Managing Volunteers: Striking a Balance with Employees ELIZABETH KARGES LIS7700 DECEMBER 17,

 “Volunteers are presumably cheap, but unless they are managed and directed, and unless they understand what they are supposed to do and what they are not supposed to do, they may cost a lot more than their nonsalaries” (White, 1993, p. 67).

History: Volunteers in Libraries  1970s: Library Unions peak (Nicol & Johnson, 2008)  1975: New York Public Libraries ban the use of volunteers due to union concerns  American Library Association responds to concerns by establishing “Guidelines for Using Volunteers in Libraries” (ALA, 1975)  Primary themes:  Library staff and governing body must approve volunteer use  Volunteers may not replace paid staff members

Literature Review: Volunteer Rates  Few libraries keep consistent data on volunteers (number of hours worked by volunteers, times volunteers most frequently donate their time, etc.)  Bernier (2009): Young adults volunteer most when not in school (June, July, December), and contribute more hours than adults in the Oakland Public Library system.  Curry (1996): Unionized Canadian libraries: larger libraries (>10,000 patrons) utilized few volunteers, while smaller libraries almost always employ volunteers.  Waters & Bortree (2012): Studied differences between women and men in volunteer retention rates.

Literature Review: Benefits of Volunteers  Free labor! (Leonard, 2012)  For teens, provides valuable work experience (Bernier, 2009)  Volunteers take on menial tasks, freeing librarians to spend more time focusing on their main duties (McGown, 2007)  SCU example: helping Highland Park Library get ready for their opening  Help run additional or one-time programs  SCU example: assisting at the Alphabet Forest at the Minnesota State Fair

Literature Review: Drawbacks of Volunteers  Scheduling  Recruiting  Lack of training  Hidden costs (Nicol & Johnson, 2008)  Matching skills to the volunteer  Perception that volunteers are able to do librarians’ jobs just as well (so why pay a librarian for work that volunteers do for free?)

Literature Review: Volunteer Management  Zimmeck (2000): Common complaints among volunteers:  Lack of autonomy  Inability to put skills to use  Conflicts with “professionals,” second-class status  McGown (2007): Coordinating school library volunteers:  Clear communication and organization  Keep a list of substitutes  Showing appreciation is essential

Steps in the Right Direction: Orientation  Allows management to motivate paid employees and volunteers by defining the library’s mission, vision and goals  Thoroughly explains procedures and job duties in the library  Ensures everyone is on the same page  Create a “Volunteer Handbook” based on Employee Handbook, including relevant items to volunteers (Hayden, 2012)

Steps in the Right Direction: Delineation  Make a clear distinction between work done by volunteers and work done by paid employees  Shelving and shelf reading?  Answering reference questions?  Circulating materials?  Planning a new program?  Prevents paid employees from doing “menial” work  Volunteers are able to work without stepping on the toes of paid employees’ duties

Steps in the Right Direction: Appreciation  Acknowledge the work your volunteers do—it may be the only thanks they get  Keeps volunteers motivated and improves retention (Russell-Sauve, 2012)  Ideas (McGown, 2007):  Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon  Small gifts (a donation made in their name, awards, etc.)  Just say “Thank you!”

Questions?

References  American Library Association. (1975). Guidelines for Using Volunteers in Libraries. American  Libraries, 2(4),  Bernier, A. (2009). Young Adult Volunteering in Public Libraries: Managerial Implications.  Library Leadership & Management, 23(3),  Curry, A. (1996). Volunteers in Unionized Canadian Public Libraries: A Finely Tuned  Partnership. Libraries & Culture, 31(1),  Hayden, K. A. (2012). Volunteers Need Management, Too. ILA Reporter, 30(6),  Hewitt, B., & Eve, J. (2012). The Use of Volunteers in Local Study Library Projects: A Case  Study of the Walter Gardiner Photography Project. Evidence Based Library and  Information Practice, 7(1),  Leonard, K. B. (2012). Volunteers in Archives: Free Labor, But Not Without Cost. Journal of  Library Administration, 52(3-4), DOI: /  McGown, S. W. (2007). Valuable Volunteers: How to Find, Use and Keep Them. Library Media  Connection, 26(2),

References  Nicol, E. A., & Johnson, C. M. (2008). Volunteers in Libraries: Program Structure, Evaluation,  and Theoretical Analysis. Reference and User Services Quarterly, 48(2),  Russell-Sauvé, C. (2012). Creating a Positive Volunteer Environment: The InfoCamp Way. Alki:  the Washington Library Association Journal, 28(3), 8-9.  Waters, R. D., & Bortree, D. S. (2012). Improving volunteer retention efforts in public library  systems: how communication and inclusion impact female and male volunteers  differently. International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing, 17, 92-  107. DOI: /nvsm.438  White, H. S. (1993). The Double-Edged Sword of Library Volunteerism. Library Journal,  118(7),  Zimmeck, M. (2000). The Right Stuff: New Ways of Thinking About Managing Volunteers.  Institute for Volunteering Research. Retrieved from   Resources/Documents/R/The_Right_Stuff.pdf.