[Michlib-l] Teen Volunteers

[Mari Thurgate]

Thank you all so much for thoughtful input! I received some helpful answers
and I am so appreciative. I hope to put your advice to good use! I had a
number of requests to send out responses, so here they are:
----
a couple of things we have had them do are paint a mural on the garage door
to the library, paint the crosswalks, help with the gingerbread house
contest, do Teen Tech time with seniors, and organize a Teen Advisory Board.

---
  at a former library, we had them decorate the windows of the library with
window paint for different holidays, National Library Week, etc.
---
In a previous Library, we had our teens organize a tutoring club so
littler kids could get homework assistance.  We put out sign up sheets
with the topics that the teens were willing to tutor.  It became a very
popular program. I made nice certificates for the teens and provided
snacks here and there.  Here's a brief link to the program that is still
going on .
https://www.gwinnettpl.org/calendar/homework-help-tutoring-peachtree-corners/2017-08-29/

----
This is something that we have to balance at our library as well. We love
having our teens active and involved, but sometimes finding them something
to work on can be difficult. The balance that we have struck is having a
difference between "scheduled volunteering" and "drop in volunteering". We
also have different rules for Summer Reading volunteering and non-Summer
Reading Volunteering.

During the winter, when there isnt a large amount of regular volunteering
tasks that need accomplished, we require teens to register to volunteer and
we cap the amount of teens that have guarenteed times to volunteer. We
often get flooded with Seniors at the local high schools that need to
volunteer twice a week, two hours a day, for a specific set of weeks.
Unfortunately, the high school doesnt stagger those weeks at all, so we cap
the participating kids at 10. We do not have a cap on "drop-in"
volunteering, which teens can ask us if we have anything available, and we
either do or do not. This also allows us to schedule extra help on days of
large programs, but without worrying about making sure they have enough to
do during non-peak times.

Our Summer Reading program depends on our having enthusiastic teen helpers,
and volunteering is one of the main ways to earn an invitation to our Teen
Lock-In party. During the summer we only do "drop-in" volunteering, but we
have enough programs and prep-work that it is extremely rare that we turn
someone away in the summer. Our opening party usually has between 30-50
teen volunteers helping us run stations, and our themed 3 day day camp for
little ones usually has 40-60 volunteers each day.

*What tasks do you have your teen volunteers do?*
Our teen volunteers pick up outside garbage, clean shelves, sweep, help us
build decorations for programs, cut, glue, run the Summer Reading table in
the summer. Teens also help during programs, take photos for our Facebook
page, and very trusted helpers can help me with food prep for parties.

*How do you balance needed tasks with "cool" tasks?*

I am very upfront with teens when they ask if we have anything to do. I
will outright tell them I only have "lame stuff", and that it is only meant
if you are desperate for voluteer hours (cleaning parking lot, sorting
colors of perler beads). During the summer I still assign "lame tasks" but
encourage the teens to work on them as a team so that it doesn't feel as
boring. I never, ever assign shelf reading, just because I always hated
doing that as a teen. :)

*How do you train them?*

In the winter, we will train our core group of teens on specific tasks, but
remind them to check in with designated people when they run out of work.
We show them where to sign in and get their volunteer badge, and thats
about it. During the summer, we hold teen volunteer workshops and
distribute packets of information about Summer Reading registration, water
safety, food safety, and more. I go over the basic rules with everyone
before each program begins, just as a reminder.

*How do you step them up to more responsibility?*

We call our teen volunteers "minions" at our library. If you are known to
be a good volunteer that is flexible and responsible, you will earn
"trusted minion" status with us. Its informal, but it works. Trusted
minions essentially become floor leaders, work with food, and are allowed
into the Youth Offices.


*Do you have any rewards for them?*

We get pizza before our two biggest parties that our teens volunteer for,
so that they are well fed before the work begins. We have a giant teen
lock-in party to close summer reading, and volunteerism is one way to earn
your way into that party. We  record the teens hours and sign off on any
volunteer proof forms, as well as offer to write college/program
reccomendation letters for trusted minions. We have also been references
for teens in job interviews.


