Friends of Leland Library

Magnolia House Operation Manual

Volunteer Handbook

Website: http://friendsoflelandlibrary.blogspot.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/LelandFOL

(located adjacent to)

Leland Public Library

487 Village Road

Leland, NC 28451

(910) 371-9442

Our Mission........... 2

What The FOLL Is........... 3

Purpose of this Manual........... 3

Job Descriptions........... 4

General....... 4

Magnolia House Manager....... 5

Volunteer....... 6

VOLUNTEER DUTIES........... 7

Assist Customers....... 7

Received Books Donated During Sale Days....... 7

Maintain Books....... 7

New And Renewal of Friends Memberships on Sale Days....... 7

What To Do If You Are Unable to Be Available On Sale Day....... 7

Keep Volunteer Schedule Current........... 8

VOLUNTEER CONTACT INFORMATION........... 8

GENERAL OPERATIONS........... 9

WORKDAY THURSDAY GUIDELINES....... 9

First Sort... 9

Shelving and Pricing... 9

Preparing The House For Sale Days....... 10

Opening The House On Sale Days....... 11

Closing the House On Sale Days....... 12

Culling the Stacks....... 13

DONATION ACCEPTANCE GUIDELINES........... 14

What Kinds of Items Can Be Accepted....... 14

Acceptable Items....... 14

Special Notes....... 14

Our Mission

The mission of Friends of the Leland Library (FOLL) is to promote general public awareness of the Leland Library’s programs, services and assets and to complement the efficiency of the Library in providing for the various needs and interests of the Library’s patrons. We promote knowledge of the Library's functions, resources, services and needs, and receive and encourage gifts of books and other Library materials, endowments and bequeaths to Leland Library through the FOLL.

What The FOLL Is

As a wholly separate entity from the Leland Library, the purpose of this 100% volunteer organization is to support the Leland Public Library. Fundraising events are used to provide ongoing support for many library services and programs including:

· Summer Reading Program

· Special purchases of items for the library collections, furnishings, and equipment

· Other events or activities as needed by the Library

The Friends typically accept gifts of books for the book sales and of cash. Donations to the Friends of the Library are tax-deductible under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Purpose of this Manual

This manual has been developed to streamline training and orientation of new volunteers and to promote consistency of day-to-day operations. This is intended as a guide. Thus, we encourage our volunteers and other users to give their considered feedback to help us improve this manual and the overall function of the Magnolia House.

Job Descriptions

General

The following job descriptions indicate typical key responsibilities and functions of specific jobs.

They are subject to change depending on committee needs and people resources.

Day-to-day committee efforts develop from the regular flow of donations and a steady but ever-changing volunteer force. The possibility exists that one person may have multiple responsibilities or that two people may share a single role. The user is advised to use these job descriptions as a general guide only.

Magnolia House Manager

· Oversee, support and enhance successful operation including donations, volunteer schedules, pricing, and inventory management

· Work with FOLL President/Marketing Chair to ensure marketing publicity adequate to the success of the Magnolia House and its programs

· Work with Volunteers to oversee and support volunteers sufficient to staff the Magnolia House, sort and shelve the inventory, and run major sales

· Direct preparation of Magnolia House procedures and policies

· Act as liaison with the FOLL Board and Library Staff

· Act as a member of the Friends Board and attend meetings. Prepare reports on House activities for the Board upon request

· Oversee the stocking of shelves. Supervise stocking, pricing, and weeding

· Ensure work areas are kept supplied, organized, and clean

· Keep all volunteers up-to-date on Book Shop policies, procedures, and news

· Work with Asst. House Manager to ensure that Magnolia House operates smoothly and successfully in Manager’s absence

Volunteer

· Sort books into Categories, such as fiction, non-fiction, etc.

· Clean books as necessary

· Shelve books appropriately by category

· Greet and offer help to every customer

· Help customers locate books in the House

· Know the price of all materials

· Receive book donations from customers and sort as needed

· Keep the House tidy and ready for sales

· Assist with other tasks as needed

· Check with House Manager to schedule times for work

VOLUNTEER DUTIES

Assist Customers

· Locating specific types of books and other items. Become familiar with layout of the House and try to familiarize yourself with stock as much as possible.

· Learn prices of various items referring to signs on wall throughout House.

Volunteers are NOT authorized to discount or negotiate prices. Only the House Manager or Asst. House Manager are authorized to adjust pricing.

Received Books Donated During Sale Days

· Newly donated books should be placed in the storage/sorting room in the back. If donors have a number of books to donate, advise them that they can park in the rear of the House and bring them in the back door. Books must be put in the sorting area, not left in the House general area during sales.

· Provide tax receipt if requested. (These forms are kept on the front desk. Please ask Treasurer or specified person for assistance). You do not need to count and fill in the number of books; the donor can complete that area on the form.

· We do not accept textbooks or encyclopedias. We will accept quality specialty magazines that have the potential to sell. We do not sell Bibles (they will be placed on our “Free” Table).

