Bookworm Basics: Training Teen Volunteers at Athens Drive Community Library Jessica Anderson Lauren Mouton Dr. Jacklyn Bruce North Carolina State University Introduction Teen volunteers accumulated over 55 million hours of community service in Of those, most teens preferred to perform service in an educational setting. Teen volunteer programs based on experiential learning concepts may encourage students to feel more connected and active in their service. Teens may also exhibit a greater willingness to continue volunteering. A detailed orientation and training workshop could serve as a model for working with teen volunteers. Results Interviews with library staff were positive in regard to delivery and implementation of the orientation and training program. The orientation is currently being implemented with members of the Key Club at Athens Drive High School. There are plans to implement orientation programs for additional school organizations. Methodology Athens Drive Community Library in Raleigh, North Carolina provides a service opportunity for teen volunteers. Most teens volunteer to fulfill requirements for extracurricular organizations at the high school. An orientation session was developed to present at organizational meetings to introduce library service opportunities. After initial interest is established, teens participate in an experiential training session to become familiar with expectations and tasks of library volunteers. Upon completion of the training, informational handouts are distributed. The Volunteer Program Handbook is located in the library's work room; it may be used as a reference for any questions that may arise. Future Plans Future studies based on this course can be conducted in the following areas:  The effectiveness of the integrated curriculum to train and orient teen volunteers.  A program evaluation at 6 month and 1 year intervals from implementation date. References Enfield, Richard. (2001). Connections between 4-H and John Dewey’s philosophy of education. Youth Development Focus, 4-H Center for Youth Development, University of California, Davis, winter. Gillespie, Kellie. (2004). Teen volunteer services in libraries. Lanham, MD: The Scarecrow Press, Inc. Morrison, E.K. (1994). Leadership Skills: Developing Volunteers for Organizational Success. (p.75). Fisher Books. Russell, Stephen T. (2001). The developmental benefits of nonformal education and youth development. Youth Development Focus, 4-H Center for Youth Development, University of California, Davis, summer. Materials Orientation Workshop - Introduction - Expectations - Policies - Library Overview - Questions & Answers - Invitation to Volunteer Training Sessions - Demonstration of Tasks - Organizing and Shelving Books - Pulling for Other Libraries - Research Techniques - Detailed Map - Scavenger Hunt Volunteer Handbook - Orientation Workshop Plan - Training Session Plan - Calendar with Time Sheets - Volunteer Information Sheets - Policies Handout - Library Map - Scavenger Hunt