Friends, trustees & volunteers

Volunteers at awards ceremony

Friends, Trustees and Volunteers are the powerhouses behind libraries. These groups frequently advocate on behalf of libraries and spend hours raising funds and volunteering their time to help make their local library a success. Find great resources on organizing a Friends group, offering training to trustees, recruiting volunteers, and best practices for working with these groups.

Self-paced courses and webinar recordings on this topic are freely available in the WebJunction Course Catalog.

Photo: Sno-Isle Libraries, CC BY-NC 2.0

Most Recently Added

Proactive Planning for Library Staff Transitions

Publish Date: Webinar / 19 April 2023

This webinar introduces practical approaches to preserve organizational knowledge, clarify processes for current staff and trustees, and ease the learning curve for new employees.

Resources on Book Challenges and Intellectual Freedom

Publish Date: News / 24 May 2022

Across the United States, there are increased reports of book challenges from community members, which have led to very public and heated discussions. As public library leaders and staff consider how to prepare for similar local challenges, being pro...

Small But Mighty Library Management and Innovation

Publish Date: Webinar / 5 November 2018

In this webinar, learn how the Millvale Community Library addresses their community's food desert, uses clean energy, offers a tool-lending library, and more.

Revitalizing Library Volunteer Engagement

Publish Date: Webinar / 18 September 2018

This webinar explores new trends in library volunteerism and presents practical steps to recruit skilled volunteers to help grow your community of library advocates and supporters.

Building a Culture of Learning with Library Boards

Publish Date: Webinar / 24 May 2018

In this webinar, presented in collaboration with the Association for Rural & Small Libraries, find out how to cultivate a culture of learning with your library trustees.