Maintain Books

· Straighten and maintain existing shelved books in proper order. If possible, books should stand in an upright position uniformly to the front of a shelf. When not possible, books should be in an order so that titles and authors may be recognized.

· Restock sales room shelves with sorted books that are in the storage/sorting room in the rear of the House. Shelve fiction alphabetically by author, and non-fiction by placing in closest matching category. Note: Do not shelve any books unless you are reasonably sure in which category they belong.

New And Renewal of Friends Memberships on Sale Days

· Call customer’s attention to the membership applications that are in the plastic holders mounted near the front desk. A current membership listing is always available on the desk during Second Saturday Sales. If a person signs up immediately, notify Membership Chair or Treasurer to track funds separately.

What To Do If You Are Unable to Be Available On Sale Day

· If you are unable to cover your assigned shift, contact the House Manager or Asst. House Manager as soon as possible so he/she can send out an e-mail notifying other volunteers of the need to fill in.

Keep Volunteer Schedule Current

A schedule is posted on the bulletin board in the entrance of the Magnolia House. This schedule will allow you to see when you may be needed. Please take note and if you are able to fill an opening, please do so and let the House Manager or Asst. House Manager know of any changes.

Volunteer Contact Information

Home phone numbers and e-mail addresses of Magnolia House Manager, Asst. House Manager, FOLL Treasurer, Membership Chair (to be updated annually):

· Magnolia House Manager
Ellie Edwards

Home (910) 383-3098)

Email ellie1001@att.net

· Membership Chair; Asst. House Manager
Arlene White

Home (910) 617-2538

Email arlene051@yahoo.com

· Treasurer
Elaine Michitsch

Home (910) 880-9221

emichitsch@ec.rr.com

GENERAL OPERATIONS

WORKDAY THURSDAY GUIDELINES

First Sort

The “first sort” means the cleaning, discarding, and sorting of newly donated books as they come into the Magnolia House in the back storage/sorting room. Bins are set up for this purpose. They are marked Fiction and Non-fiction. In this sort, volunteers examine books for the following to determine its category. If there is any doubt by the volunteer, please consult the House Manager.

· Age – Date of publication or copyright date is usually found on the back of the title page. NOTE: Age is a determinant ONLY for non-fiction categories such as computer, medical, etc.

· Condition – We generally only keep good, clean presentable books. We are more lenient for classics. Books damaged, misused, etc., will be sent for recycling.

· Writing/Highlighting – Books with only minor defacement may be kept. Too much writing/highlighting, etc., will be recycled.

· Papers in or on books – Remove any unrelated papers or other items within the pages. Remove all post-its and similar “stickies.”

· Collectible Sale – Old, vintage, unusual, etc., may require special pricing. These should be set aside for review by the House Manager.

Shelving and Pricing

Every volunteer is able to shelve any category of books. Some volunteers have taken ownership of certain rooms (e.g.: Fiction, Paperback) and wish to concentrate their efforts there. While this system is working well, volunteers will be put to work in any area that is in need of help.

Since books are sorted only to gross categories, please pay attention to sub-headings, etc. when putting books on the shelf. The better they are designated the easier for our customers to find them. If there is any doubt, ask for help.

House Manager will designate any special pricing. Only books in the Children’s Room are priced individually, based on size and condition of books. Any volunteer who feels that an item should be specially priced should bring it to the Manager’s attention.

Preparing The House For Sale Days

We always want to keep the House tidy and ready for book sales. As we work weekly to sort and shelve incoming material, it is difficult to keep clean. Monthly, on the Thursday before the 2^nd Saturday Sale, volunteers will be responsible to ready the House. The following duties will be rotated between volunteers who work on a regular basis; or a Manager may delegate a volunteer who happens to be working that day to complete these chores:

· Each month’s Special Promotion Items will be determined and marked. No changes will occur during Saturday Sales.

· Vacuum house entirely. A vacuum cleaner is kept in the employee’s restroom in the back area. While some areas may need less attention, the front entrance needs thorough cleaning from heavy traffic. This is also our customer’s first impression of our House.

· Restrooms must be cleaned. Cleaning supplies are kept in the utility closet in the “Hobbies/Craft” room in the rear of the house. Please notify House Manager if supplies need to be replenished.

· Recycle items in the storage/sorting room must be taken to the Recycle Center. This chore also will be rotated among volunteers.

· If you see another job you think needs doing, please speak to the House Manager about it. Our best ideas come from our volunteers.

Opening The House On Sale Days

1. To enter, go through the front entrance.

2. Light switch is on wall on left. The second switch controls the foyer and the Paperback Room. (The first switch is an outdoor light and should never be on)

3. Turn on lights in all rooms, including back storage room.

4. Check heaters/air conditioners to insure they are running properly and set appropriately for the weather.

5. Tables that need to be taken to the porch are in the hallway and should be set-up outside. All materials that will be offered there must be taken out and displayed properly. These materials are pre-determined and should be ready for display.

