Aberdeenshire Libraries

1
Aberdeenshire Libraries

• ICT Mentors
• A Successful Volunteer Programme
• by
• Jackie Coroon
• Learner Support Tutor

2
ICT Support in Libraries

• 2002 received Lottery Funding (5 years)
• Recruited 3 part time tutors
• Stonehaven (south), Ellon (central), Fraserburgh
  (north)
• Created learning materials
• How to use the internet
• Basic computing
• Trained staff
• Received additional hours to deliver supported
  sessions (1-1)
• Delivered learning sessions in their areas to
  groups

3
Lottery Money Ended

• Service retained the tutors
• Less money available to pay staff additional
  hours
• Waiting lists grew
• Two of the tutors left

4
The Outcome

• 1 tutor to deliver and support 36 libraries!

5
Background to the Project

• Budgets continue to decline
• Around 2010 no longer funding to pay staff
  additional hours to support customers with ICT
• Impact had to be innovative regarding delivery
  of services with limited resources

6
Background to the Project

• Government were encouraging agencies to provide
  young people with volunteering opportunities in
  their local communities Big Society
• Aberdeenshire Libraries considered potential
  volunteering initiatives to help support
  additional activities such as ICT sessions

7
ICT Waiting Lists

• Many of our larger libraries had lists of people
  seeking ICT support
• Looking at creating mentoring/volunteering in
  these libraries made sense
• Meeting customers needs while at the same time
  providing volunteering opportunities for people
  in our communities

8
Volunteering was New to the Service

• In order to ensure the volunteer program was
  successful we had to consider
• How we would initiate the program and integrate
  to our services
• Communicate the program to staff reinforcing that
  their roles were safe and volunteers were not
  replacing core work
• Any issues or pitfalls we may encounter
• Where would we source our volunteers from
• What training would they need

9
How would we initiate the program

• Attended a train the trainer day in 2010 provided
  by the Beth Johnston Foundation
• Was introduced to fantastic resources
• Break down barriers between generations
• Fun learning activities and ice breakers
• Resources and activities I still utilise when
  introducing generations together and they work

10
Communicate the program to staff

• To remove any anxiety or resistance
• Reinforced volunteers were not taking jobs away
• Enhancing services we could not deliver
• Staff would be required to support volunteers in
  the library
• Take part in volunteer/learner get togethers
• Be involved in our annual award ceremonies

11
Where would we source volunteers from?

• Wanted volunteers who were interested in IT
• Local volunteers as there was no income to pay
  expenses
• Made contacts with the Volunteer Centre in
  Aberdeenshire for advice and support

12
The Volunteer Centre

• We could register to make our volunteer
  opportunity visible (which we did once we were
  ready to go)
• We received help regarding volunteer descriptors,
  applications forms
• Introduced to other services who used volunteers

13
Sourcing our Volunteers

• Pilot project
• Senior pupils from Ellon Academy local school
• Advertised in branches for adult volunteers in
  Inverurie and Kemnay

14
Senior Pupils

• Met with Deputy Head to discuss
• The project including level of training the
  pupils would receive
• The quality of the training and the learning
  volunteers would deliver
• Demonstrate links to the Curriculum for
  Excellence
• Successful learner
• Confident individual
• Responsible citizen
• Effective contributor

15
Pupil Volunteers

• Support pupils would have from staff
• Benefits to pupil of taking part
• Inform them they can use the volunteering
  opportunity DofE or Saltire
• Training hours also counts as volunteering

16
Promoted by School

• Recruited 5 senior pupils all boys
• All interested in volunteering
• Enhance their university applications
• Enhance job prospects
• Develop a range of skills
• Communication
• Organisation
• Planning
• Time management

17
Adult Volunteers

• Advertised in the branches
• Advertised on the Aberdeenshire Volunteer Centre
  website
• Recruited 3 volunteer all male!

18
Training!

• It was vital our volunteers received quality
  training
• Wanted to maintain the level of service that
  staff delivered
• Ensure the volunteers were prepared and ready

19
Pupil Training

• Four, hourly sessions
• First The Ginger Bread Man activity
• Introduced to learning styles and how we learn
• Taught them how to knit!
• The admin element weekly registers, simple
  learning plans, reflective learning
• Potential scenarios they may encounter
• Role play

20
Adult Training

• Two, hourly sessions
• Introduced to learning styles and how we learn
• The admin element weekly registers, simple
  learning plans, reflective learning
• Potential scenarios they may encounter

21
Bringing Young and Old Together!

• The pilot project (young volunteers)
• learners were not aware that they would be
  supported by young volunteers
• Felt this may have a negative impact
• Learners arrived around 45 mins before volunteers
• Chat to them about what they wanted to learn
• Find out their level of ability
• Complete the pre-course registration form

22
Bringing Young and Old Together!

• Volunteers started to arrive
• Welcomed them in and then
• introduced the volunteers to the learners
• looks of anxiety (from both groups)
• room was very quiet

23
Bringing Young and Old Together!

• Informed the learners of the volunteers
  commitment
• The training they had received
• Their reasons for deciding to volunteer

24
Bringing Young and Old Together!

• Played an icebreaker game
• Soon both groups were chatting
• Sharing things they had in common
• Room was no longer quiet!

25
What Happened Next?

• Matched learners with volunteers
• Arranged start dates
• Everyone got going

26
Comments from Learners

• my tutor was very patient, helpful and
  knowledgeable
• excellent idea having one to one sessions,
  especially with local pupils
• really learnt a lot from my volunteer

27
Comments from Volunteers

• really enjoyed the learning sessions with my
  learner
• we became good friends and found we had lots in
  common
• found we spent time each week chatting about
  what we had both been doing at the weekends

28
Feedback from D.H.T

• http//youtu.be/d0-35yMz-Cw

29
(No Transcript)
30
(No Transcript)
31
(No Transcript)
32
Adult Volunteers

• No get together here
• Learners completed registration form with library
  staff
• Assigned a learner
• Conducted a review after first block of sessions

33
Hours Dedicated to Volunteering

• 2011 2012 216 volunteer hours
• 2012 2013 474 volunteer hours
• 2013 to date 478 volunteer hours
• Total 1168 hours and around 130 learners with
  approximately 70 volunteers

34
Currently volunteers delivering sessions

• Adult volunteers
• Mintlaw
• Inverurie
• Kemnay
• Turriff
• Portsoy

• Pupil volunteers
• Banchory
• Ellon
• Newmacher
• Turriff
• Westhill

35
Volunteers Training Volunteers

• Introduced this year
• Last years pupil volunteers trained this years
  (Westhill and Newmacher)
• These volunteers going on to support learners in
  Westhill and Inverurie

36
What next?

• Due to the success of the programme
• Network Librarians recently received training (17
  secondary schools)
• Recruit and train pupils from 17 schools
• Learning sessions delivered in all our larger and
  medium sized libraries
• Improving service provision to customers

37
Award Ceremony Volunteer with Senior Librarian
and Learner Support Tutor
38
Learners Enjoying a Cuppa at the Ceremony
39
Another Proud Learner
40
More Proud Learners
41
Learners with their Volunteers
42
Ellen and Betty
43
Our Volunteer Jon with his Learners
44
Westhill Library Volunteers
45
Questions?