Recruitment Campaign for Library Volunteers - Example

Recruitment Campaign for Library Volunteers Name Institution Recruitment Campaign for Library Volunteers Project Statement The information sector has seen rapid changes which has resulted in evaluation of the way libraries run their programs. With the major impact that volunteers have on libraries throughout Australia, it is important to come up with a robust volunteer program in order to provide more effective library services (Nicol & Johnson, 2008). The ‘Volunteer @ My Library’ program seeks to come up with a practical recruitment campaign for library volunteers that will ensure that libraries attract the best volunteering talent. Volunteers enhance the performance of paid staff and ensure that the library offers quality services to the patrons (Nicol & Johnson, 2008). Volunteers contribute a myriad of talent, knowledge and skills to the library staff and patrons which does not only help in building the community, but also in connecting people and enhancing a reading culture. This campaign will be used to recruit library volunteers to help in the community library. Impact of volunteering include; social inclusion, volunteering helps in community development, improving the economy of communities – the money that could have been used to pay volunteers is saved, and social impact on communities. Volunteers are responsible for over 600,000 NFPs in Australia. Even in instances where NFPs have employed staff, they rely on the goodwill and skills of volunteers (Volunteering Victoria, 2012). Over 57 percent of volunteers volunteer with a course to give back to the community (Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), 2006) The area of volunteering for this project is welfare volunteering, in the recruitment of volunteers. The program will include; the objectives of the campaign, campaign overview, target audience, position description, how to volunteer and publicity. Volunteer @ My Library Recruitment Campaign The Library The library belongs to all of us as a community. The community library is dedicated to enriching the lives of the people and building a reading culture both in the children and adults. This is an extension to the community members to use their talents, abilities, knowledge and skills in improving the services that the library offers. The library serves children (preschool and school going), young adults, adults and the aged through providing reading and self-enriching materials both electronic and hard copy. It also hold vibrant social programs. How does the library benefit the community? The Community library brings social change through the transformative power of knowledge. The library instill a reading culture to the community. Additionally, it instils confidence and other skills to children through the reading experiences. Again, the library helps in changing attitudes to reading, brings people together and promote volunteerism. For individuals, the opportunity to partner with us helps you to contribute to social change, bring connectedness to community and promote your well-being. Volunteers make a difference and transform lives and communities. The importance of this campaign is to support growth and empowerment of volunteering community Objectives of the Campaign 1. To raise awareness of the library to the community members 2. To recruit at least 15 volunteers within two months and continue recruiting though out the year 3. Improve the reading culture in the community 4. Keep the library open seven days a week 5. To support growth and empowerment of volunteering community Volunteering Opportunities Available Circulation Assistant The volunteer will be involved in circulation of materials in the library. The major task will be to ensure that library materials are sorted when they are returned, and hourly collecting book drops. The person doing this work assists library staff by shelving books, audio/visual materials. Additionally, they will be involved in periodical checking of shelves to ensure that books and other materials are shelved accurately. The volunteer should be down-to-earth, have good customer care and communication skills, and a team worker. Community Service Volunteer This volunteer will perform various duties in the library including cleaning projects, substituting absent volunteers. The volunteer will also be responsible for cleaning computer stations, library shelves and book cleaning. Additionally, they will ensure that the pines of books pulled to the edges so that patrons can be able to read them easily. The post requires a committed and punctual person. Children’s Reader This is an exciting and fun post; it involves reading to pre-school children and reading to children after school. The volunteer should have the ability to bond with the children and build their interest. The volunteer should also have the ability to speak to the parents and share the reading program with parents. The volunteer is responsible for maintaining contact information of the children’s caregivers. They must be able to maintain a regular schedule on a weekly basis. Special Events Volunteers The volunteer will be responsible for setting up adult events programs and helping the participants made good choices in their reading behaviour. This position requires someone who can handle a large social group of 15-30 people. They should be able to tolerate noises and have some technical skills (video games). Web Designer/IT Assistant We need a design and tech savvy to help come up with design ideas for the library website. A person who can also come up with designs for information packs as well as events and programs designs. The volunteer will also be involve in creating library promotion signage and flyers, blogs and interactive page where patrons can interact. The person should have knowledge in CSS and HTML, web design, adobe CS5 application and above all, a creative spirit. Selection Criteria 1. Having the desired skills and experience 2. Previous experience in library work and advantage but not mandatory 3. Ability to commit to a weekly schedule 4. A demonstrated willingness to follow the library regulations and objectives as well as working as being a strong team player 5. Computer and IT skills will be an added advantage 6. Police check and Blue Card check on appointment Target Audience We are seeking young people between 20 and 40 years, mostly university students and young professionals across different sectors. The volunteers should be computer literate and have a desire for reading. People in book clubs Recognition (Benefits for Volunteers) As an appreciation of their time and efforts, the library volunteers will receive Working in a friendly environment and have the advantage of meeting new people Personalized book plates Volunteer social events three times in the year Magnifying book marks. Library awards In-house training in the different library departments Overview of the campaign The campaign will take the Utopia view of volunteering where organizations set out from a view of increasing the number of volunteers (Volunteering Victoria, 2012). This is a multi-layered campaign, it will be done over a period of 1 month time using different communication channels for different communities. The major channels used to pass the message will be word of mouth, and article in the local newspaper, open-house event, library web-site and social media. Publicity Word of mouth and referrals: According to ABS (2006), 64% of volunteers first started volunteering because someone they know asked them to. Referrals have been hailed as the best ways to create awareness and attract volunteers in the company. This is because volunteers can share experiences and create confidence in prospective volunteers. Open house: Open house for community leaders and the general public. During the open-house event, the representatives will give a brief of the recruitment campaign and what the library hopes to achieve. This will not only raise awareness for recruitment, it will also sell the library’s brand to the community members. As such, those people with similar interests (like book clubs) will be attracted to partner with the library. Additionally, the event will be used a platform for awarding of volunteers who have helped the library. In-house event before launch of campaign: This event is meant to thank all people who are involved with the library; employed staff and active volunteers. Everyone in the library staff will be briefed on the campaign and the efforts they are supposed to put in to make the campaign a success. Additionally, different staff members will be assigned their roles in the recruitment campaign. Website: The website is a tireless recruiter (Fader, 2010). During the duration of the campaign the library website will be updated with information for those seeking to read more on the requirements. The website will have up-to-date information on the areas that need volunteers, plus the volunteer requirements. This maintains consistency since changes can be made easily and frequently. There will also be a frequently asked questions (FAQ) page where prospective volunteers can seek answers to questions they could have. Finally, the website will have an interactive segment where one can leave comments or ask questions. Social Media: Since the target audience is between 20 to 40 years, Facebook and Twitter will be the most appropriate tool. According to Conroy and Williams (2014) volunteers more familiar with technology will engage actively on social media. Use of social media as touch points for volunteer engagement is helps in keeping volunteers talking and thinking about the issues concerning the library. Additionally, those already volunteering can share their experiences, prospective volunteers can ask questions and the community people can offer referrals for volunteers. Two library staff will be responsible for moderating discussions, updating on the status of the campaign and the benefits of the program on the company Facebook and Twitter pages. Additionally, they will have the responsibility of sharing with the prospective volunteers on the social media guidelines and ways to join the volunteering program. How to Join Application Forms There will be two application forms; one for the general community and one or court-referred volunteers (Application form in the Appendix section) Interviews After application have been submitted, the library will conduct two interviews; telephone and face-to-face. Telephone interviews will be used to establish the time commitments, interests and motivation for volunteering. Additionally, they will be used for selection purposes (shortlisting) such that those who attend the face-to-face interviews will be the most likely candidates to be enrolled by the library. Face-to-face interviews will be used to make final hiring decisions. Training After selection, there will be two weeks orientation and training for the new volunteers. References Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2006). Voluntary work, Australia. Retrieved from: http://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/subscriber.nsf/0/C52862862C082577CA25731000198615/$File/44410_2006.pdf Chambre, S. M. & Einolf, C. J. (2011). Who volunteers? Constructing a hybrid theory. Depaul University. Driggers, p. & Dumas, E. (2002). Managing library volunteers: a practical toolkit. American Library Association, Chicago. Fader, S. (2010). 365 Ideas for recruiting, retaining, motivating and rewarding volunteers: a complete guide for nonprofit organizations. Atlantic Publishing Group. Florida. Nicol. E. A. & Johnson, C. M. (2008). Volunteers in libraries: program structure, evaluation and theoretical analysis. Reference & user Services Quarterly, 48(2), 154-163. Conroy, S. & Williams, A. (2014). Use of internet, social networking sites and mobile technology for volunteerism; implications for volunteer recruitment and engagement. AARP. Washington. Volunteering Victoria. (2012). Recruiting Volunteers. Retrieved from http://volunteeringvictoria.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Recruiting-Volunteers-May-2013.pdf Appendix The Application Form Name and contact information Name­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­________________ Telephone number_________________ Social security number ________________ Age________________ Time Commitments I will be available this times_____________ this number of days in a week___________ Skills and experiences ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Education level ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Interest areas___________________________________________ Preference of location to volunteer ________________________ Reasons for volunteering ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Physical limitations ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Commitment Statement I realize that the tasks assigned are according to the requirements and needs of the library. I take volunteering seriously and agree to follow the rules and regulations of the library. Name________________ Signature __________________ Read More