would you volunteer to keep your library open?

[carriedababi]

?

Capunderpants, I don't want the libraries to close. I don't agree with it. I happen to think that most libraries are fantastic and fulfil very important role, not just by providing books, computers etc., but a social function, especially for the poor and lonely.

However, I wouldn't be able to say, hand on heart, that libraries are essential. On the special needs board, a poster has told us that her severely disabled child's respite home in Sheffield (Nick Clegg's patch no less), is to close, with utterly disasterous consequences to her family. My family would collapse if my son's respite home closed and I would be forced to ask the local authority to put him in care. Full stop.

If my library closed, my family would not collapse. I would continue to source my books from a wonderful charity shop (all books 50p or less), and I would go to an internet cafe if I wanted to go online. My children have access to an IT suite. Anyone on a very low income may well have been give a laptop to use at home by the last government.

There are services that are essential, and there are services that are wonderful. Libraries fall into the latter category IMO

I meant to say 'my children have access to an IT suite at school'

Being a librarian used to be a skilled profession.

Over the last five or so years it has been de-skilled to the point where it would matter little if volunteers ran libraries.

Local librarians no longer get to choose and buy books. They have, in fact, almost no contact with the books at all.

Councils choose what you can read, as opposed to a well read, interested and intelligent person with knowledge of their particular library constituency.

Being a librarian should be a JOB. It is an important one. Our libraries used to be the best in the world and we have let them die already.

*DON'T LET ALL NON-PROFIT MAKING JOBS END UP BEING VOLUNTEER JOBS BECAUSE THERE WILL BE NO END TO IT AND BEFORE WE KNOW IT YOUR KIDS WILL BE BEING TAUGHT MATHS BY VOLUNTEERS.

SAVE OUR LIBRARIES.*

You are right, NorthernRock - being a librarian is (or should be) a skilled profession. I also agree that this is the thin end of the wedge, and I resent it bitterly that this government is thinking it can get rid of paid jobs, and you and I will step in and fill the gaps.

That said, in order to keep my local library open, I might well volunteer there. I have helped in ds1's school library, and loved it - in many ways, being a school librarian would be my ideal job - and though I do not use the library that often myself (but do use the mobile library that visits our village), I believe that libraries are a vital public resource and would do what I could to help them stay open.

Sorry - as I pressed post, I thought of some more I wanted to say.

Actually, it is a problem that there are lots of people who are willing to help out and fill the gaps - because it will mean that the government can make these cuts knowing that people's consciences and social awareness will make them step into the breach. It's a form of emotional blackmail.

Replacing paid workers with volunteers may be successful in some areas. However, jobs with high burn-out and stress levels and poor retention, will fail to attract anyone.

The Government needs to make it absolutely clear, where volunteers are expected to work. AGAIN, WHERE IS THE PLAN?

And I meant to add, libraries will probably be attractive to volunteers, especially small, rural, open-once-a-week types.

great posts by CapUnderpants.

Making it very clear: if you think libraries are important, do not engage with volunteering because you are enabling their gradual decline and eventual disappearance.

CapUnderpants
Thanks for explaining the difference between librarians and library assistants. I thought they were all libarians!
But the fact remains that if you put machines in to do all the straightforward stuff, the stuff that can't be done by machines needs skilled, experienced people, no? So it wouldn'tbe that easy to find suitable volunteers or train them up or manage them.
So, the only people that could do the job well enough would be librarians/lib assistants doing what was their paid job for nothing? Who would volunteer to do their job for nothing? I know I wouldn't.
Let's hope the gov changes its mind about this as they did about selling off the forests - another hairbrained idea.!

Stupidly, I unhid this thread because it's in Active Convos. My husband is a library assistant. He is an intelligent guy. Can you all stop talking about library assistants as though they are completely unskilled thick people please?

When he joined the service he was a 'Principal library assistant'. They then got rid of that job title in a restructure and downgraded all PLAs. He is now on a lower pay scale doing pretty much the same job.

He hates the self service stuff just as much as you lot do.

Re Vezzies comment: Making it very clear: if you think libraries are important, do not engage with volunteering because you are enabling their gradual decline and eventual disappearance.
During the last recession - mid nineties -I worked and qualified within the museum and heritage sector. As a graduate I was lucky enough to be earning £75.00 p.w (this was donkeys years ago before minimum wage)on a short term, rolling contract within the technical services team.This was at the time considered a very plum roll considering the vast majority of fellow graduates were unemployed or volunteering for free.

Then one week we (there were four of us 75 quid workers) were told we must leave at the end of the week. There was no money to pay us anymore. I am not talking about a small museum here either - a very big museum, in fact of national importance.

We were told we could remain if we volunteered our time for free. We were then told if we didn't there was a queue of people waiting to do it instead and in fact we should be working for free in the first place as it was enough of an honour to be allowed to touch their artefacts let alone be paid for it! unable to do this, due to having to live in the REAL WORLD and buy toilet rolls and bread I left and worked in a call centre. I never worked within the museum industry again. That was years ago but to return to Vezzie - yes before long you can guarantee what was said to us about a line of willing volunteers ready to replace us will be trotted out to library workers.

I am a librarian. I have a degree, a postgraduate diploma in librarianship, an MA, a business diploma.

I manage a very busy library with 15 staff and a budget of tens of thousands of pounds.

Why not volunteer to do my job? I am sure you will do it just as well as me.