General Policy

     The Needham Public Library Board of Trustees subscribes to the concept of using volunteers in the library, as an enhancement for the library’s programs and not as a replacement for paid employees.  Volunteers can provide valuable assistance; however, they are not a substitute for paid staff in a library any more than they are in a museum, hospital, or other public service institution.

     The Board of Library Trustees values the library volunteers for their dedication, enthusiasm, and for the valuable work they perform in support of the library.

     It recognizes that the same good management rules and principles used in general library administration shall be applied to volunteer workers.

     The Board encourages periodic review by the Library Coordinator and library staff of the volunteer program, with a report submitted to the Trustees on an annual or semiannual basis.

Specific Policies

1.  Volunteers will not be assigned to tasks that would result in a disruption in service, if the volunteer is absent.

2.  Paid staff should never be pressured to “volunteer” their time.

3.  Trustees should not be expected to volunteer, as such close involvement in the day-to-day activities of the library can interfere with the objectivity which is their unique and highly important contribution to the library.

4.  Volunteers may feel free to apply for any paid position in the library, but they should be aware that being a volunteer does not make them automatically eligible and that other candidates must be considered.

5.  It is recognized that making effective use of volunteers requires considerable staff time and effort and, therefore, each job description will have a maximum number of volunteers that can be utilized by the present number of library staff.

6.  Following library hiring practices, volunteers for the Adult and Young Adult sections of the library must be 16 years of age or older.  Volunteers in the Children’s Room who work short-term on specific projects, such as the STEAM program, may be younger. 

                                                                                                            Approved November 1993,

                                                                                                            Amended March 21, 2018