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Record: 1 Title: A strategy for happy endings Authors: Clarke, Susan Source: The Book Report. Nov-Dec, 1992, Vol. 11 Issue 3, p14, 3 p. Publisher Information: ABC-CLIO, LLC Publication Year: 1992 Subject Terms: Volunteer workers in libraries -- Recruiting School libraries -- Human resource management Description: School library volunteer programs can succeed if they are flexible and based on a clearly defined philosophy that is communicated to the staff. Volunteers are recruited to fill the library's needs, but should be comfortable with their duties and hours. Document Type: Cover Story ISSN: 0731-4388 Rights: Copyright 1992 Gale, Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Accession Number: edsgcl.12882717 Database: Academic OneFile Full Text Database: Academic Search Premier Section: BOOK REPORT THEME SECTION; VOLUNTEERS

A STRATEGY FOR HAPPY ENDINGS

Here's some advice for the librarian who is taking the first plunge into recruiting and employing volunteers. "My volunteers are so much trouble to organize and schedule. Next year I'm not going to offer the program." Such statements, voiced with anxiety, are often heard at librarians' meetings. It is no secret that many librarians view volunteers as more trouble to train and schedule than their productivity warrants. Every school librarian can tell a "volunteer story." Some tales are positive, but many are not. Knowing how much volunteers can contribute to a program, we have carefully implemented a simple, clear volunteer strategy in our media center. Our philosophy is straightforward. Volunteers are precious personalities. A successful school library program should include volunteers, but not rely on them to make the program succeed. This strategy is a seven-step procedure that works for us: Know the district and building policies on volunteers. Follow these approved procedures. Write your philosophy regarding adult volunteers. Share your philosophy with your supervisor and the library staff.
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Brainstorm with the staff to develop a list of possible volunteer activities. Recruit volunteers. Be flexible. Evaluate the program continuously. Working with volunteers requires good management, flexibility, and people skills. If you decide to accept volunteers into your program, then you also accept the challenge of some constraints ribboned with great rewards. Know the Policy Most school districts have a written policy regarding volunteer programs. Find this policy. Ask the principal's secretary. She usually has access to all district manuals and school board policy statements. Read every official document. Make photocopies for your library manual. If your district has a volunteer coordinator, network with this person. Do not assume that every building within a district coordinates the volunteer program in the same way. After seeking the official procedures, talk to co-workers in your building to learn how the informal network operates. Are there special applications for volunteers? Is there a volunteer coordinator in the parentteacher organization? Do the volunteers sponsor any special events in your building? Ask questions. Seek answers from everyone. Start with the basics. Clarify Your Own Philosophy After gathering information, sit down and write your personal philosophy about adult volunteers. This document is not a formal paper. Rather, it is a clarification of your thoughts. Try to answer these questions: Do I want or need volunteers for this program? Can I cope with the extra responsibilities of volunteers? Am I willing to accept any person who offers to help? What will the volunteers do? How will the students and teachers accept the volunteers? Clarify. Perhaps you are not ready for five, 10 or 15 volunteers every week in your library. Limit your scope. If you feel anxious while writing your philosophy, do not feel guilty But, take the time to consider your options. Meet With Your Supervisor Schedule a meeting with your immediate supervisor to discuss your plans to sponsor an adult volunteer program. Depending upon the situation, you might want to write a one-page summary of your philosophy ideas for recruiting volunteers and implementation of the program. Listen closely to whatever your supervisor says. Consider his or her ideas and past experiences. Weave them into your program. Discuss as many possibilities and scenarios as time warrants. Perhaps a school board member or a relative of a faculty member wants to volunteer. What if a discontented parent offers to help? When you leave this meeting, you should have a clear understanding of your supervisor's attitudes regarding adult
