A Hot Ticket

Its only May, but at Bethlehem Public Library in Delmar, NY schoolers are already volunteering for our summer reading program for first through fifth graders. Why do they find working at the library such a hot ticket? Middle schoolers have been volunteering for our summer program for almost two decades, and many see it as a family tradition as they follow the footsteps of their siblings. Being a volunteer also leads to a reference for a first job, and kids learn about responsibility and gain the satisfaction of helping younger students improve their reading skills.

When volunteers sign up, they commit to at least one training session, where they are taught certain skills such as how to engage children in discussions about books and reading, how to be a positive role model, and how to keep accurate records of books that are read. They also learn good work habits and are exposed to the world of being a librarian. Our volunteers must work a minimum of six hours over the course of the summer, and although they don't receive school credit or pay, they feel respected and think it's very cool.

The three main volunteer jobs involve something for everyone: manning the summer-reading reporting desk, story reading, and paging. Students are paired to work two-hour shifts at the summer-reading reporting desk, the hub of the summer-reading program where elementary-aged children review their readings with a volunteer and keep track of the books they read. We prepare volunteers for the reporting desk by teaching them basic techniques of positive assertion, good eye contact, and active listening skills. They learn how to talk to younger students and engage them if they are shy. Volunteers collect accurate reading statistics by grade level, and at the end of the summer the statistics are sent to the youth services consultant at the Upper Hudson Library System.

Story reading, scheduled once a week in the storyhour room, gives volunteers a chance to sharpen their presentation skills, select stories, and learn how to keep listeners interested. Those who sign up for this job must practice reading aloud and attend two additional training sessions conducted by a librarian. Story readers like to use big-book versions of favorites such as Caps for Sale (HarperCollins, 1988) by Esphyr Slobodkina and Over in the Meadow (Puffin, 1999) by Ezra Jack Keats. They also learn to choose engaging stories with large illustrations like How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight (Scholastic, 2000) by Jane Yolen and Hop Jump (Harcourt, 1996) by Ellen Stoll Walsh.

Pages straighten books, clean book jackets, add spine stickers, and pull books for reading lists. The best thing about paging is that volunteers are encouraged to share their ideas about any library improvements. Pages come up with ideas for displays, shelving, and motivating younger readers. Pages and librarians often work closely together on projects, including recovering lost books. This collaboration often leads to interesting ideas, such as a PEZ exhibit organized by a middle school student and a librarian. We displayed Star Wars and cartoon PEZ dispensers from the past 25 years, which were accompanied by a short bibliography of books about collectibles. Kids were encouraged to conduct Internet searches on the subject.

The program is publicized in our library newsletter Footnotes, and librarians promote it during visits to elementary schools in mid-May. Last summer, when a librarian asked a volunteer if she would like a more responsible task, the volunteer said, "I think I want to be a librarian." She then studied the public catalog and databases so that she could teach others how to use them.

After the summer, our volunteers have a farewell party at a local bowling alley and finally get a chance to meet one another. At about $150, it's the only program expense. Directly or indirectly, each volunteer has helped someone younger find a book—not just any old book—but one that a youngster wants to talk about, one that will be remembered when the time comes for that reader to say, "I'd like to sign up to be a volunteer too."