Training Materials

Learn more about best practices in volunteer recruitment and engagement, and how to get the results you need.

NOTE: These are examples from public libraries and should be reviewed and modified to ensure fit with local policies and culture.

Title Keyword Tags Year
Research and Case Studies Regarding Virtual Volunteering
Research on virtual volunteering compiled and updated in March 2022 by Jayne Cravens of Coyote Communications.
Capacity BuildingEngaging High Impact Volunteers virtual, virtual volunteer 2022
Fun Volunteer Teambuilding Activities That Will Keep Your Remote Team Engaged
This article from Tobi Johnson about Volunteer Team Building activities includes instructions for both in-person and virtual activities.
Capacity BuildingEngaging High Impact Volunteers team building 2022
First Day Volunteer Orientation Checklist - Kitchener Public Library
This checklist is used by the Kitchener Public Library for a volunteer's first day of orientation/training.
Volunteer Orientation checklist, orientation, Training 2022
Changing the Frame: Civic Engagement Through A Racial Equity Lens
Since Robert Putnam’s book Bowling Alone: America’s Declining Social Capital came out in 2000, policymakers, nonprofit funders, and pundits have sent… more
Capacity BuildingStaff Training diversity, equity, inclusion 2022
Virtual Volunteers: Keys to Success and Sustainability
More and more organizations rely on a hybrid workforce – with staff and volunteers working on-site and on-line. More recently, engaging volunteers… more
Staff TrainingCapacity Building virtual volunteer 2022
Live Online Discussion of Diversity Equity & Inclusion
California Library Volunteer Leaders: Live Open Online Discussion on Diversity Equity & Inclusion in Volunteer Engagement – This recorded… more
Capacity BuildingStaff Training diversity, equity, inclusion, White Saviorism 2022
White Supremacy in Volunteerism - Perfectionism
This video clip was prepared for the Get Involved Initiative by Breauna Dorelus of Connecting the Cause - https://www.connectingthecause.com. After… more
Staff Training White Saviorism, diversity, equity, inclusion, white supremacy 2022
Privilege, Bias and Microaggressions
On Aug 25, 2022 Points of Light and the Minnesota Association for Volunteer Administration led a conversation exploring identity, privilege, bias and… more
Capacity BuildingStaff Training privilege, bias, microaggression, diversity, equity, inclusion 2022
VolunteerMatch "Tour"
This is a recording of an online meeting "Tour" provided for incoming AmeriCorps members attached to California Library Literacy Services in December… more
VolunteerMatch Tools and ResourcesStaff TrainingOn-line Volunteer Recruitment VolunteerMatch, Skilled Volunteers, skilled, virtual, virtual volunteer 2022
Creating a Community-Centered Volunteer Orientation
This video clip was prepared for the Get Involved Initiative by Breauna Dorelus of Connecting the Cause - https://www.connectingthecause.com. After… more
Staff TrainingVolunteer Orientation diversity, equity, inclusion, White Saviorism, white supremacy, orientation, Training 2022
QuickStart Guide for New Volunteers
Not a library, but a lovely example to get ideas from.
Volunteer Orientation orientation, handbook 2022
Ways to Appreciate Volunteers Without Centering Them as the Hero
This video clip was prepared for the Get Involved Initiative by Breauna Dorelus of Connecting the Cause - https://www.connectingthecause.com. After… more
Staff Training recognition, diversity, equity, inclusion, White Saviorism, appreciation 2022
Activating the Power of Strategic Volunteer Engagement for a Better World
Driven by the power of volunteer energy and grounded in comprehensive research, the Initiative for Strategic Volunteer Engagement  launched to… more
Capacity Building Strategic, fund development 2023
An Introduction to Ethics for the Volunteer Engagement Profession
Katie Campbell, former Executive Director of the CCVA (Council for Certification in Volunteer Administration) and Ethics Editor Erin Spink introduce… more
Staff Training Ethics 2023
New Volunteer Manager's ToolKit
This one hour webinar recording was presented for the Get Involved initiative by Jennifer Bennett, Director of Education and Training at… more
Staff TrainingCapacity Building toolkit 2023
Tools for Volunteer Engagement Success
This one hour archived video was presented by Carla Lehn of the Get Involved: Powered by Your Library initiative for the incoming AmeriCorps members… more
On-line Volunteer RecruitmentVolunteerMatch Tools and ResourcesStaff Training VolunteerMatch, online recruitment 2023
Get Z and Millennials: How They Use Public Libraries and Identify Through Media Use
This 2023 report is organized into five parts:

1. Gen Z library use and non-use.
2. How Gen Z and millennials use media and discover books.
3. Gen Z… more
Capacity Building Gen Z, Millennials 2023
The Four Appreciation Languages -
A nice article from Karen Knight Consulting discussing the various forms of volunteer recognition.
Staff Training recognition 2023
Sensory Story Time Volunteers - Redwood City CA
This one hour webinar was presented for the Get Involved: Powered by Your Library initiative on December 6 2023 by Pam Evans, Youth Services… more
Staff Training Storytime, story time, sensory, disabilities 2023
Shelve-it!
This shelving game could be used as a portion of your training for volunteers who do shelving. -- See also:
https://getinvolvedclearinghouse.org/… more
Job Specific Volunteer Training Shelving, shelver 2023