[ISLMA-Share] Friends of the Library groups in elementary libraries

Sun Sep 18 17:37:11 CDT 2016

Hi Beth!

I am in a K-5 building and after a year or two of trying to coordinate
volunteers myself, I asked my school's PTO and they added Library Volunteer
Coordinator to their list of positions. Last year I had one rock solid
volunteer who came once a week. (She was also the volunteer coordinator.)
She'd stay for two or three hours and make sure all the books around the
ones she shelved were in order, too! When her daughter moved up to the
middle school, I was worried. However, I've gotten FIVE volunteers this
year!

The PTO Library Volunteer Coordinator put out sign up sheets at our Back to
School Night. She also put out a sign up sheet at our Back to School
Picnic. These are times when parents are already signing up to volunteer
for room parents, field trips, PTO events, and assisting in the classrooms.

I had my library open once a week this summer. Two of the parents that came
with their kids this summer asked about volunteering in the library at the
end of the summer. I think they realized how much work it was, either that,
or they felt sorry for me because I hadn't gotten books shelved for most of
the summer! How you would find this out I don't know, but my best volunteer
so far this year had shelved books at her child's previous school. She's
experienced!

The tricky part is trying to get them to sign up for a time that their
child is not actually in the library. The younger ones get all mushy
"Mommy! You're here!" Run over, Hug hug kiss kiss. The older ones are
either embarrassed and ignore their parent, or the parent tries to be the
cool parent and say hi to all her kids' friends. One parent started telling
kids where to sit! Of course, that parent also told her friends, "Tell the
office that you're volunteering in the library, but really, you can watch
your kids in STEM class." It explained why she didn't get much done. She
was here a lot.

You will need to spend some time training your volunteers. After 45 minutes
of shelving in my non-fiction section, a volunteer asked me to explain
again what the numbers meant. (Won't find *those* books for a while!) I
usually spend about 45 min to an hour "training" them. That's not all me
talking, though. I show them a section, explain which books go there and
why, then let them shelve a few with me there, then give them some time to
shelve in that section on their own. Then we move on to the next section. I
make sure they know that there is no obligation to volunteer even after
training. I look at the training more as a chance to try it out and see if
they like it. That way, for  people that find it way over their heads, they
have an out. I also say constantly, please feel free to ask a question, or
just leave a book on the cart if you can't figure out where it goes.

I show them where they can hang their coat and put their purse in my
office. I explain that there aren't many "perks" of being a volunteer, but
if they ever have want recommendations for books, or if they see a book
they think their child(ren) would like, they are welcome to check them out.
Since we have our "book room" of F&P leveled texts in the library, I
explain a bit about how they are used. I also tell them if they come right
when the school day starts or ends, they can skip the long car pick up line
and bring their child into the library or meet their child in the library
at the end of the day.

I make sure to thank them often and insist that they do not have to
"finish" shelving an entire cart, just stay as long as planned. I make sure
that I am busy while they are here, not chatting on the phone or with
another teacher about non-work related things. If I see the principal near
the parent, I point out to him that the parent is a library volunteer and I
really appreciate them. I also tell the volunteer's kids that I really
appreciate their parent's help. I always plan to make something really cool
and meaningful as a gift, but I never seem to get to it.

We've tried Volunteer Spot and Sign Up.com, but they just seem to get too
complicated. Plus they don't always give people the flexibility they want.
It expects you to come every week. I ended up writing names on a small
white board behind my circ desk. Mine all seem to want to come once a week
except one. I am usually able to say thank you and see you next week when
the volunteer leaves. The mom who wants to come every other week, I check
the date for her next visit with her and jot it on the white board. My
volunteer last year would send an email and let me know who had signed up
for the week, but since it was usually just her, we gave that up.

A few times I've had multiple people come on the same day by accident. I
never say I have nothing to do! There's always some project I've had
sitting in back that needs to be worked on or at the very least,
straightening books and pushing in book ends is so helpful. Also, I might
ask a volunteer to focus just on one section that is always a mess and make
sure the books are in order and straight. (Ex: the pet section or graphic
novels.)

If you have any more specific questions, feel free to send an email off
list! Good luck! I'd be buried under a whole lot of books if it weren't for
my volunteers this year. All the library assistants in our PreK-12 district
were RIFfed last May and only some were rehired as half library assistant
half technology assistants.

Pam

-- 
Ms. Pamela L. Meiser
*Library Information Teacher*

*Barbara B. Rose Elementary School*

*61 W. Penny Road*

*South Barrington, IL 60010*
*pmeiser at barrington220.org <pmeiser at barrington220.org>*

*https://twitter.com/MsMeiser
<https://twitter.com/MsMeiser>http://www.barrington220.org/Page/4347
<http://www.barrington220.org/Page/4347>www.facebook.com/BarbaraRoseSchoolLibrary
<https://www.facebook.com/BarbaraRoseSchoolLibrary/>*

On Sun, Sep 18, 2016 at 4:45 PM, Email list for the Illinois School Library
Media Association <islma at list.railslibraries.info> wrote:

> I am in a K-8 elementary school and would like to encourage parent
> volunteers. How do you use parent volunteers? Advice on recruiting? Tasks
> you have them help with? Pitfalls?  Do you call them Friends of the Library
> or something else?
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Beth Kovacic
> Komarek District 94
> bkovacic at komarek94.org
>
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