Volunteer Policy

 

The Burlington Public Library volunteers enhance library service to the community. The active participation of community members of a variety of ages and backgrounds is a valuable resource for the library. 

 

• Volunteers give of their time and talents to enrich the library and advance the library’s goals and objectives.

• Volunteers provide active customer feedback.

• Volunteers serve as a strong link between the library and the community.

• Volunteers become knowledgeable about the library’s mission, principles, and services.

• Volunteers gain meaningful service experience.

 

All volunteers must complete a volunteer application and are subject to a background check. Volunteers must be a minimum age of 14 years old. Volunteers under the age of 18 must have the signed permission of a parent or legal guardian.

 

Approved applicants are interviewed and assigned available projects based on their interests, skills, and availability. The library provides volunteers with purposeful work that supplements, but does not replace, library staff. Volunteers provide support services to paid staff and work on special projects. Volunteers will be assigned to a paid staff person as their supervisor.

 

A volunteer’s hours are flexible and can be discussed with the assigned supervisor. Some volunteers work on an intermittent or on-call basis. Once established, schedule changes need to be communicated with the volunteer’s supervisor. In accordance with Iowa law, hours of service may be restricted for minors.

 

Training for specific tasks will be provided as necessary. Volunteers must record their hours of training and service for statistical use.

 

Volunteers are expected to act in accordance with library policies and to reflect positive customer service to all library customers. The library staff reserve the right to end a volunteer’s service.

 

Library staff will recognize volunteers for their contributions on an ongoing basis as well as through special recognition opportunities.

 

Volunteers are covered under the City of Burlington’s general liability insurance.

 

Additional volunteer opportunities are available through membership with the Friends of the Library or with the TICOS teen advisory group.

 

Adopted: April 15, 2015 Revised: March 21, 2018, April 21, 2021