Carlsbad Library volunteer program reports 273 active volunteers and 7,614 hours in FY 2024–25

Samantha Yiling, Carlsbad City Library volunteer coordinator, told the Library Board on Jan. 28 that the department’s volunteer program had 273 active volunteers in fiscal year 2024–25 who contributed 7,614 service hours — an 18% increase from the prior year.

Yiling outlined five categories of volunteer opportunities: tutoring (adult literacy, Homework Zone, reading interventions), collection management (donation sorting, shelf reading), program support (children’s storytimes, special events, summer teen opportunities), community & sustainability (homebound delivery, Seed Library), and cultural-arts assistance (field trips and summer camps).

She described the onboarding process: online application, phone interview, in-person orientation, and a live-scan criminal background check for volunteers 18 and older, a practice handled per the city’s Human Resources policy. Yiling told the board there is strong community interest and that staff maintains a substantial applicant pool.

Yiling highlighted measurable volunteer contributions during the year: 742 checkouts by homebound volunteers, 1,740 reading reports recorded by teen volunteers during Summer Reading Adventure, and distribution of roughly 18,339 seed packets through the Seed Library. She also noted the Seed Library averages nearly 30 volunteer hours per month.

A short volunteer testimonial played during the meeting described a Homework Zone tutor who said a student’s grade rose "from a C to an A-minus" after receiving help; staff presented the comment as a program impact example.

Trustees asked about volunteer age minimums, background checks and retention data. Yiling said teen opportunities begin in about seventh grade, volunteers 18 and older must complete the live-scan check, and retention metrics are not currently tracked but could be added.