Part I Recruitment Plan Type of library: Middle school, grades 5 8. Why Volunteers? While previous librarians have not developed a volunteer program, I believe that utilizing the adults in the community will be beneficial to the middle school. A volunteer program will be widely beneficial to the library and to the school as a whole. Having a group of well trained, trustworthy volunteers will make the job of the librarian easier and expedite the tasks performed in the library. Creating a volunteer program will make the library more productive and cost effective. Volunteers in the library can perform many clerical and basic tasks that keep the librarian from performing more specialized tasks such as cataloging, reader s advisory, and teaching. As Sue McGown (2007) stated an article in Library Media Connection, Volunteers do much of the routine work that then frees the librarian to work with students individually or in groups, providing instruction and reading guidance (p 10). In addition to freeing the librarian s time for education related activities, parents and other volunteers will become more involved in the school and their children s education. This increased involvement and awareness will hopefully aid the library and the school. As more people see the value of the library and what it provides for the students, they will come to understand the needs it has, especially for funding. In fact, the more people who will see the problems and issues, the more people who will be agreeable to spending time and money to improve the school, which is to say, spending time and money directly to improve the library media center (Snyder, 2009, p23). 1
Recruitment Methods There are numerous methods that can be used in order to recruit volunteers: o Volunteer Fair A volunteer fair could be a very lucrative event, not only in locating volunteers for the library but for finding volunteers for other aspects of the school as well. o Website A volunteer page should be included on the school and library websites, showing the opportunities, requirements, and paperwork. o Mailers/Take Home Slips Send volunteer information home, either through the mail or with students. For mailed information, it should be sent out toward the end of summer, alerting parents to the upcoming year s volunteer opportunities. Information handed out in class should be passed out within the first few weeks of classes. o School Newsletter - Include a small blurb about the volunteer opportunities in the school s newsletter so that parents and other adults on the mailing list see the information monthly or bi-monthly, depending on the frequency. o Open House Provide information on volunteer opportunities during open house. o Word of Mouth Hearing about the volunteer program from others may inspire parents and other community members to join. This could be a mention at a parent-teacher meeting, during a conference, or even in passing. Purpose of Volunteers Part II Policy 2
School library volunteers will act as unpaid helpers in the library media center. Their purpose in the LMC is to, under the direction of the librarian, help with the library patrons and the running of the library. Using volunteers is a wonderful way to increase staffing in the library without worrying about budget. Their primary purposes will be performing clerical tasks, serving students and teachers, and maintaining order in the library. Also, volunteers will help with library functions, parties, and decorating. Becoming a Volunteer In order for an adult community member to become a library volunteer, he/she must first complete the volunteer application and questionnaire (Appendix A). Once this is completed and submitted, a background check will be conducted. If this is acceptable, the form will be submitted to the school board for approval. Once approval is given, the volunteer must come in and get a volunteer badge. General Guidelines and Procedures While a volunteer is not a school employee, he/she is acting as a member of the school community and must act accordingly. Guidelines and procedures must be adhered to by all of the volunteers. If a volunteer does not follow these, he or she may be dismissed. Dress and Behavior Volunteers must dress and act accordingly for the school setting. Inappropriate comments, behavior, or dress will result in the volunteer being asked to leave, and, depending on the severity of the offense, may end in the volunteer being relieved of his or her duties. Additionally, volunteers must know what is expected of them. A volunteer is not a school employee and is not allowed to discipline students. If students are 3
behaving inappropriately, volunteers may take note and inform the librarian or other school staff member. Entering/Exiting the Building As a school we want to keep our students as safe as possible. This means that we must be able to account for everyone in the building. All volunteers must sign in at the front desk upon arrival, noting their name, destination, and time of arrival. Volunteers must also wear the ID badges that were given to them when they became school volunteers. These must be worn and visible at all times. Upon leaving the school, volunteers must sign out at the desk. Attendance Becoming a volunteer is a responsibility. We ask that volunteers arrive on time and that they understand the commitment they are making to the school. However, complications do arise. If unable to volunteer during the allotted time, we ask that volunteers either switch with each other or, at the very least, call to notify the school that they will not be coming. Confidentiality Volunteers may come in contact with students information during their time at the school. In these instances, it is of the utmost importance that this information remains private and is not discussed with anyone, under any circumstances. Not only is this an issue of integrity, but also any discussion or misuse of personal information violates privacy laws. Copies of the school privacy agreement are located in the main office and on the website. They must be completed and returned by all volunteers. Activities for Volunteers 4
Volunteers can perform a variety of tasks that help in the day-to-day operation of the library. o Help Students Volunteers can help students locate books, practice their reading skills, use the computers/technology in the library, and other activities. o Shelving Once books are returned and checked in, they need to be shelved so that they can be found and checked out again. The library is set up with the Dewey Decimal System. Training and general instruction on this system will be available. o Book Check-In When books are returned they need to be checked back in so that the system recognizes that they are in the library. This is done with the help of our automated library system, a computer, and a barcode scanner. o Book Check-Out Volunteers can check books out for students, scanning the student s ID and the barcode of the book into the computer, as well as stamping the due date. o Bulletin boards/displays Bulletin boards and display cases throughout the library need to be filled according to season or special event. Volunteers may be asked to gather books related to the presidents for Presidents Day or set up a display of student art. o Decorating the library The library may be decorated for different holidays and seasons. o Clerical work Volunteers can perform basic clerical work, such as data entry, typing, and copying. 5
o Shelf reading/maintenance Shelf reading, the act of checking and correcting the order of books on the shelf, is very important. Books that are out of place are very difficult to find. o Book fair Volunteers can act as cashiers and helpers during the book fair, making change, directing people to merchandise, and answering questions, as well as helping with set up and tear down. o Processing books When new books arrive in the library they need to be processed. While the librarian typically does the cataloging, volunteers can apply barcodes and call number stickers, stamp the books with the school name, and scan the barcodes into the cataloging record. o Monitoring students in the library (computer use, etc) Bibliography Deerfield Community School. (2005). Volunteer handbook. Retrieved from http://www.sau53.org/dcs/volunteer.html Gale Elementary School. (2010). Gale Elementary School : volunteers. Retrieved from http://edweb.tusd.k12.az.us/gale/volunteer/ McGown, S.W. (2007). Valuable volunteers: how to find, use and keep them. Library Media Connection, 26(2), 10-13. Snyder, B. (2009). Recruiting library volunteers. Library Media Connection, 28(1), 22-3. 6
Volunteer Form & Questionnaire Appendix A Name Date Address Home Phone Cell Phone Email Do you have a student in the school? Name Teacher/Grade Why do you want to volunteer with us? What tasks would you like to perform as a volunteer? (Check all that apply) Shelving Helping students find books Cleaning Organizing books Decorating Book Fairs Processing books Other Do you have any special skills that would be helpful to the library? If so, what are they? What days and times are you available? How many hours would you like to work? 7