AUG 20

Recruiting and Training Volunteers for Library Advocacy

This webinar presents a sustainable volunteer training and management model to apply when libraries have big dreams but lack the staffing required to pursue them.

This event has passed.

Like many libraries, Michigan’s Herrick District Library found itself with a leaner staff facing more responsibilities in recent years. The idea of sending employees out of the building to staff community awareness events seemed like a challenging concept. This Michigan library not only developed a volunteer force to meet the challenge, but they now have a sustainable volunteer training and management model to apply in future situations where the library has big dreams but lacks the staffing required to pursue them. Come hear from a Geek the Library shining star, and learn how to engage your community’s volunteer force.

Presented by: Sara DeVries, Marketing & Public Relations Manager, Herrick District Library, Michigan

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Webinar Attachments

Related Resources and Links

  • Geek the Force: Recruiting and Using Volunteers for Library Advocacy, by Sara DeVries
  • More about Geek the Library
  • Herrick District Library and on Facebook
  • Geek the Library Volunteer Training from Herrick District Library
  • Volunteer Training Topics (pdf)
  • Ready for School
  • Additional info on library volunteers on WebJunction:
  • Sara asked "What events, activities, funding challenges, and other library activities might you engage your community volunteer network around?" and here are answers as posted to chat:
    • Outreach to schools
    • Establishing a maker space
    • Open Houses at Elementary Schools
    • volunteers for Coin Drop which raises money to run our bookmobile
    • Tutoring
    • retired school librarians & teachers doing outreach storytimes at preschools
    • Poetry Slams, Poem in Your Pocket Day Celebration for Poetry Month
    • homebound delivery service
    • community members who speak a language other than English helping with outreach in their language
    • Outreach to neighborhood organizations and corporations
    • chamber of commerce, service clubs
    • former Mayor led fund drive for new furnishings and equipment when we renovated
    • National Honor Society students in community, County Clerk/Township Supervisor, Church groups
    • Partnership with local arts council to bring classic cinema to our town's old movie theater which has not shown films in over 20 years.
    • A delivery service and helping with outreach for different organizations and corporations that speak other languages other than English
  • A participant asked: "Does anyone have naming suggestions for a group of volunteers who can be "checked out" for speaking engagements or as "expert resources," etc?" And here are some excellent suggestions shared:
    • Community Connectors
    • Human Resources
    • human dictionaries/encyclopedias...
    • volunteer speakers bureau
    • Library Voices
    • Library Liaisons
    • I am launching a new project like this at my library - we're calling it LOCAL (library outreach & community advocacy leaders)
    • Library Ambassadors

Date

20 August 2014

Time

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Eastern Daylight Time, North America [UTC -4]

Venue

Webinar