To expect the library to be staffed?

[girlfriend44]

The latest round of cuts is the library being unstaffed but open.

You let yourself in and out with your card. No staff. I was too scared to go in. It's feels so wrong. Anything could happen with no staff. I didn't feel safe. Would you?

I have a retired friend who volunteers at a major tourist attraction. One that visitors pay a lot of money to visit. She loves doing it but it should be a paid job. It used to be. Many businesses are using volunteers who can afford to work for free to cut costs. It's very wrong.

I can understand that it's disappointing but I can't understand why you were scared.

My local library used to be staffed but due to budget cuts they now operate with volunteers. It’s not taking jobs from people - nobody is going to get paid regardless because there’s no money, it’s either volunteers or closure. So it’s mostly staffed by elderly retired people who want to do something for their community and get out of the house a bit, or by disabled people who aren’t able to work but want to do something constructive to fill their time.

I do think libraries are important, although perhaps less so than they used to be. Thirty years ago there was no internet so the library was the only source of information and entertainment. Nowadays there are more convenient ways to access those things. I borrow magazines through the library app and I think that’s a great service, I wish I could borrow books and audio books online too.

When I was at uni the library was only staffed part of the time. Never occurred to me that it could be an issue or to feel unsafe. Has something happened to make you feel particularly unsafe, like the library is known for crime?

I volunteer in an art gallery. If you want your artwork in an exhibition you have to volunteer at the gallery for at least a half day during the exhibition. So there are plenty of volunteers! People even take a half day off work to volunteer in order to get their artwork displayed.

Unfortunately it means the artwork is displayed not based on merit, but based on who had time to volunteer that month. Keeps the gallery open I suppose! Not going to lie, the only reason I volunteer is to get my paintings on the wall.

I agree though, there’s a trend towards keeping places open using volunteers because they can’t afford paid staff. There’s an increasing problem because people are having to work longer and can’t afford to retire, so the number of voluntary workers is decreasing, and affecting the services that rely on volunteers.

A woman was attacked at an unmanned gym, you enter using your membership card and she was still attacked. The CCTV footage of her running around the gym trying to get away from him was absolutely horrendous.

I'd rather have an unmanned one that none at all. Our village library was closed down in 2005 due to cost cutting.