Hi Sarah! At Multnomah County Library we do criminal record checks on volunteers in specific positions. That includes any position that involves interaction with minors, older adults, homebound adults, people with disabilities, and people who speak English as a second language. Also, if the position requires handling financial transactions, community outreach with limited staff supervision, or using a vehicle while volunteering.
As far as onboarding goes, we don't have volunteers do the background check until they have met with their staff supervisor to confirm that they will be joining us as a volunteer. We don't want to make people jump through that hoop unless it's needed.
If a check comes back with something then we compare it to a list of disqualifying convictions along with other factors such as time since the conviction, how old they were at the time, etc. Not all convicitions will automatically disqualify someone. If a volunteer is not able to be placed in a position requiring a background check then they are able to apply for other positions that don't require that level of screening.
One thing to consider is looking at the background check policy for paid staff at your organization. Are all staff required to be background checked or only certain positions? Are there convictions that disqualify someone for working there and others that are allowed? Will the policies for paid staff and volunteers match or do paid staff require more stringent protocols based on access to organizational resources?
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any questions.
