Presentation on the impact of volunteers on UK public libraries over the last three years 2010-14. Produced for the Association de Bibliothecaires Francais conference in Paris June 2014.

1. Volunteers in UK
public libraries
ianlibrarian@live.co.uk @publiclibnews www.publiclibrariesnews.com

2. Aims
ianlibrarian@live.co.uk @publiclibnews www.publiclibrariesnews.com
To show the dramatic impact that
cuts in budget are having on paid
staff
Trying hard to give both sides:
good and bad

3. Dramatic cuts
ianlibrarian@live.co.uk @publiclibnews www.publiclibrariesnews.com
Full time paid staff in one year
2012/13
in overall English public
library expenditure
between 2009/10 and
2012/13. (Using Bank of
England inflation
calculator)
30% cut
7% cut
346 Library staff lost in London alone Further cuts forecast until
2020

4. Volunteers rush in
ianlibrarian@live.co.uk @publiclibnews www.publiclibrariesnews.com
in number of volunteers
in one year 2012/13
44%
increase
Up to 12%
Of all libraries in England
in 2011
300 to 425 branches
1%
now

5. ianlibrarian@live.co.uk @publiclibnews
“Community
Managed”
Run by volunteers but supported by the local council
“Professionally supported”
Support can be in any form including everything but staffing costs. Buildings and
maintenance, Bookfund, Training and support, Legal, Furnishings, Heating and
electricity. Normally counted as part of the council's statutory provision.
12 of 32 branches staffed by volunteers.12 of 32 branches staffed by volunteers.
36 out of 52 existing branches will be staffed
by volunteers or closed

6. ianlibrarian@live.co.uk @publiclibnews
“Community-Led”
Run by volunteers and not supported by the local council
Volunteers are responsible for everything but can apply for grants from council. These are
more likely not to be counted as statutory
Most often comes about when the council does
not want to have any responsibility for the library
or does not like the volunteer model.
Community-led libraries are often spontaneously
created by local people who are angry with the
closure of their local library.
The council can resume some support for these
libraries e.g. Little Chalfont in Buckinghamshire

7. The library survives
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8. ianlibrarian@live.co.uk @publiclibnews
Pros
“All the volunteers I come across say they are running their
libraries far more cheaply than the local authority was doing it”
Ed Vaizey, Minister for libraries
● Removes need for many paid staff (around half of
running costs)
● Local knowledge and local links
● Energy and enthusiasm, especially in the early
stages
● Innovation
● No longer tied into the bureaucracy of councils
● Often skilled staff – many retired library staff,
professionals.
● Grants and external funding

9. Blackmail?
“They think this is a partnership but it
doesn’t feel like one, it feels like they
want it done by a certain date and if we
don’t go along with that they will shut it
down.” Sheffield, May 2014
ianlibrarian@live.co.uk @publiclibnews www.publiclibrariesnews.com

10. ianlibrarian@live.co.uk @publiclibnews
Cons
“.. an exploitation of the volunteer and a deprival of someone’s livelihood.”
Official Trafford Council policy on volunteers at the same time as they were
trying to remove staff from two libraries, 2012.
● Long-term loss of professional skills
● Long-term sustainability: enthusiasm reduces over
time and who pays for the new roof?
● Atomisation: hundreds of separate libraries make
national initiatives challenging.
● Professional skills more available in wealthier
areas. Postcode lottery.
● Different standards: health and safety, choice of
books, catering for “people like us”
● Pandora's box: opens the way for more and more
libraries to be transferred.

11. Around ten
volunteers replace
one paid member
of staff
ianlibrarian@live.co.uk @publiclibnews www.publiclibrariesnews.com

12. Period of massive
change
Some good, some
bad
ianlibrarian@live.co.uk @publiclibnews www.publiclibrariesnews.com

13. ianlibrarian@live.co.uk @publiclibnews
Happy to talk (in
English!)
● Master of Arts in Librarianship 1993
● Manage two libraries in Cheshire. Involved in
the creation of a volunteer-staffed library in
Chester.
● Created Public Libraries News in 2010.
Used by national and local media, the library
profession, politicians and campaigners.
● My deep apologies for not speaking French.