The Corporation for National and Community Service reports that in 2015 Idaho ranked fifth in the nation for percentage of its population that volunteered (34%), second in the nation for the number of volunteer hours per resident (43.5), and fifth in the naton with a volunteer retention rate of 73%.  Is your library taking advantage of  the skills and willingness of Idahoans of all ages to support your programs?

For many library staff, developing or revamping a volunteer program is a daunting idea, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming.  ICfL is participating in Get Involved Powered by Your Library, a 3 year grant to help public library staff recruit and retain volunteers. During the grant period, participating libraries attend webinars on various topics, have access to valuable resources on all types of volunteer topics, and receive a free subscription to VolunteerMatch,a leading online resource in the counntry for recruiting and retaining volunteers.

Learn more about how volunteers can support your library mission in a one hour webinar on Wednesday, August 9, 10 am MDT, 9 am PDT.  Webinar information below:

Re-Energize your Volunteer Program by Designing Mission-Driven Opportunities

Too often libraries look at volunteer engagement as something that’s nice to have, and never realize the true potential of volunteers. But, our organizations become more successful, responsive, and effective when we look at volunteers as a key component to our library’s success. In this session we’ll discuss creating a connection between the work volunteers do and your library’s mission. You’ll learn how to design volunteer opportunities with real impact, and how to tell the story of that impact both within your organization and to your community. Attendees will leave with sample mission-driven position descriptions and a worksheet to help craft their library’s story of volunteer engagement.