Where do you find new volunteer opportunities?

How frustrating!!! Sorry to hear this is how it's going. I have no good advice, just can try to empathize.

Herbgeek. I have to wonder could it be age related? There is a definite age bias out there.

Herbgeek, I'm sorry for what you are going through. Believe me, I've had my own set of troubles with job recruiters etc. Hang in there...

Re: my own experience with trying to volunteer. I'm trying to get a volunteer gig at a local library branch. quite frankly, they don't seem interested. I filled out an application and I got a letter saying they "weren't hiring." I called the library three times about this already--and the last time the woman I spoke to said she would talk to the executive director (who sent the letter, misunderstanding that I wanted volunteer work) and then called me by the wrong first name, after telling me she had a "long list" of things to discuss with the director, and hanging up at that point.

My friend, who is a librarian, says that often volunteers are more trouble to train than they are worth. WTF?! With library funding being cut, you'd think they would be happy to accept you. Plus, I've thought of going to library school, and everyone I know says it would behoove me to have practical experience in addition to the MLS degree.

Very frustrating...I guess I will just try another library branch.

Ladyinblack - it might just be that 1. the person was having a bad day with too much on their plate,
2. So many people are looking for jobs that she immediately assumes that this is a job you are looking for and not a volunteer position,
3. If they do not show volunteer positions on their website, they might not have any openings for volunteers,
4. Your friend could be right, it takes ~ 40 hours to train a person whether they are a volunteer or a paid person. With budget cuts and people stretched thin to begin with, they may not feel there is enough time in the day to train someone else.
5. I would suggest finding out if they have reading time to children. IF they do, ask if you could help out. If they do a book drive or a fundraiser, ask if you could be on the volunteers called. Start off small, very small. Slowly make your way in. But also check out other libraries as well, including school libraries. See if a school might need help with their libraries. Especially with grammar or middle schools. By the time it is high school, it is more likely that the high schoolers are volunteering there for their community projects. BUT definitely keep plugging away at it.