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Virtual Volunteering

What is Virtual Volunteering?

Virtual volunteering makes it possible to volunteer from any location outside the library at your convenience, anytime day or night.

What it takes to be a Virtual Volunteer:
  • Regular access to the Internet
  • Self Motivated
  • Ability to communicate progress with the project manager
  • Good time-management skills that allow you to meet goals and objectives
  • Ability to communicate via-email

How to become a Virtual Volunteer:

After you are accepted as a Virtual Volunteer:

  1. Complete the Online Orientation
  2. You will then receive your user name and password
  3. Receive your first assignment

Virtual Volunteering Positions

VINE Project:

  • Position Title:  Index to Indiana Mortality Schedules 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880 - Data Entry Assistant
  • Date & Time: Long-term position. Volunteer virtually from your home computer. 
  • Project Description: The VINE (Vital INformation Exchange) is a collaborative statewide database that pulls together Indiana-related local history and vital record indexes from the collections of Indiana’s public libraries, historical societies, genealogy societies, and related agencies.  The goal of the project is to allow genealogy and local history researchers to quickly and effectively locate free Indiana-related vital records information from one centralized online location.  
  • Position Summary: Information from the index to the Indiana Mortality Schedules will be entered into an Excel template. This information is currently in a print, multi- volume format.
  • Major Responsibilities: Data entry
  • Qualifications: The ability to follow directions, work independently, attention to detail, accurate, responsible, dependable, and typing skills. Basic knowledge of Excel preferred. Candidate must be able to volunteer at least eight (8) hours per month.
  • Project Completion Date: Ongoing

Genealogy

  • Position Title: Indianapolis Commercial Birth/Death Index Databases, Data Entry Assistant
  • Date & Time: Long-term position. Volunteer virtually from your home computer.
  • Position Summary: The Indiana State Library is creating both birth and death index databases based on information taken from the Indianapolis Commercial Newspaper. This newspaper is a business publication containing only statistics. Volunteers enter information into the database from photocopies of birth and death lists taken from the Indianapolis Commercial Newspaper.
  • Major Responsibilities: Data entry
  • Qualifications: The ability to follow directions, work independently, attention to detail, accurate, responsible, dependable, and typing skills. Candidate must be able to volunteer at least eight (8) hours per month.
  • Project Completion Date: The death portion may be done including updates in a little over a year. The birth portion could take 2 more years.

Talking Books & Braille Recording Project

  • Position Title: Indiana Voices Reviewer
  • Date & Time: Long-term position. Volunteer virtually from your home computer.
  • Project Description:  Through the generous support from the Ruth Lilly Philanthropic Foundation the Indiana State Library's Talking Books and Braille Library will focus on recording books and magazine articles with Indiana connections that are otherwise unavailable in an audio format. We have two soundproof recording booths and digital recording equipment. These new materials will enable volunteer narrators to record books and magazine articles with maximum clarity and quality. The Talking Books project will greatly rely on the efforts of volunteers. Talking Books seeks volunteer narrators, monitors, and reviewers to begin production.
  • Position Summary:  An Indiana Voices Reviewer will listen to a completed project and follow along with a copy of the text to ensure accuracy.  The Reviewer will note any mistakes on a form as well as listening to see if the project contains violence, sexuality, or profanity.
  • Major Responsibilities:  The Reviewer is the final check in the recording process and therefore the final quality assurance rests on that position.
  • Qualifications: The Reviewer will receive a USB Flash Drive(s) with WAV sound files of the project. The Reviewer must have a home computer with speakers/headphones capable of playing such a file.
  • Project Completion Date: Ongoing