On a side note, I find buying the giant unsorted bin of Perler beads and
keeping that around for a volunteering task to be perfect. Its a job that
involves being seated, a teen can listen to music, and there is hours and
hours of sorting to be done. I have kept many a desperate teen busy enough
to fufil their time requirement, and once its completed we do a Teen Craft
Night with Perler beads. Almost all of our regular volunteers have had to
sort those at one time or another, and many friendships have been struck
due to a mutual loathing of those beads!

Good Luck!
---
quick thought - could use a volunteer to check for dead website links

we have a local community information directory (is posted on our township
website) and as i was looking at it yesterday to double check some of the
hot links it occurred to me that that would be a good task for a volunteer
- click on the hot links in the doc to see if they are still valid
---
Your teen volunteers could design flyers and help promote too.
---

I often liked to work with teen volunteers on programming – give them the
responsibility of helping with nametags, etc. at the start of a program,
hands-on assistance with crafts, etc.
If you have regular volunteers having them enter data, organize files, etc.
is super helpful.  One teen once indexed my storytime digital files in a
spreadsheet!
---
One thing that has worked for us in the past is talking to their parents,
or threatening to talk to their parents. It isn't something I do for the
first infraction (as long as it isn't something terribly serious), but it
is something that I have had to do. I have also told a few kids point blank
(while talking to their parents) that their behavior shows that they are
not ready to be volunteers yet, and that we will not be allowing them to
volunteer again for X amount of time. (Usually it is until next summer). I
feel that providing safe volunteer opportunities to teens is an important
role that the library can fulfill, but not if they are creating more
problems than solving, particularly if they are supposed to be responsible
for the safety of others. Also, if you have a few habitually goofing around
kids, that can chase away other more serious minded volunteers.

My colleague,  our youth librarian,  often has very young kids (7-9)
assisting him with small projects. Those kids are excited to be treated
like the teens, even though we give them separate, easily managed tasks.
While they can be a bit chatty and distractable, they know if they mess
around too much that next time their friend will be the one to help, not
them. It tends to prevent any serious disasters.

The best thing that ever happened as far a volunteering was our Supervising
Librarian managed to get the contact information of the local high school's
NHS before a large open house event. We have been able to build on our
relationship with them for the past several years, and they are VERY
serious about volunteers being punctual and responsible. We couldn't manage
our Summer Reading program without this group, and they like being able to
volunteer in the air conditioning and with people they already know. The
NHS secretary passes my information on once they graduate, and then I just
send out a list of the programs that I need help for. If you have any
inroads into the local high school, I strongly recommend reaching out to
their NHS group.

Our lock-in is not a sleepover. I joke with the kids that, "Ms. J doesn't
hate herself that much." We hold it the Saturday following the wrap-up of
Summer Reading from 6-11. Its unlimited pizza, salad, breadsticks, chips,
etc. I do grand prize raffles for everyone in the program that completed
it, and then a raffle for lock-in attendees only. We usually have a henna
artist, a video game room set up, and all of the computers turned on for
gaming. Its alot of fun, and a good way for the teens that have made
friends while volunteering over the summer to have one last "hang out"
before school starts back up.
---
What a great problem to have! I'm the teen librarian at Shelby Township
Library. I have three groups of teens who are active with the library:  my
after school kids/teens who come to the after hours events; my TAB kids,
and the volunteers who only need some hours for NHS/school. My after school
group that comes almost everyday to the library from the middle school.
Once a week we have a 90 minute hangout program with snacks and games, I
average 11-20 teens coming for each meeting. Some of my after school kids
are my younger TAB kids. My TAB kids meet once a month, and help me plan
and lead the events for the teens and decorate, we have a very active group
of 15-20. The other volunteers are active in the summer time when we need
as many volunteers as possible.  Our volunteer program runs all year long,
and teens in 7th-12th grade (under 18) can volunteer. All volunteers must
have a volunteer application on file with us, so we have emergency contact
information. TAB members must fill out a TAB application that has questions
about improving services to teens in the community and why they want yo
join. We have a paper sign up system right now, but there's hopes of using
a sign up program of some kind soon. I keep a spreadsheet of volunteer
hours for the year in excel, and keep track of their hours that way. I've
had a few seniors ask for all of their hours since they became volunteers
for their college applications, so that has been handy.