6. Change the door sign to current date and unlock the door by turning the dead-bolt lock to the left.

7. Set curtain with the ‘No Exit’ sign in place in storage/sorting area before sale begins.

8. Treasurer will take care of the cash box and set it up. If for any reason, the treasurer is not available on this day, a designated person will handle.

9. Outdoor signs should be posted in 3 to 4 obvious locations for passing traffic to observe. The banner is to be displayed on the frame for the sign in the front yard.

10. Each volunteer should locate a FOLL volunteer apron in the closet in the Crafts/Hobbies Room. Name tags are kept in a box in the left hand drawer of the front desk.

Closing the House On Sale Days

1. Turn door sign to ‘next sale date’ and lock door (to lock door, turn the dead-bolt lock to the right)

2. Treasurer will count daily proceeds and House Manager will confirm and money will be sent to the bank. (Base money of $100, in smaller bills should be kept in the cash box) If for any reason the treasurer is not available, a person will be designated in advance to handle.

3. All materials on display on the porch must be brought back inside and tables taken down and returned to their position in the hallway.

4. All outdoor signs must be taken down and returned to the house for future use.

5. Check all heating/air conditioning units for the correct settings to leave the house. Check both restrooms for lighting and to insure water is off.

6. Turn out lights in all rooms. Turn off entrance light (second switch by front door)

7. Check to make sure back door is closed firmly and locked.

8. Exit Magnolia House and re-lock front door by locking deadbolt.

Culling the Stacks

“Culling” or “Weeding” is the examination and elimination from the Magnolia House shelves items that have not sold in a reasonable period of time for that book. That time frame may vary depending upon the item.

Yes, we throw away books! Mostly, we recycle books that are out-of-date, moldy, shredded, or otherwise known to be non-salable in the House and unsuitable for re-donation.
All of our books are donated to us; therefore, each sale represents support for the Friends’ and the Library’s programs.
We price books to find a balance between salability and fund-raising.
There is no profit in an unsold book; a shelved book that should be discarded takes up valuable space that could be filled by a more salable book. Each book must “earn its keep” on our shelves.
It is almost impossible to make a mistake. Trust your judgment and these guidelines.
If in doubt, consult with another volunteer on duty or place the book for review by the House Manager and don’t worry about it!
There is always back up for sorting and culling decisions.
Since we have no inventory control, it is difficult to know whether or not, nor how long, to keep books.
The House Manager is normally aware of what sells and what doesn’t. The Manager must communicate with volunteers that are familiar with House inventory periodically.
The House Manager will look carefully at this procedure every six-to-twelve months. Maybe the conclusion is to leave things as they are or to at least cull certain areas.
Capitalize on all efforts to keep inventory fresh and interesting. Customers should be constantly stopping in, because what was here yesterday will be gone tomorrow.

DONATION ACCEPTANCE GUIDELINES

The Magnolia House, an extension of Friends of the Leland Library, is a volunteer, nonprofit organization that receives processes and places thousands of donated items every year. Part of our mission is to rescue books and keep them circulating in our community. Donations go to:

The Magnolia House Retail Shop
The Leland Library to supplement the Library’s collection
Local schools and agencies free of charge
Soldiers, Nursing Homes, Prisons, etc.

What Kinds of Items Can Be Accepted

Our philosophy is to set up as few barriers as possible for book, media, and music donation. Most donors view our acceptance of their books as a valuable service. Most donors are unable to determine confidently what we do and do not want. Plus, they usually have pride in all of their books, even the ones no one would buy. If they have to think about it too much, they won’t donate at all.

Accordingly, we welcome all the following materials, unless visibly falling apart, moldy, shredded or otherwise too damaged to use. We clean books, so mere dirtiness is not usually a problem. We instruct donors that, when in doubt about an item, please include it and we will make the determination:

Acceptable Items

· Books – all kinds, any subject, fiction, non-fiction, hard cover, paperback, children’s books.

· Music scores, CDs, DVDs, audio cassettes and videos

· Software that is less than three years old

· Foreign language and ESL materials

· Classics (fiction and non-fiction), poetry, and plays

· Art and photography books

· Any other vintage book-related material that may have collectible appeal

Special Notes

Short stories by a single author are treated as Fiction.
Anthologies have their own stocking area.
Reader’s Digest condensed books will go to the ‘Free’ Table.
National Geographic and Reader’s Digest coffee table books get recycled if not appropriate for shelving or display.
Magazines are sent to the ‘Free’ tables, unless specific subject matter suitable for sales
“First Edition” can be fiction works to be sometimes considered of greater value than later editions or printings of that book.
“Signed” books are any works with meaningful author signatures or inscriptions. Current fiction autographed at a bookstore signing, for example, is not of special interest.

Items that appear to be of extraordinary value or interest should be reviewed by the House Manager and/or book expert.

Have fun. If you are at all interested in books, this is the most fun you will have. Check for anything that is going to make an ordinary book extraordinary. You are going to make mistakes, guaranteed. When in doubt, do not discard anything. Let someone else have a second look.

Magnolia House Operation Manual and Volunteer Handbook

TAble of Contents