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 |
|---|---|---|---|
From Nice to Necessary: Unleashing the Impact of Volunteering Through Transformative Investment
Points of Light believes volunteering is one of the most powerful tools we have to strengthen communities. They commissioned this report in 2025 —… more |
Staff Training, Capacity Building | funding, investment | 2025 |
The Volunteer Engagement Leader’s Playbook: Building Influence, Credibility, and Impact
Too often, volunteer involvement is treated as a program—a siloed effort managed by one department—rather than as a strategy that can transform an… more |
Staff Training, Capacity Building | 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 Training, Job 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 Building, Staff 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 Volunteers, Capacity Building | intern, internship | 2025 |
Bibliography on Volunteer Engagement
Bibliography and Web Resources on Volunteer Engagement developed by Carla Lehn |
Capacity Building, Staff Training | bibliography, Lehn | 2025 |
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 | |
The Human Side of Recruitment
This webinar was presented by Beth Steinhorn of VQ Strategies on July 10, 2024. Recruitment is more than simply posting online ads. Ultimately,… more |
Staff Training, Interviewing Volunteers | Recruitment, pitch, interview | 2024 |
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 Training, Capacity 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 Training, Capacity 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 Training, Capacity 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 |