour webinar was presented by Jennifer Bennett, Education & Training Director for VolunteerMatch in January 2024. In this webinar you’ll… more |
Capacity Building, Staff Training, Millennials | Millenials | 2024 |
Working Together: Developing Neurodivergent and IDD (Intellectually and Developmentally Disabled) Inclusive Volunteer Opportunities
This webinar was recorded on June 6, 2024. Speakers: Cecily Ponce de Leon, Plano Public Library; Jungwon DeVone, Somerset County Library System; and… more |
Staff Training | neurodivergent, disabilities, special needs | 2024 |
Surveys in Volunteer Engagement
On February 8, 2024, this Get Involved live Zoom discussion focused on Surveys in Volunteer Engagement. The group discussed types of surveys and… more |
Staff Training | surveys | 2024 |
Books and barks: Library pet programs for everyone
This quick read points to a variety of programs libraries have started focused on "furry friends." Take a look! |
Staff Training, Job Specific Volunteer Training | Pet Therapy, dog, reading | 2024 |
| Capacity Building, Staff Training | disabilities, inclusive | 2024 |