Title of Webinar: Connecting With Today’s Volunteers to Transform the Friends of the Library: Expectations, Engagement, and Impact
Sponsor: Friends of Libraries Section/New York Library Association
Date: Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Time: 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. EST
Description:
Can a nonprofit transform the way it attracts and utilizes volunteers? Volunteer service is a valuable strategy for community engagement, but traditional volunteer programs in libraries of all sizes need to be redesigned to work with today’s volunteers – many of whom have limited time to give and expect to have their expertise put to good use. Does your Friends group need assistance in graphic design, technology, social media, event planning, leadership, or public relations? How does an organization design roles for volunteers with new skillsets and where do you begin to look for people to fill these positions?
Reaching volunteers as vastly different as Baby Boomers and Millennials is challenging, but both groups want to make an impact. Discover new approaches to recruit volunteers that are reshaping other nonprofits such as online recruitment and using virtual volunteers to work remotely on library projects. See how these changes can have an impact on your organization and help the Friends succeed in their mission.
Learning Objectives:
After the webinar, attendees will be able to: Identify current trends that require a shift in traditional volunteer management practices; Inventory their organization’s needs that can be met by the expertise and skills of new volunteers; Design effective job descriptions establishing explicit expectations of training, investment of time, and clearly delineated tasks; Prepare an achievable recruitment plan to locate skilled volunteers to meet the organization’s needs
Presenter:
Carla Lehn began her career as a VISTA volunteer and, after receiving a Masters in Community Development from the University of California, Davis, worked for United Way for over a decade. Before joining the California State Library staff in 2001 to work on statewide literacy, volunteerism, and community engagement initiatives, she was a private consultant on volunteer engagement, board development, and community collaboration. Carla’s most recent book, From Library Volunteer to Library Advocate: Tapping Into the Power of Community Engagement, was published by Libraries Unlimited in June 2018. Since her December 2015 retirement, Carla has returned to consulting and traveling and actively volunteers.
Cost and Registration:
The charge for the webinar is $25 for NYLA personal or organizational members (who are not members of the Friends of Libraries Section) and $35 for those who are not members of the New York Library Association. Group registrations are also available ($75 member rate/$99 nonmember rate). Interested participants may choose to join NYLA prior to registering for the webinar to receive the NYLA member rate. However, at the time of registration, a NYLA member may not add FLS to their existing membership in order to attend the webinar at no cost. Registration is closed 48 hours prior to the start time of the webinar.
There is no cost to attend for existing personal and organizational members of the Friends of Libraries Section of NYLA. The FLS membership must be active on August 1, 2019, and the membership expiration date must be after the date of the webinar. Elected officers of Friends Group organizational members of NYLA are also eligible for this benefit, as long as these individuals are included on the “Elected Officer Registration Form” on file with Lois Powell, NYLA’s Director of Membership Services. When registering, FLS members need their assigned user name and password to qualify for an “FLS Member Reg Pass” that will waive the webinar registration fee.
Registration will open Wednesday, August 14. Registration is through the NYLA Online Membership Center and a credit card is required for payment. Checks and purchase orders are not accepted.
Libraries Unlimited, the publisher of Carla Lehn’s book, is offering a 20% discount on her title in conjunction with this webinar. This offer expires on October 31, 2019. See the link to the coupon on the Friends of Libraries Section’s webpage: www.nyla.org/friends.