Volunteers are the backbone of many an organization. This practical, hands-on guide, filled with useful tips and everyday examples, will help those responsible for volunteers successfully recruit and manage this invaluable resource. Anyone who supervises volunteers will find this book an indispensable guide for navigating the intricacies of managing unpaid workers. Underlying the content is the message that volunteers are a vital part of an organization's workforce and should be treated as valuable members of the team. Volunteers can work alongside paid staff members to help the organization run smoothly and efficiently—and cost effectively. The book is packed with easily implemented advice and proven techniques for successfully handling common situations. Concise and easy to read, it assumes neither previous volunteer management experience nor familiarity with business practices, yet even experienced volunteer managers will come away with fresh ideas and new approaches. To augment her own expertise and increase the diversity of viewpoints, the author interviewed volunteer managers from various types of organizations and shares their stories. Quotes and anecdotes throughout the book help readers relate to common problems and illustrate the challenges and rewards of managing volunteers.

Covering principles, practical guidelines, and best practices for establishing and operating a successful library volunteer program in any type of library, this is a must-have resource for the 21st-century librarian. In these tough economic times, librarians must maximize the potential of their volunteer programs. This innovative guide not only provides readers with the practical information they need to recruit, manage, and retain effective volunteers, but also demonstrates how to create a dynamic volunteer program—one that offers purposeful work and emphasizes rewards rather than rules and forms. Illustrated by best practices, this book also offers practical guidelines for evaluating the success of a volunteer program—in terms of the library's benefit, and in terms of the experience from the volunteer's point of view.