Thank You Volunteers!

For the past two years I’ve been giving my wonderful church library volunteers little treats to thank them for their help during the year. Two years ago I made them sugar cookies and last year I made them almond bark. This year, I thought I’d try something a little more artsy. Thanks (again) to Pinterest, I was able to put together something that was appropriately themed and a little tasty! 

The thank-you / Christmas gift for this year consisted of a small pair of winter gloves, scented hand sanitizer, hand lotion and, of course, some chocolate to sweeten the deal! 

Now the only question is – what am I going to do next year?

A 'Pinteresting' Development (Part II)

Top 10 Ways to use Pinterest for Your Church Library

New to Pinterest? Check out this post to learn a little more about it!

1. Displaying covers of new books, ebooks or popular collections
2. Showcasing your church’s history through photos or articles
3. Announcing upcoming programs or events in your church
4. Present current displays or bulletin boards in the church.
5. Create reading lists or read-alike lists
6. Tips and Advice for library-related matters (tech tips or teaching children to read)
7. Promoting library volunteers in action!
8. Highlighting local events or attractions (museums, fundraisers, festivals, productions)
9. Posting pictures of the church (meeting rooms, nursery, sanctuary in order to create a familiar atmosphere)
10. Creating a collaborative social pin board for members of your congregation who are on Pinterest. It gives the opportunity to submit ideas for book clubs, programs and collection development. This way, the church library is able to interact with members of the congregation who have never used the church library before. 

Additional ideas would be: Popular authors, Holiday crafts, New DVDs, Book-ish crafts for kids, Staff picks, [Church name] photo of the week, Photo contests, Creative bookmarks, Books you faked reading, What to do with old books etc.

Currently, the Devout Librarian’s Pinterest page has these boards:

• Church Library Décor
• Profound Quotes
• Inspiring Scripture
• Operation Christmas Child
• Laughter, the Spark of the Soul
• Teen Christian Fiction
• Christmas Décor
• Kids’ Crafts and Programs
• Wishlist
• Promotion Ideas
• New Christian Fiction
• Bulletin Boards
• Bookmarks
• Volunteers
• Remembrance Day 

Be sure to click on the Pinterest tab and check out what the Devout Librarian finds ‘pinterest-ing!’

Next time: Integrating Pinterest with other social networks

Calling All Volunteers!

Our church library is in need of volunteers…again. The lovely ladies I have helping out at the moment are fantastic but since we started having two volunteers per Sunday instead of one, our human resources have been stretched a little thin. In order to encourage a few new faces to become part of the church library entourage, I put a little poster in the library that I created on www.wordle.com. All I did was look up a number of synonyms for ‘volunteer’ and type them in. Then I adjusted the poster to just the way I wanted it and sent it to print. It was simple, timely and definitely on budget. Hopefully it will also produce good results! 

A Short Word of Thanks

It’s amazing what a difference a few words can make. The tongue is known 

to be the strongest muscle in the body (in proportion to its size) and it’s never more evident than when that muscle forms into words of abuse or words of affirmation. I am blessed to have often been the recipient of the latter. Whether its just a few words in passing or a deliberate hand-on-the-arm-look-in-the-eye conversation, it makes a world of difference.

It serves as a great reminder to thank others around me for their hard work as well. 

Advice From The Trenches

As the older (and wiser) generation of librarian folk retire and the youngsters take over, many will find themselves in the same position I’m in.

So what can one do to ensure that they are meeting the needs of the congregation in the church library?

An article from christianity.ca offers excellent anecdotes and advice on how to accomplish this. Some of the highlights include:

Weed Ruthlessly

Having an outdated and patched up collection won’t draw crowds. Regardless of the old saying, “you can’t judge a book by its cover,” the fact is that your patrons will. Colourful books in good condition will always capture a person’s eye.

Know your congregation

What kind of demographic are you dealing with? Seniors? Young families? Make sure that your collection reflects it. Furthermore, stay in tune to what’s going on in smaller parts of church life. What are the small groups studying? What is the theme of the Women’s Coffee break group this year? Make sure that your collection matches their needs.

Don’t let them forget

Make your presence known in the church. Create displays aligning to certain seasons or holidays. Put a weekly excerpt of a book review in the bulletin. Make yourself known!

Ask for help

Don’t take on the full responsibility yourself. Ask for volunteers to help out in the library, whether if its to be present before or after the service or to assist with administration duties such as collection development or re-shelving. The church holds many members with various talents so remember to reach out!

You can read the full-length article yourself at: http://www.christianity.ca/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=6297