Recruiting and Managing Volunteers in Museums

A Handbook for Volunteer Management

Kristy Van Hoven and Loni Wellman

We are in the middle of a museum paradigm shift and a new type of museum volunteer is emerging from the community. Non-profit volunteers are looking for unique and satisfying ways to engage in their communities and museums are primed to offer just the experiences these volunteers are looking for.
Here’s a practical exploration of the differences between the “then” and “now” volunteers and solid advice on volunteer recruitment, communication, and retention strategies.

Kristy Van Hoven and Loni Wellman will help you answer the questions:

What are new volunteers looking for?
What is their motivation?
How can you spot the hidden gems in your local community?
How can you develop a successful relationship with potential volunteers?
How do you keep the museum volunteer motivated and happy?
What can teens, adults and retiring professionals bring to your organization?
How can your museum support a robust and active volunteer program?
How do you reward volunteers and keep them for the long term? and, most importantly,
How can you meet volunteer’s needs and still benefit from their work?

The Guide highlights successful projects, incentives, and general museum culture which support volunteer activities and includes examples of Volunteer Job Descriptions, Calls for Volunteers, Evaluation forms, as well as volunteer project outlines.

Written in a light hearted spirit, Recruiting and Managing Volunteers in Museums: A Handbook to Volunteer Management will engage and inform any professional tasked with developing and managing a volunteer program at their institution. Museums offer an amazing array of volunteer opportunities that help create a greater sense of belonging and purpose for the volunteer. With a growing number of retiring professionals and students looking for professional experiences, now is the time to embark on developing a volunteer program that will thrive in the years to come.

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers / AASLH

Pages: 146 • Trim: 6¼ x 9½

978-1-4422-6250-8 • Hardback • January 2016 • $80.00 • (£62.00)

978-1-4422-6251-5 • Paperback • January 2016 • $40.00 • (£31.00)

978-1-4422-6252-2 • eBook • January 2016 • $38.00 • (£29.00)

Series: American Association for State and Local History

Subjects: Business & Economics / Museum Administration & Museology, Social Science / Volunteer Work

Recruiting and Managing Volunteers in Museums

A Handbook for Volunteer Management

Hardback

Paperback

eBook

Summary

We are in the middle of a museum paradigm shift and a new type of museum volunteer is emerging from the community. Non-profit volunteers are looking for unique and satisfying ways to engage in their communities and museums are primed to offer just the experiences these volunteers are looking for.
Here’s a practical exploration of the differences between the “then” and “now” volunteers and solid advice on volunteer recruitment, communication, and retention strategies.

Kristy Van Hoven and Loni Wellman will help you answer the questions:
- What are new volunteers looking for?
- What is their motivation?
- How can you spot the hidden gems in your local community?
- How can you develop a successful relationship with potential volunteers?
- How do you keep the museum volunteer motivated and happy?
- What can teens, adults and retiring professionals bring to your organization?
- How can your museum support a robust and active volunteer program?
- How do you reward volunteers and keep them for the long term? and, most importantly,
- How can you meet volunteer’s needs and still benefit from their work?
The Guide highlights successful projects, incentives, and general museum culture which support volunteer activities and includes examples of Volunteer Job Descriptions, Calls for Volunteers, Evaluation forms, as well as volunteer project outlines.

Written in a light hearted spirit, Recruiting and Managing Volunteers in Museums: A Handbook to Volunteer Management will engage and inform any professional tasked with developing and managing a volunteer program at their institution. Museums offer an amazing array of volunteer opportunities that help create a greater sense of belonging and purpose for the volunteer. With a growing number of retiring professionals and students looking for professional experiences, now is the time to embark on developing a volunteer program that will thrive in the years to come.

Details

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers / AASLH

Pages: 146 • Trim: 6¼ x 9½

978-1-4422-6250-8 • Hardback • January 2016 • $80.00 • (£62.00)

978-1-4422-6251-5 • Paperback • January 2016 • $40.00 • (£31.00)

978-1-4422-6252-2 • eBook • January 2016 • $38.00 • (£29.00)

Series: American Association for State and Local History

Subjects: Business & Economics / Museum Administration & Museology, Social Science / Volunteer Work

Author

Kristy Van Hoven is the Outreach Director for the National EMS Museum and PhD candidate at the University of Leicester. Over the last three years Kristy has worked with the National EMS Museum’s Board of Trustees to develop and implement engaging e-volunteer opportunities and community programs that reach their digital audience. In addition to her work with the EMS Museum, Kristy volunteers at a number of local museums in Toronto, Ontario.

Loni Wellman is the Volunteer and Special Projects Coordinator at the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum. Prior to that, she was the Educational Program Facilitator at the Art & History Museums--Maitland, and Educational Program Manager at the Children’s Museum of Memphis. In these positions, Loni has witnessed the changes in volunteerism first hand and has tailored her programs to meet the needs of the new volunteer. Loni has her Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Flagler College, and her Master of Arts degree in Museum Studies from Johns Hopkins University.

Table of Contents

Preface
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1: Museum Volunteers Today
Chapter 2: Exploring Museum and Gallery Volunteers
Chapter 3: Special Considerations for Unique Institutions and Collections
Chapter 4: Planning a Volunteer Program
Chapter 5: Managing Volunteers and their Projects
Chapter 6: The Good and The Bad: Maintaining a Top Notch Volunteer Force
Chapter 7: Case Studies: Putting Plans into Action
Bibliography

Index
About the Authors

Reviews

I highly recommend Recruiting and Managing Volunteers in Museums: A Handbook for Volunteer Management. This publication is rich with tools for the museum professional. Kristy Van Hoven and Loni Wellman provide in-depth information on improving volunteer interviews, training, and performance reviews. They also may be the first to discuss the role of social media in volunteer recruitment and new volunteer opportunities, such as e-volunteering.
— Marilyn Sklar, curator of education, Daughters of the American Revolution

“Kristy Van Hoven and Loni Wellman use their wealth of experience managing volunteers to explore the specific needs and motivations of each volunteer demographic. Anyone working with volunteers will benefit from their wisdom and return to these pages for years to come.”

— Laura Lipp, Outreach Assistant, National EMS Museum