Englewood Library volunteers logged more than 1,000 hours in 2024, staff say

Hannah Kinney, librarian at the Englewood City Library, told the library board that volunteers recorded more than 1,000 hours in 2024 and that the effort is the equivalent of a part‑time staff position.

Kinney said the library established a formal volunteer program in 2023 and expanded volunteer tasks across departments in 2024. “We broke a thousand volunteer hours in 2024,” Kinney said, and noted the 24 volunteers’ work would have cost the library roughly $31,000 if performed by paid staff.

The nut graf: the volunteer program now performs circulation and processing tasks that previously required staff time, and staff say the program both expands capacity and offers community members hands‑on experience.

Board members heard details showing volunteer contributions concentrated in shelving and circulation processing, with new tasks including unpacking courier deliveries and managing missing‑item lists. Kinney reported the library’s partnership with Englewood High School’s TIES (Transition in Englewood Schools) program contributed a significant spike in hours; eight TIES students participated in 2024, and one student worked up to 10 hours a week during the school year.

Kinney summarized volunteer survey results collected from 13 active volunteers and student interns; nine responded. “One hundred percent of the respondents would recommend volunteering at the library,” she said. Respondents cited flexibility, meaningful work and staff appreciation as reasons for staying. The library’s retention rate for volunteers over a 12‑month period is 46 percent, Kinney said.

Volunteers suggested program expansions such as ESL help, homebound delivery and assistance for patrons with disabilities. Kinney said staff view ESL and citizenship tutoring as likely candidates for external partnership to ensure sustainability, and that homebound delivery would need careful design if volunteers were to be involved without direct patron contact.

To address onboarding and consistency, Kinney said she has created a task checklist that will be posted where volunteers sign in, a donation‑sorting flowchart and that circulation associates Caitlin and Brooke will share coordination duties. She said the program aims to produce a formal volunteer handbook by the end of the year.

Board members asked for statistics to be separated in the library’s regular reports — for example, distinguishing adult volunteers from short‑term summer‑reading volunteers and whether book‑sale hours should be included. Kinney confirmed the 1,000‑hour figure excludes summer‑reading volunteers and said she can adjust future reports to break out those categories.

The presentation closes with staff plans to continue integrating volunteer feedback and to expand the coordination team so program administration is not a single person’s responsibility.

Less critical details: board members agreed appreciation events and clear scheduling expectations help retention; the library will evaluate which volunteer activities require additional training or formal partnerships as part of 2025 planning.