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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

would you volunteer to keep your library open?

337 replies

carriedababi · 15/02/2011 15:52

?

OP posts:
PaisleyLeaf · 15/02/2011 16:24

I would.
And I was also thinking it'd be one of the easier things to find volunteers for. I almost think they'll have their pick and be able to interview and give the volunteer positions to good candidates. (Maybe that's just my area - our little library does seem to be valued by the community and people would hate to see it closed down).

Teenybitsad · 15/02/2011 16:24

Yes. I couldn't not. I have the time (sort of!) and have benefited al my life from libraries...so I have to really. I would feel too guilty not to.

Onetoomanycornettos · 15/02/2011 16:25

Nope, got a full-time job to do and I don't personally think librarianship is the kind of thing well-meaning but untrained people can just pick every couple of weeks when they go for an hour or two. Helping out at a fully functioning library one thing, running it from scratch, no.

Teenybitsad · 15/02/2011 16:25

I would volunteer for othe things too...such as helping in a social lunch club for the elderly....or a youth club [scared emoticon]

cyb · 15/02/2011 16:26

If I got to stamp the books and slam them shut in a satisfying manner, then yes

CristinaTheAstonishing · 15/02/2011 16:26

"my DD's school requires parents to come in and help with reading" All schools do. It's usually the same people who go in as only a minority have the time and no other DCs to look after etc. If you don't turn up it's probably disappointing but not the end of the world. You can't run a service like a Library on goodwill. You might even argue that there should be more paid staff to help with children's reading.

usualsuspect · 15/02/2011 16:26

No ,I would never volunteer to do a job that somebody had lost

CristinaTheAstonishing · 15/02/2011 16:27

Cyb - you'd also be allowed to have you hair in a French bun and shake it loose in the evenings.

LadyGlencoraPalliser · 15/02/2011 16:29

I have several good friends who work as library assistants in our local library. They are all desperately worried about their jobs. Would I volunteer to do for free the work that they are about to be made redundant from? Not a chance. We ought to be protesting about cuts to library services, not offering to facilitate them.

Tortington · 15/02/2011 16:29

oh for fucks sake

gramercy · 15/02/2011 16:30

Mixed feelings.

I would like to work in the library, yes, but I'd feel damned annoyed if I saw the council making librarians redundant yet advertising for yet another "Climate Change Officer" or some other idiotic job at a giant salary.

slowshow · 15/02/2011 16:30

I'm a qualified librarian so it would be something of a busman's holiday.

I also find it quite insulting that Cameron thinks a library could be successfully run by volunteers. No, they can't. There's more to it than a bit of shelf tidying here and a bit of book stamping there Hmm

Katey1010 · 15/02/2011 16:32

Librarians in the family so no. They are highly qualified and skilled. IMO it is the same as some conscientious objectors during wars who not only would not fight but would not take non-fighting roles (medic, provisions) because it would mean someone else would have that role taken away and would have to fight instead.

Libraries are the thin end of the wedge. They will be telling us that unskilled people can do the jobs of social workers, teachers, firefighters and nurses. Then we will see how well an unskilled, unqualified person can fill in.

I live in a country where well meaning amateurs try to tackle homelessness and addiction (my field). You should see the mess that is made. Sometimes intuitive solutions to social issues are NOT the answer.

I can't catalogue books so why would I try to reinvent the wheel when librarians have trained to do it. It is insulting to them. Maybe we should, instead, volunteer to run the banks. They are obviously run by morons (unlike the libraries) and a volunteer couldn't fuck up worse than the people who were in charge. I wouldn't want a $million bonus either.

Itsjustafleshwound · 15/02/2011 16:33

I am sorry that friends are losing their jobs, but my Dh has just lost his job in the 'real world' because the company could get a foreigner to do it for a lot less ..

Why should public services be exempt from what is going on all over the world??

Original poster
carriedababi · 15/02/2011 16:34

all well and good saying, "No ,I would never volunteer to do a job that somebody had lost"

but the libaries will more than likely go anyway as they can't be afforded anymore sadly.
so i suppose it depends if people want them enough to run them

OP posts:
CristinaTheAstonishing · 15/02/2011 16:36

Itsjust - so would your DH take a big job cut just to still have the job? And do you think that's a sane way to go about things?

toddlerama · 15/02/2011 16:36

Agree that I wouldn't want to facilitate redundancy of skilled workers, however, if my local library was closing for lack of volunteers, there's no way I would let that happen when I could do something about it.

They would absolutely have to keep a core of skilled workers though. I could stamp and shelve but that's about it. I don't know about the ins and outs of running a library! Although I was a prefect and had to do a library shift weekly

dollydimples · 15/02/2011 16:36

I don't understand why you lot have so much time on your hands to volunteer. Most libraries round here are open 9-5 monday to Saturday. During this time I'm either working or looking after dd on my own. The only exception is Saturday but I go away to visit family and friends a lot at weekends so couldn't be relied on to volunteer regularly.

Are you all ladies of leisure?

TotemPole · 15/02/2011 16:37

Libraries are very much part of the real world.

I can see our local one being safe. It's all automated/self service, so not many staff, it's open 7 days a week, and it does a lot more than lending out books.

Original poster
carriedababi · 15/02/2011 16:38

perhasp the libaries should look at opening one day only, but a lond day say 7 till 8pm?

then everyone could go,a nd it needs to only be open for 1 day a week

OP posts:
CristinaTheAstonishing · 15/02/2011 16:39

"i suppose it depends if people want them enough to run them" That's just a bit of blackmail.

Itsjustafleshwound · 15/02/2011 16:41

I'm not arguing about the ethics of it - it is just reality. He has a choice to take the cut and feed his family or be jobless but have the moral high ground ... which doesn't go very far the last time I shopped ...

The issue us that there is no such thing as a job for life and job security - any company able to get similar service for less will be economically foolish not to do so.

usualsuspect · 15/02/2011 16:44

carriedababi how would you feel if you lost your job, and then someone volunteered to do it ? we should be fighting against the cuts not making it bloody easy for Dave

Original poster
carriedababi · 15/02/2011 16:44

its not blackmail!

OP posts:
CristinaTheAstonishing · 15/02/2011 16:46

Itsjust - so he hasn't lost his job then? He just begged them to keep him on please for a much lower wage?