Metuchen Public Library

The Metuchen Public Library encourages volunteers to supplement the efforts of paid library staff to provide quality library collections, special projects, services, and programs; serve as a method for area residents to become familiar with the Library; to support library fundraising activities, and create opportunities for individuals to feel personal satisfaction while performing a valuable service for the community.

1. A volunteer is a person who performs tasks for the Metuchen Public Library without wages, benefits or compensation of any kind. Examples include members of Boards, such as the Library Board of Trustees, and Friends of the Metuchen Library. There are also service volunteers who do work for the Library and function in ways similar to staff.

2. Volunteers must have a library card at the Metuchen Public Library or another LMxAC Library and their account must be in good standing.

3. Volunteers are recognized by the public as representatives of the Library and shall be guided by the same work and behavior codes as employees. Volunteers are expected to have positive customer service attitudes to all library patrons and staff.

4. Volunteers must follow all library policies and procedures, especially those relating to confidentiality of library records. Failure to maintain confidentiality will result in immediate termination of the volunteer.

5. The Library depends on its volunteers for a wide variety of tasks which otherwise need to be assigned to library staff. We therefore ask volunteers to be reliable in their commitment to the Library and to notify the Library in advance if they are unable to work their regularly schedule time slot. In turn, volunteers will be notified immediately on any given day when the Library opens late or closes early for any reason.

6. Nothing in this policy creates a contract between the volunteer and the Library/the Borough of Metuchen. Both the volunteer and the Library can terminate their association at any time, for any reason, without any cause being stated.

7. Neither the Borough of Metuchen nor the Library provides any medical, health, accident, or worker’s compensation benefits for any volunteer.

8. Volunteers who work on a regular basis will fill out volunteer information registration forms which will be kept on file in the Library. Volunteers under the age of 18 must have the consent of a parent or legal guardian. Generally, the Library will not accept volunteers under the age of 14.

9. All work performed by volunteers is to be supervised by library staff. Volunteers must follow all directions and instructions by the supervising staff member.

10. Prior to volunteering, applicants must complete an application for volunteer work. A background check may be required before any candidate over the age of 18 can begin volunteering. The National Sex Abuse Registry will be checked for all applicants over the age of 18. The Library has the absolute right to decline anyone as a volunteer without cause or statement of reason.

11. The background check process will not be required for service organization who volunteer as a group and are supervised by an organization’s staff person or representative and/or for which the volunteer activity is a single event.

12. The schedule of volunteer work hours at the Library is dependent upon the availability of staff to supervise. The number of volunteers accepted is based upon the amount of work and supervisory time allocated and needed.

13. Volunteers will receive specific training in their assigned duties from the library staff member who directly supervises their work. All reasonable care will be taken to ensure the safety of volunteers.

14. In the event that a volunteer is unable to adequately perform the duties assigned to him or her, and no other appropriate jobs are available, the volunteer may be removed from service.

15. Volunteers must sign in and out in the Library’s volunteer notebook anytime they volunteer at the Library.

16. All funds raised by and through volunteer activities shall be used exclusively to benefit Metuchen Public Library resources and activities. All donations received by volunteers or library staff shall become property of the Library and handled in accordance with the Metuchen Public Library’s Donation Policy.

17. Should a volunteer have a grievance with a staff person, another volunteer or library patron, every attempt will be made to handle the situation through the Library Director.

18. Volunteer status is solely at the discretion of the Metuchen Public Library.

19. Persons who seek volunteer assignments at the Metuchen Public Library to meet a requirement set by an outside agency for the performance of community 3 service shall be subject to the above selection process and all other provisions of this policy.

1st Reading 7/14/2015
2nd Reading and Adopted 11/10/2015