Let’s Talk Strategies: Volunteer Recruitment, Management, and Appreciation

Running a volunteerism program for teens comes naturally to Talena Reynolds. Prior to her newest volunteer management role, Talena spent 16 years as a librarian, and the bulk of those in Teen Services. But it was even before that when Talena discovered her passion for guiding and empowering youth and teens. “Before I came to the Toledo Library, I was a substitute teacher, professional mentor, and then a school-age director at the YMCA. Then, I saw an advertisement that the Library was hiring. I thought… why not?” Talena explained that if the Library had not hired her, she would have pursued teaching full-time. Now, nearly 20 years later, she’s glad to have landed the Volunteer & Partnership Liaison position at the Library — so much so that she announced it on a nationally-televised game show.

“It’s a funny story,” she laughed. “I got on Wheel of Fortune LIVE! It’s true. I love it! It was my husband’s birthday, and I won a spot, and in the final round, I won a trip for us to Vegas. When I introduced myself to the audience, I said, “I work at the Library! I love the Library. Does anyone want to volunteer for us? If so, just go to any Toledo Library location and ask them to speak with Talena Reynolds!”

Strategies for Volunteer Recruitment

Though it is a funny story, the Wheel of Fortune anecdote accurately illustrates much of the advice Talena has for others who’d like a career in volunteer management. “It’s really just about getting out there,” she shared. “Don’t be afraid of being told no. Most people are happy to help in some way. When you’re out and about at meetings, tabling, networking, just ask everyone ‘Are you a volunteer? Do you want to be?’ Lots of times they’ll say yes, okay Talena, give me your card. It can be that easy!” When it comes to volunteer recruitment, Talena has seen great success with word-of-mouth, but also social media and holding an outreach table at fairs and events.

To volunteer managers just starting out she recommends getting organized with affordable software, then “figure out how you are going to reach out to people and make the connections. Where can you talk to people? Consider visiting senior centers, or dropping flyers off at schools and colleges. Churches are also great places to connect with potential volunteers.” She noted that connecting with large companies can also prove fruitful, as they may have paid volunteer time offered as part of their benefits package.

She shared that outside of recruiting adult volunteers for the 3 p.m. time frame to engage with youth after school (which can be difficult due to competing schedules), finding people willing to volunteer with the Library goes smoothly. “90% of our volunteers grew up in the Library, they love libraries and they love to read. Because our volunteers not only love the Library but our community, they’re happy to help make Toledo a great place to be. In turn, we keep things as flexible as we can for them, requiring as little as two hours of volunteer service per month and letting each volunteer select the schedule that best works for them,” Talena shared. “We really work to create a sense of community, a welcoming place where everyone belongs.”

What Makes a Great Volunteer?

When asked which characteristics Talena looks for in volunteers, she cited soft skills overall. “You know, it’s important for our volunteers to be open-minded and non-judgmental. Kind and caring. Flexible, honest, and accountable. Punctual. I look for people with the ability to work with anyone.” She noted that these characteristics are the same for both teen and adult volunteers.

On Managing Teen Volunteers

With many years of experience in public service with teens and youth, Talena came into this new role well suited to develop a robust VolunTEEN program. “I started managing Library volunteers in April of 2022, and Summer Read was beginning in just one month. It was the most stressful four weeks in recent memory, but we did it!” she said smiling. “By May 1, the Summer Read VolunTEEN Program was up and running, and I had over 200 teen volunteers make the 2022 Summer Read a success.”

Today, Talena provides year-round volunteer opportunities for teens. For the 2024-25 school year, Library VolunTEENs have volunteered over 90 hours already. School year VolunTEENs have a variety of reasons for joining the program, including gaining service hours for clubs like National Honor Society or Toledo Excel. Some join just for fun. “They enjoy it and find it convenient as we can often let them choose a branch close to home or school. We can also be flexible with their schedules to work around sports and their other commitments.”

