Within the Teen Technology Task Force model, teen volunteers work together as a group. The volunteers work on and with technology in the public service area of the library and behind the scenes. Initially the teens should be trained as a group by a member of library staff. However, once a successful group of students has been recruited, trained and gained experience, these students can go on to train new task force members.

Some suggested tasks and duties for volunteers:

• assisting library customers with their use of the library's Online Public Access Catalog and other computer resources;
• offering suggestions to library customers searching for information using the Internet;
• equipment troubleshooting;
• assisting library staff with training sessions for library customers on using the Online Public Access Catalog, word processing, and the Internet;
• scheduling Internet reservations in person and over the telephone;
• using technology to produce materials for the library, for example, flyers or posters.

This model would be suitable for your library if:

• you have a number of terminals offering the Internet, word processing and the library catalog;
• your staff have the technological expertise to train the task force members;
• you have the time to organize and train a group of volunteers during the early stages of the program.

Within the Teen Advisory Board model, with the assistance of a member of library staff, teen volunteers serve as an advisory board for the library. Where appropriate each person can have an allotted role, for example, chair, secretary, treasurer, or coordinator of a specific activity. Teens who intend to volunteer for longer periods of time can form the core of the group and can assist with continuity of the program; those who want to volunteer for shorter periods can become involved in just one or two shorter-term activities.

Some suggested tasks and duties for volunteers

Within the Peer-Tutoring and Working with Younger Children model, teen volunteers can work as a group, in pairs, or individually. The volunteers can work in the children's and teen areas of the library. Before beginning the program, all the teens should receive training in how to work with children and other teens.

Some suggested tasks and duties for volunteers

Peer-Tutoring:

• helping teens to understand and complete homework assignments;
• helping teens use the Online Public Access Catalog and the Internet to locate information;
• playing educational games;
• advising library staff on collection development, services, and programs for teens.

Working with Younger Children:

• reading to children;
• listening to children read;
• helping library staff with story time;
• developing after-school activities for children;
• working on crafts projects.

This model would be suitable for your library if:

• you have a number of teens and younger children using the library for information and recreation;
• you have a youth services librarian to train and guide volunteers during the early stages of the program;
• you have a large after school latchkey population.

Within the Task Menu model, library staff draw up a list of activities for the teen volunteers to carry out. Volunteers meet with library staff to discuss which tasks are most appropriate to their skill set, ability, and preferences; and each volunteer is assigned an activity most suitable to them. Teens then carry out the tasks assigned to them, much as they would if they were being paid to work in the library.

Some suggested tasks and duties for volunteers

Homework center helper:

• working with children as they do their homework and helping them to understand their assignments;
• helping children use the computers;
• playing educational games;
• helping with art projects;
• reviewing children's books, including writing a brief annotation and indicating target age/grade level;
• advising library staff on collection development in the teen area.

Technology assistant:

• assisting library customers with their use of the library's Online Public Access Catalog and word processing facilities;
• offering useful suggestions to library customers searching for information using the Internet;
• carrying out equipment troubleshooting;
• planning, preparing, and conducting individual training sessions for customers using library technology;
• scheduling Internet reservations in person and over the telephone;
• using technology to produce materials for the library, like pamphlets or posters.

Shelver:

• shelving a portion of the hundreds of books returned to the library every day;
• helping staff in locating hard-to-find books and videos;
• checking the library shelves for books in need of repair;
• assisting library staff with the repair of books;
• keeping the shelves looking tidy;
• reviewing children's books, including writing a brief annotation and indicating target age/grade level;
• advising library staff on collection development in the teen area.

Artist:

• creating artwork for the bulletin board;
• creating decorations for the library;
• creating flyers and posters advertising events at the library;
• creating attractive-looking notices for everyday use in the library.

This model would be suitable for your library if:

• you cannot accommodate teen volunteers working together as a group;
• you have staff who can train and supervise teen workers;
• you have enough miscellaneous tasks to keep volunteers busy.

Within the Teen Worker-Apprentice/Job Shadowing model, volunteers work individually as part of the library team. They are assigned to a specific professional or paraprofessional library staff member whom they job-shadow. The teen assists this person, carries out tasks that are relevant to his or her job, and experiences the way in which this person's role contributes to the functioning of the library as a whole. To provide additional variety and experience for the teens you might devise a rotation system whereby the teens take turns to shadow different library staff members at different times.

Some suggested tasks and duties for volunteers

Library page shadow:

• evaluating the condition of library materials;
• organizing returned books on the book carts;
• placing library materials on the appropriate shelf, in the proper order, to maximize access;
• reorganizing library materials to provide ease of access and aesthetic balance;
• collecting stray library materials from tables and other public areas;
• reviewing the placement of materials on the shelves to ensure they are in the correct location;
• assisting customers in completing application forms for new library cards;
• helping customers fill out forms for using the Internet;
• advising library staff on collection development in the teen area.

Library aide shadow:

• evaluating the condition of library materials when returned;
• documenting the nature of damaged materials;
• participating in the processing of library materials;
• preparing property labels for library materials;
• preparing new and gift books for circulation;
• answering directional questions for library customers;
• taking customers on tours of the library and explaining library policies.

Children's Librarian shadow:

• preparing felt-board stories and storytime areas;
• reviewing children's books, including writing a brief annotation and indicating target age/grade level;
• reading to children, and listening to children read;
• creating artwork for the children's area;
• developing after-school activities for children;
• constructing craft activities and designing coloring activity sheets.

Reference Librarian's shadow:

• organizing pamphlets into broad subject areas; typing and applying subject labels for pamphlets; filing pamphlets under the appropriate subject;
• answering directional questions for library customers;
• assisting library customers with their use of the library's Online Public Access Catalog and word processing facilities;
• offering useful suggestions to library customers searching for information using the Internet;
• assisting with the development, organization, and promotion of programs in the library.

This model would be suitable for your library if:

• you cannot accommodate teen volunteers working as a group;
• you have staff who are willing to serve as mentors to young people.

Unlike other volunteer programs, the teen community service program is not intended primarily to provide the library with free labor. Rather, it is intended to provide the teen with an opportunity for healthy growth and development and to help the teen acquire basic work force readiness skills.