While volunteers can be the backbone of a library, there's a fine art to crafting a well-oiled team of helpers, especially in these tough economic times when a nonpaid assistant can end up taking one's job. Case in point? Librarians at Bridgewater Middle School and Raynham Middle School in Massachusetts recently lost their positions, and parent…

Summarizes experiences of five elementary school librarians in Hawaii in organizing and training student assistants. The librarian's role, selection of student assistants, job duties, teaching the assistants, recruiting assistants, tips for shelf readers, and incentives and rewards are noted. Four references are provided. (EJS)