Some good points Lynda.

I am not a public librarian but have an opinion on what is going on all the same.

There will be of course different contexts in which a volunteer is taken on. I don't think anyone is against the concept of volunteering if it benefits all the parties involved.

It is good that a volunteer can develop and acquire skills for future employment. Who knows, it might be me one day. That it should also benefit the recipient of their services as well means it's a win-win situation for two of the parties involved. Maybe the only two. What we should not forget is, if their services are used to fulfil a role that was previously occupied by another party, the professional. Might we then be entitled to ask what is going on?

If it is part of our duty to uphold the standards that the public should expect from qualified librarians then the profession should be raising its concerns when volunteers are being used to provide a service that they have not been trained to give as it weakens the service we are supposed to uphold by Royal Charter.

Also, if volunteers are being used to provide a service that would otherwise cease to exist then might we also ask if that is setting a precedent. Why aren't people employed to provide that service? Is it because the funds have been withdrawn because the banks have been greedy and gambled recklessly? Where would this strategy take us? No disrespect but who's to say there aren't a vast array of Partnership and Development Managers waiting in the wings to do a job on a volunteer basis or indeed my job?

Yesterday, the profession and those connected with it with members of the public who have the foresight to see what is happening lobbied Parliament. So let's not bury our heads in the sand and pretend it's not happening. Libraries have closed whilst other libraries have been kept open through volunteer labour. Why should our jobs suddenly become not worth paying for? Why should the expected standard of service be lowered?

It's great that people volunteer to help in libraries but not at the expense of diluting the service that a professionally qualified librarian originally supplied in the first place. And why should Boris Johnson use taxpayers money to buy into that concept?


Stephen Cook.

-----Original Message-----
From: lis-pub-libs: UK Public Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Martin Lynda
Sent: 14 March 2012 11:35
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Volunteers in libraries

I am dismayed at the comments around volunteers in libraries. If
professional librarians see the recruitment of volunteers as a threat to
their role I suggest they must feel very insecure indeed. We have a
massive amount of support for libraries at the moment - it would be
foolhardy to ignore offers of help and not to work with our keen
supporters. Librarians should be at the forefront of this initiative -
designing volunteer policy, agreeing roles, planning training for
themselves, staff and volunteers and supporting the development of
Library Friends Groups.

We have many volunteers in Cambridgeshire Libraries in a variety of
roles - they volunteer because they value and appreciate their library
service - and that includes the paid staff. Volunteers in Cambridgeshire
understand their roles, they are clear that they are there to add value
to the service in a clearly defined role.
For some of our volunteer roles (such as the 250 volunteers for the
Housebound Library Service) the service they deliver to (400+)people
unable to visit the library is much better than we could ever deliver
ourselves as it includes that very valuable element of time for a chat,
as well as the delivery of books and information.

Our Friends of Libraries groups (all volunteers) have recently done an
amazing job campaigning for libraries in Cambridgeshire - they have
reversed the Council proposal to move 13 libraries to community run
libraries - and we now have a new political emphasis on recognising
libraries as community hubs at the heart of their communities. Our
Friends Groups are not only strong and influential advocates for the
library service, they also raise substantial funds to improve and
enhance the fabric and fittings in libraries, they support library
events, they hold their own social events and they provide valuable
insight into community need and priorities when developing the service.

We need to respond effectively to the needs of young people who are
eager to volunteer to develop skills for career progression and
employment opportunities. I think we should devise an accredited library
volunteer course for young people - there are many valuable and
transferable skills to be acquired volunteering in libraries - to help
young people at risk of becoming NEET - and to possibly inspire a new
generation of library staff for the future.

We have had some exceptional volunteers - some with disabilities - who
are keen to give something back to the community and to help others -
this has helped to make our libraries more accessible, it has influenced
design and has enriched our appreciation and understanding of inclusion
and equality.

Volunteering in IT roles in Cambridgeshire Libraries contributes in a
major way towards digital inclusion with our computer buddies, Community
Access Point volunteers and family history volunteers. Many of these
volunteers are older people helping their peers to engage with
technology in libraries and the advantages of shopping on line, email,
Skype etc.

Volunteering in libraries also has a major role in contributing to
health and well being in a community,to safer and stronger communities,
it delivers economic, learning and employment benefits and
opportunities, it can provide cultural and creative opportunities and
enrichment, it is a key element in successful community engagement. If
we don't embrace this opportunity we risk becoming irrelevant and
unresponsive to our communities, our partners and politicians.

Lynda Martin
Partnership and Development Manager
Cambridgeshire Libraries
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