The Washington State Library free Fall Workshop is almost here!

Baby boomers and the generations that follow are seeking new ways to use their skills and experience to make a difference in their communities. While libraries are uniquely positioned to benefit from these volunteers, there is a disconnect between the volunteers’ intent and their actual participation because they do not find the volunteer opportunities they seek. Multiple studies have shown that boomers’ interests in volunteerism are vastly different from those of current “senior volunteers,” and that organizations seeking to recruit them will need to adjust their volunteer engagement practices.

WSL’s free fall workshop is focused on just that – how to start or “re-tool” a volunteer engagement program that will not only capture the talents of these potential volunteers, but will reap the benefits of ongoing support for the library that comes from having these persons meaningfully engaged.

This course will provide tools, techniques, resources and models for volunteer engagement so that participants will be able to: understand the potential for engaging high impact, skilled volunteers to assist libraries – baby boomers and the generations that follow, engage this talent to extend the library’s capacity in the community and to benefit from these new library advocates and supporters, understand what motivates volunteers in order to create diverse and meaningful skilled volunteer positions to attract a broad range of community volunteers, implement the elements of a successful volunteer engagement program; address potential barriers to volunteer engagement, including union issues and staff resistance; and understand current trends and issues in volunteer engagement, including online recruitment and legal issues.

Presented by Carla Lehn, The Lehn Group. For session dates, times and locations, and to register, click here.

Workshop sessions are from 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. and include lunch and light refreshments.

This workshop is funded by the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) through the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).