In response to cuts resulting from the government's austerity programme, Enfield Council has begun implementing its Libraries Strategy: bringing in volunteer librarians in place of professional information specialists; creating four "flagship" libraries while downsizing and leasing out the remainder as "community libraries"; and setting up a volunteer-run home delivery service to replace mobile libraries.
Volunteer librarians required
Recruitment and training of volunteer librarians has already begun, but the council is still seeking more. Volunteers will work alongside professional librarians at the flagship libraries, but it seems likely that community libraries will be staffed entirely by volunteers. There will be a professional "community librarian coordinator" with responsibility for each community library and to whom the volunteers will be able to turn for advice and support, but the coordinator will be based in a flagship library.
The council says there are library volunteering opportunities for people of all ages: "Libraries can be a good start for young people building up their knowledge for work or university; they can help people thinking about new careers or people returning to work. Also retired people can use their own experience in a library setting."
Will you join us in making the library a fun and vibrant place to be? We are looking for volunteers who are enthusiastic about libraries and enjoy working with people of all ages. As the first point of contact for people when they come into the library our library volunteers provide a warm welcome to our customers, providing assistance when needed. The library is run in partnership with the local community and is delivered on a daily basis by volunteers, managed and supported by library staff.
What you will do - with guidance from staff
- Meet and greet all customers making everyone feel welcome
- Assist customers in using the self service units
- Assist customer in using the public computers.
- Help people find the books they want.
- Promote library and museum services and events by handing out literature and talking to customers.
- Help keep the library tidy and attractive by shelving returned stock and displaying books.
- Refer library users who require more detailed assistance to library staff in other branches.
- Supporting library activities e.g. children's reading groups
You will love this position if you
- Are looking to take on a senior volunteer role
- Enjoy engaging with a variety of people of all ages, including young children
- Can work independently
- Patient and understanding
- Committed to the equality and diversity of the local community
- Enjoy working with people, and working as part of a team
- Enjoy reading and finding out information
Skills required
- Leadership
- Confidence when speaking to people.
- Be positive and cheerful.
- Confident using self-service machines.
- Good literacy and numeracy skills.
- The ability to use basic equipment (e.g. photocopiers, computers).
- An awareness of facilities and resources in a public library.
- A regular commitment to the library service, times to be discussed with you
What's in it for you?
- Support and guidance from the Volunteer Coordinator and Team Leader for Community Libraries.
- Full induction training and ongoing support from experienced staff
- Gain new skills and work experience around customer care and working in a professional setting
- Meet new people
- Engage with your local community
- Have fun while learning new skills and helping others
- Gain work place skills in team working and communication
- Build confidence with appropriate support from staff
What do you need to know?
- Where will it be? You can indicate a preference for a library however we cannot always guarantee a role at your first choice
- When will I start? Starting January 2016 and running for as long as you are available
- A regular commitment of approx. 10 hours per week is required
- Travel expenses will be reimbursed.
If you would like to find out more please contact the Volunteering and Standards Officer
on 020 8379 8456
or email
or visit www.enfield.gov.uk/libraryvolunteering
Volunteers needed for home deliveries of books
The Home Library Service is due to start in April, replacing the current mobile library service. This will be run by the Royal Voluntary Service (RVS - formerly the WRVS) and will employ around 20 volunteers, all of them new recruits to the RVS.
The service will deliver books and audio materials to older and disabled people who find it difficult to visit a library. Volunteers will need their own transport and will be required for approximately four hours a week. However, if you don't have your own car there will also be a requirement for volunteers to help organise the deliveries.
For more information, contact Heather James on .
Community libraries - partners sought
Under the libraries strategy all libraries except for the four flagship libraries (which include Palmers Green) are due to become "community libraries". They will remain in their existing buildings, but the buildings will be let to "partners", who will take over much (most?) of the floorspace. The original concept was that the partners would be organisations in the public or voluntary/community sector (see this earlier article for a list of the original criteria), but it now appears that too few such potential partners have been identified and the field is being widened to include commercial organisations.
In last week's local press there were advertisements seeking initial expressions of interest from potential occupiers to lease/share occupation of five libraries:
- Enfield Island Village
- Bullsmore
- Oakwood
- Winchmore Hill
- Fore Street.
In each of these buildings there would be a requirement to share with an "element of library provision".
It is unclear whether the council is still trying to find partners who meet the earlier criteria.
The main driver behind the libraries strategy is the need for substantial savings in response to swingeing cuts in central government funding. Unlike other councils in London and elsewhere, Enfield's intention is to keep all its libraries open in some form or other. However, should the council not be able to find suitable partners for some of its smaller libraries, it may eventually be forced to close them.
For earlier articles about Enfield's libraries strategy, click on the Libraries subject tag.