Managing Library Volunteers

Volunteers are essential to a successful library program-and at a time when yearly budget cuts are the norm, there are many libraries which remain open today because of dedicated volunteers, who do everything from shelving books to covering the phones. Whether these individuals are friends, trustees, or community members, managing them effectively is the key to harnessing their enthusiasm for the good of your institution. Authors Driggers and Dumas have completely overhauled their classic work and present a top-to-bottom toolkit for recruiting, interviewing, training, supervising, and evaluating volunteers, presenting - Tips for recruiting volunteers from your community by using social networking, electronic posting, and the library website - Principles of volunteer administration, including the rights and duties of volunteers - Important legal and risk management issues facing libraries - Dozens of sample job descriptions, application forms, parental permissions, sign-in sheets, planning checklists, exit surveys and much more Quality volunteers can make a world of difference in today's library, and this handson guide gives you everything you need to maximize your library's services and build a bridge between your library and the community it serves.