Summer Volunteer Applications Available for Teens

For the past three months adults and teens alike have been asking when Teen Volunteer Corps applications will be available.  I am happy to say that applications are at the reference desks on the first and second floor.

For those of you unaware of this much-anticipated program, students currently in grade 6 and up pass out summer reading prizes, sign people up for summer reading, answer questions, as well as shelve materials and help keep the Library tidy.  Each student will be scheduled for one two-hour shift per week for eight weeks and will be required to attend a two-hour training session with a one hour focus on customer service skills.  

We understand families go out of town for vacations and camps and we think that's great! We are happy to work around scheduled vacations and camps.  We just ask that volunteers make up any missed shifts.  We will show students how to do this during training and can remind them at any time during the summer if needed.  Plus, each student gets a free shirt, which will get your child used to wearing a uniform.

Applications are due Friday, May 1st and are available on our website or in the library. 

Teen Volunteers Needed for Summer 2014!

Here is a snippet of a conversation frequently had between parents and our teen librarian about the library's Teen Volunteer Corps.

Teen Librarian: It's a great way for your child to get job experience with a minimal commitment.  We schedule each student for one two-hour shift per week for eight weeks.  We also hold a two-hour training session with a one hour focus on customer service skills, which is designed to be similar to a job orientation.  Plus, each student gets a free shirt, which will get your child used to wearing a uniform.

Parent: What will my child do?

Teen Librarian: Your child will be either upstairs working with teens or downstairs working with little kids and will pass out summer reading prizes, sign people up for summer reading, answer questions, as well as shelve materials and help keep the library tidy.  

Parent: We have a big vacation coming up during summer reading.

Teen Librarian: That is exciting.  Are you going somewhere fabulous?  (This is where our teen librarian who almost never gets time off in the summer is briefly jealous and excited for families and their awesome summer vacations.)  This is not a problem at all.  We are happy to work around scheduled vacations and camps.  We just ask that volunteers make up any missed shifts.  We will show students how to do this during training and can remind them at any time during the summer if needed.

Parent: How old does my child have to be?

Teen Librarian: Your child has to currently be in sixth grade or higher.  Applications are due Thursday, May 1st and are available on our website or in the library.

On the other end, this is what our teen librarian tells teens...

1. It is job experience that you can use when you get your first job
2. It is only two hours a week.
3. It gets you out of the house and away from your siblings.  Plus, if you're not at home, you can't mow the lawn.
4. If you get perfect attendance of 18 hours or more, you get an invite to a special event which is held on the first Saturday in August.

Teen Volunteers Wanted!

If you are currently in grades 6-12 and are looking for something to do this summer, the Library can help.  You can be a part of Teen Volunteer Corps!  Students will volunteer only two hours a week for eight weeks, that's only 16 hours!  What will you do?  Have you ever done Summer Reading and picked up prizes?  That is what you will do, actually that is only a small portion of what you will do.  Sure you will add to someone's summer excitement by giving them prizes for reading, but you will also shelf a few books, straighten the Library, clean supplies and materials, but most important of all, you can help be the reason Summer Reading and the Public Library is an awesome place to be. 

So what do you have to do?  Start by filling out an application.  Applications are also available at the Library as well as at the school media centers.  At the end of May, students who have turned in applications will get a phone call notifying them of their shift day and time.  For example, every Tuesday from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.  You can also choose whether to work only on the first floor (Youth Summer Reading) or only on the second floor (Teen Summer Reading).  Students will get a free t-shirt to wear during their shifts and those who volunteer 16 hours or more will get an invite to a special event (no details yet, we're still planning).  Will summer vacation or summer camp cause you to miss your shift?  No problem!  Just pick up another shift any time.  Need more reason to volunteer?  If you're a parent reading this, it will get your child out of the house and give them valuable customer service and work experience.  If you're a student reading this, it will get you out of the house and away from your family for a few hours.  All kidding aside, it is a great program for students in grades 6-12 and our staff is flexible and willing to work with teens who are interested in small commitment that can make a big difference.