Talena finds much joy in coordinating teen volunteers, and offered up a few suggestions:

• Know their names.
  • Just like any of us, teens want to be seen as individuals with unique talents and gifts. Get to know them and show you are interested in their success.
• Enforce the rules.
  • Teens do well with boundaries, and knowing who to lean on when questions or issues arise. Provide them a clear volunteer orientation and hold them accountable to the standards of your organization. Their sense of pride will soar!
• Make it fun.
  • Anything can be a game! Maybe there’s a “lost” book that you know is sitting on a shelf somewhere. Start the clock and have your teens compete to see who can find it first. (No running in the Library though!)

Volunteer Appreciation

Making sure volunteers feel appreciated is a massive part of volunteer management. Talena shared this can be done through little things, “thank you notes, emails, candy, birthday messages, just a random out of the blue ‘how are you doing?’ goes a long way.” One of her fondest memories is a 2023 volunteer recognition banquet planned around the tenets of “Fun. Fellowship. Food. Family.” “All volunteers were invited, and it was special to have all them in one place, especially our adults. We gave them the mic to talk about their time volunteering, and one teen even wrote and read her own poem.” This particular teen took the ‘Make it a Game’ part of volunteering to heart.

“It’s usually busy during Summer Read, but every now and then you’ll have a gap in activities,” explained Talena. “So, this teen wrote a poem. Something like, ‘Sitting here, the minutes are ticking, tick tick tick when will the next person come’. Just something silly to pass that down time. The other volunteers loved it, and so did I.”

Volunteerism is a great way to add skills to your resume, and Talena shared that with the help of a volunteer management software program (Galaxy Digital) she’s able to quickly produce volunteer resumes upon request.

“The teens in particular find this helpful, especially those heading off to college or training programs.”

Time Management for the Manager

Being a volunteer manager means being constantly busy, and often having competing priorities. “Step away for a moment if you need to, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. When it comes to time management, sometimes you just need to prioritize what must be done today, versus what can be saved for later. For me, the volunteer needs always come first. For example, if a new volunteer took the time to express interest and create an account with the Library, I’m going to engage with them right away.”

Volunteer managers can also look outside of their organization for strategies. “I’m part of a group of National Library Volunteer Engagement Leaders across the country that meets every Wednesday on Zoom. This is really helpful as it’s an open forum for everyone to share tips, challenges, and successes.” Talena also engages with ServeOhio and recently joined DOVIA.

Connecting with other area nonprofits to share opportunities and volunteers has also proved useful. “I keep a long list of opportunities from other organizations, so if someone comes to me and the Library’s volunteer openings don’t meet their schedule or needs, I can direct them to a fellow nonprofit to explore opportunities. It’s a mutually beneficial workflow, because on occasion other nonprofits direct interested individuals to me,” explained Talena.

Volunteer Opportunities with Toledo Library

The Toledo Library offers a surprising variety of current volunteer opportunities. Here are just some of the upcoming events and programs Talena can connect those interested with:

• Metroparks Takeover – There are many ways to help on this fun filled day when the Metroparks team takes over Main Library!
• Authors! – These programs are volunteer favorites, with opportunities including VIP reception check-in, issuing or selling copies of the author’s book, scanning tickets, and gathering Q&A submission cards.
• Adult Teen Programs for IDD – The Library offers programs that can be modified for attendees with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities and their support person. Volunteers will avail themselves to help presenters or whomever may need help during these programs.
• Chess Clubs – These clubs are very popular at several branches, and you don’t even have to know how to play to volunteer!
• Dungeons & Dragons – This game is also growing in popularity with groups at several branches. Learn something new and have fun when you volunteer for this one!
• Engage with Library Lovers – Work with youth or adults looking for ways to enjoy their Library. Volunteer opportunities include reading together with customers, playing games, and leading staff-provided activities.

To learn more and become a Toledo Library volunteer, visit toledolibrary.org/volunteer today!

To explore resources and assistance available to nonprofit organizations via the Library’s Small Business & Nonprofit Department, visit toledolibrary.org/sbn.