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volunteers. Communicate With The Staff Your next step is to meet with the library staff and clearly tell them that adult volunteers will be a part of the program. Talk about the positive effects of parents and community members in the library. Solicit ideas. How can you recruit volunteers? Make a list of specific responsibilities for the volunteers. If the circulation clerk only suggests shelving books, try to encourage other options through effective listening skills or a needs assessment. You could remind everyone about all the problems last year in specific areas, such as the file of vendors' catalogs. Encourage all staff members to take part in the development plan. Decide who can design a recruitment poster or banner or an information card, even a weekly schedule form. Work as a team to coordinate the program. Recruit the Volunteers Remember to design your recruitment program in direct proportion to the number of volunteers you want. Determine your comfort level. If you enjoy public speaking, arrange to talk with the parents' group or a local service club. Perhaps a slide show highlighting your media activities could enhance your presentation. Advertising in the parent newsletter, local newspaper, or even the daily school bulletin, could bring volunteers to your library. Don't forget to contact radio stations and community television programs. Students who assist in the library could help design some of these advertisements or public service announcements. Finally, talk to everyone in your building about the program. Volunteers will come if your publicity sparks their interest and your ideas meet their needs. Program Flexibility When parents or community members call or visit the library to inquire about our program, we take time to talk with them. Many are fearful that they cannot help us since they do not have computer skills. Some are so busy that they are not sure when they can help. We do not pressure any volunteer to come at a certain time or on a certain day. The system is flexible. We ask each potential volunteer to fill out a form printed on a 3-x-5 card. It asks for complete name, address, telephone number, and birth date, not year. Because we have a list of possible volunteer activities, we're ready to accept any volunteer as soon as he or she is ready to start, even with less than an hour's notice. When the volunteer arrives, we make sure that she knows where to hang their coat, store her valuables, and find the restroom. We take time to answer all questions, perhaps over a cup of coffee. Introductions are made to all library staff members and any student assistants working in the library. We try to learn if the person has volunteered in a library before or if he or she has any special skills. It is important to listen to the volunteer. What does he want to do? Perhaps computer work, displays or working with the students are unacceptable. That's okay. We can work around any constraint. Every volunteer has previous experiences in a school situation. Some of these embedded memories may be
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unpleasant. But, listening and accepting the person cannot only help your library program but also build friendships and "cheerleaders" for public education. As the volunteers "settle in" for the school year, the library staff adjusts to each volunteer. We learn about their families, their career goals and their lives. Every Monday the library staff meets informally to discuss volunteer projects. We also discuss any concerns with the program. The volunteer tasks are written in pencil on a special volunteer form. Everyone understands that the schedule is subject to change by the volunteer. Of course, our work week schedule also changes as teachers decide to use the library or need assistance with special projects. The written volunteer schedule may change within minutes of a volunteer arriving if circumstances demand. Volunteers are not required to do any particular jobs. If they do not feel comfortable doing certain assignments, we change the tasks. Volunteers are not employees. If they need to take care of personal business within the school or take a long coffee break, their time is their own. Although our strategy may sound too simplistic, too good to be true, it is productive. I have never had a problem with any volunteer. In fact, I am always impressed with their skills and willingness to help others. My staff and I have learned to share, to communicate more effectively, and to appreciate the joy of giving. Over the last ten years, our library program progressed with the help of more than 100 volunteers. Some of them are now employees of the school district. Some have returned to school to improve their career options. Some of them have moved away, but still send letters or holiday cards. And, some are still helping us in the library. Evaluation Every program needs to be updated periodically, Nothing is static. A good library program is truly dynamic. Take some time. perhaps during an inservice day, to reevaluate your program with your library staff or your supervisor. Make a list of advantages and disadvantages sages of your program. Look carefully at your advertising program and your forms. Survey your volunteers. Talk with them and ask what they like or dislike about your program. Try to be objective about your program. Tinker. refine, but don't revolutionize every year. Widen your circle of information resources. Meet with volunteer coordinators at your public library, local agencies or a hospital. You can't accomplish all of these suggestions every year. However, you and your staff should develop one evaluation objective annually. Think about the details of your program. At the next librarians' meeting share your ideas. Emphasize your strategy and your success. Over time. the positive aspects of your program will help to decrease the number of negative volunteer stories. Conversely, the stories of successful experiences will surely increase. ~~~~~~~~ By Susan Clarke Sue Clarke is the Media Specialist at Rampart High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

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