[OPLINLIST] volunteer information - responses

Mon, 02 May 2005 19:02:59 -0400

<BODY>Hi everyone, 
Thanks to everyone who responded about volunteers in libraries. Here are the responses I received.
We haven't changed how we do it.&nbsp; Reference desk runs adult volunteers and Children's desk runs the juvenile volunteers.&nbsp;
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Our Asst Director for Support Services is the person who has overall responsibility for our volunteers and volunteer program.&nbsp; Reporting to her is a PT staff person who serves as Reception Desk Volunteer Liaison, among other duties, as this group needs to be regularly informed about what is going on in the library (Our reception desk in the main lobby is totally staffed by volunteers, every hour we are open).&nbsp; In addition, the Asst Director for Public Services serves as the Friends of the Library liaison (a large cadre of volunteers and activities), attending their meetings.&nbsp; 
We do a semi-annual Volunteer Update session (with refreshments and mini-training components and an update on what's going on in the library).&nbsp; We also do an annual Volunteer Recognition reception and awards ceremony (coming up next week).&nbsp; We have gone from about 20 volunteers 5 years ago to approximately 150 volunteers right now, if you include the Friends of the Library gift shop and booksale volunteers.<o:p></o:p>
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Your message to OPLINlist about volunteer supervision caught my eye.&nbsp; I have the newly-minted title of Outreach Services &amp; Volunteer Coordinator here at Worthington Libraries.&nbsp; Until early this year, I was a reference librarian, and volunteer oversight was in the hands of the two library managers (Old Worthington Library and Northwest Library).&nbsp; The library managers would, and now I will, receive inquiries from prospective volunteers, interview them and elicit skills, interests, work time preferences, etc., plus provide a basic orientation to the library and to volunteer procedures (time sheets, etc.)&nbsp;&nbsp; Each volunteers would then be assigned to an appropriate staff member and would be trained in specific duties, report to, and interact on a week-to-week basis, with that staff member.&nbsp; We have a Volunteen program for 12-18 year olds, which is managed by the teen librarians.&nbsp; This will not change, though I will be working with the teen lib
rarians to support this program.<o:p></o:p>
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&nbsp; Margie Smith Assistant Director Hudson Library &amp; Historical Society 22 Aurora St Hudson, OH 44236 330.653.6658 330.653.3373 fax </BODY>