would you volunteer to keep your library open?

[carriedababi]

?

And if we're so broke - while still not acccepting the terms of the debate, and without wanting to be all London-centric - what about the olympics?

for heavens sake.

Completely pissed off at all this Big Society idea and all the other daft policies apparently coming into place as didn't vote for either Dave or Nick in the first place. Thanks goodness I live in Scotland where a lot of the new stuff doesn't apply.

I'm betting Dave and Co. just know they won't be here come the next election and are intent making as much damage as possible - like kids in a right old huff - so they look good when the next government comes in and has to raise our taxes and interest rates even more to pay for the clean up.

I work in the Public Sector (which, incidently, is certainly the real world ) and am watching colleagues left, right and centre being told that their positions no longer feature on the New Structure or that they have to go to competitive interview for their own jobs.

I'm also at risk and could very well be in a position whereby I've got plenty time on my hands to contribute to the shite that is Big Society.

Would I volunteer to replace a person who has studied hard and worked hard and is now finding themselves in a position where they could be well be struggling to keep a roof over their head and food on the table?
Would I fuck!

...and quite frankly I'm dismayed at the volume of people here who would.

Big Society my arse.

Hear hear plonker

If your dh works in public services carrie, then I am still amazed that you would volunteer to do the job of a professional who had been made redundant, and actually believe you could do it well with no relevant training or qualifications

lol at Big Society my arse.

i don't think i said i would, did i?

i;m asking other if they would

and i don;t think it would be as organised at all if run by volunteers

Absolutely not.

I would not volunteer to do a job that someone had just been made redundant from.

I volunteer in the scouting organisation and for the red cross, but I am not taking anyones job from them.

I know that, from an employment POV, you cant make someone redundant then employ someone esle to the do the same job....I guess thats "call me dave"'s idea to get volunteers to do it, then he is not breaking any employment laws.

He's just being immoral.

In our local library some of the librarians have been replaced by machines ("robot librarians", they are called) meaning that you have to use a machine to issue your books and return them, pay fines etc. It's all a bit impersonal I think.
So I guess the librarians that still have jobs (at the moment!) are doing work that couldn't be done by amateurs without any training or qualifications.
At first nobody liked these machines, particlarly older people, but now everyone has got used to them. They would rather use the machines than lose their library altogether.

But I don't think there is any more that can be cut before we don't have a library any more. It's already been cut right down to the bone.

Yes, I would definitely volunteer, but volunteers should work alongside existing paid employees. They should not be replacing all paid employees' positions.

Vezzie, think you have that right. Plans for town regeneration displayed - Two of the suggested plans included knocking down sheltered housing for a supermarket. Of course everyone was up in arms over that idea thus the third plan was a shoo-in.

Well I'm a librarian and I'm a big fan of self issue machines! It leaves staff more time to give real help to users, rather than be stuck behind a desk issuing books.

I also find issuing books really, REALLY tedious

So Happy, shoudl they only replace some paid positions?

Just must say I love the new machines. Easy to use and efficient. I can order books online, too, and see how long the wait is.

I think the rot set in when libraries became, in our neck of the woods, anyway, "Discovery Centres". You do not need qualified librarians to organise Mums and Toddlers groups, turn the computers on for Silver Surfers using family tree websites, and serve tea and coffee at the Knit and Natter group.

No, that would be a job for the library assistants, gramer

Still, I would have thought that qualified librarians might shed a tear at the way libraries have become less and less about books.

Yes...but isn't it disgusting it should come to that?

It's not about books, it's about information.
Journals, periodicals etc. have always been important in libraries.
Which is why they offer internet access, same thing.

There have been postgrads in librarianship and information management for YEARS

No way, Im too busy desperately jobhunting. Would feel too guilty about the librarians & assistants who got sacked. Id also feel bad about forced labour volunteering for a profit making company or one who was carrying out essential public sector work, as this should be a paid job.

Id rather stick pencils in Dave Camerons eyes thanks.

Its also the reason Ive stopped using those self service machines in the supermarket. I never wanted to be a checkout assistant anyway, and if Im going to do it, they can pay me a bloody wage!

Although regarding library self service machines, I have been happy to use those in my university library where it meant they could have library opening hours and book issue/return of 24 hours/day, while maintaining the same level of service during the usual opening hours.

We have those machines too at uni; have come to the conclusion they are a Good Thing due to the number of repair men they seem to need daily and associated employment

compo
Yes I am a qualified librarian (although to be fair I havent worked in one for over 15 years)

While I worked very hard there and yes mine was fairly busy, I do think that their time has been and gone. Obviously I would like them to remain open BUT if it means that other services would be cut then I do think that libraries are the obvious cut to make.

NO, just as I would hope no one would volunteer to do my job for nothing, either, leaving me unemployed.

I would volunteer if it meant losing a library otherwise but Mr Cameron, lets remember that to do librarianship properly you need a specialist degree and knowledge about how to do it, many voluteers could stamp books and put them back on shelves but behind the scenes I'm sure it's far more specialised, our local library runs outreach services to encourage non-participants to use the libarary service and adult learning courses etc as well - could a fully volunteer-run service really deliver what is on offer at our libararies at present?

will that army of people who design, manufacture, deliver and maintain those neat self service machines in libraries, work for free?

Will they fuck.

I wonder whether the traditionally 'female' jobs will be the first to become volunteer roles....wouldn't surprise me at all.

John Major had a daft, fuzzy vision of Britain - warm beer, village cricket and Little Chefs. Dave's got similar bollocks going on in his head: Lovely ladies of a certain age, sporting pinnies and a willing smile, doing 'good works' for the plebs.

It's all crap, people