My volunteers help me set up and clean up programs. When it's a all ages or
children's craft event, a volunteer may be in charge of a station
explaining how to make something, or help children if they need help with
their activity. With larger events, we have a volunteer click the counter
as people are coming in the door and help take pictures for facebook and
instagram.

I may ask volunteers to help cut things for a story time craft, refill the
glue bottles, and check the glue sticks, a couple of them can do that
together and visit and chat.

I have one volunteer who comes in once a week to help with craft prep,and
she also wipes down the puzzles and toys in the kids area, and checks the
ipads to make sure the files and folders haven't been changed to bad words.

There's not many "cool tasks" besides helping at the teen programs, our
most coveted volunteer spots are for the annual Murder Mystery in the fall,
where the volunteers are suspects and witnesses. They get a run down of the
whole murder mystery before hand and a chance to solve it before the night
of the program, this helps me tighten any evidence. And when we had escape
rooms that I made from scratch, they tested out my puzzles. They get to
dress up in costume for those events.

I have found that as my younger volunteers grow in our volunteer program
they can take on more involved tasks that I can trust them with.  For my
newer or younger volunteers I'll give them simple tasks to see what they
can handle, and as I get to know them better and their what they can
handle, they get trusted with more involved tasks.

We reward our volunteers with an annual volunteer thank you party at the
end of summer reading. One year we went and played laser tag, but more
recently, they have asked for a pizza party after hours with games, a
pinata, and to play hide and seek in the dark. The TAB members have a
Christmas party for the December meeting, and we have a farewell party for
the graduating seniors, too.

We couldn't run our SRP without our volunteers. They register the children,
they check logs and award prizes, and they explain the rules to kids and
parents. Before SRP begins, we have a one hour volunteer orientation. I
send out an email to all of the volunteers inviting them to help us again
for the summer, and encourage them to come to orientation--they get service
hours for the meeting. Volunteers who cannot come to orientation get a ten
minute one-on-one with me or the other children's librarian. If possible,
we will try to buddy new volunteers with veteran volunteers. We also leave
a print out of what to do at the volunteer table, and a librarian is nearby
if they need help.

Paperwork:
https://www.shelbytwplib.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Teen-Volunteer-Application1.pdf

https://www.shelbytwplib.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/tab-application.pdf

Good luck organizing the teens!


On Wed, Mar 13, 2019 at 1:13 PM Mari Thurgate <marithurgate at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Hey Michlib!
>
> I  am so lucky to work at a branch that gets flooded with teens from our
> middle and high school every afternoon. We get around 50 of them and a
> small subset have decided that volunteering at the library is cool. I'm all
> for encouraging and supporting this behavior (after all, it's how I started
> in this profession 15+ years ago) but at the moment, their "help" is
> requiring more energy than the value they are producing- usually we get a
> pack of 5 of them a day, with about 20 kids participating. Most volunteers
> are in middle school and we'd love them to get them on the path toward
> being pages once they are of hireable age, or general entry level
> employable skills. We have an active Teen Advisory Board, but this is a
> different group of kids.
>
> They're currently volunteering because they're bored after school, waiting
> to go home. We have them dusting shelves, wiping down computers, and
> sharpening pencils, which aren't exactly captivating tasks, but things that
> we always need help with. We've come to the point where we need to
> formalize how things are done, so that it takes less staff effort on a
> daily basis, which is where I need your help!
>
> What tasks do you have your teen volunteers do?
> How do you balance needed tasks with "cool" tasks?
> How do you train them?
> How do you step them up to more responsibility?
> Do you have any rewards for them?
> Are they involved in summer reading?
> Do you have paperwork or info sheets you'll share with me?
>
> TL;DR: Any advice on wrangling teen volunteers is welcome! Please send off
> list, and I can compile and send out if requested.
>
> Thank you for your wisdom!
> Mari Thurgate
> Monroe County Library System, Bedford Branch
>
>
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