Abstract
The purpose of this survey was to explore the attitudes of hospital library managers toward the use of library volunteers. During April 2003 a questionnaire was mailed to 89 Ontario hospital library managers. One of the methods used to assess attitudes toward volunteers was to ask respondents to list two main benefits and pitfalls of using volunteers. Benefits of volunteer use identified by respondents included assisting with routine clerical tasks, saving staff time, providing an added value or service, assisting with a heavy workload, contributing to a positive public perception and promoting library service, keeping costs down, optimizing staff time, and doing special projects. Some of the pitfalls of volunteer use identified by respondents included unreliable volunteer attendance and commitment, and excessive training and retraining. The identification of volunteer benefits and pitfalls will help hospital library managers optimize the use of volunteers and implement changes in the way they manage volunteers.
Highlights
IntroductionAdministrators, and library staff need to be aware of the influence and implications of the use of volunteers in their libraries
Hospital library managers, administrators, and library staff need to be aware of the influence and implications of the use of volunteers in their libraries
Benefits that have been reported in anecdotal accounts and research studies identify economic advantages such as cost savings gained from the ability to supplement staff when budgets are lean, expansion of library services, and staff time freed up so they may engage in more professional tasks
Summary
Administrators, and library staff need to be aware of the influence and implications of the use of volunteers in their libraries. The Ontario Hospital Association conducted a survey of hospitals from 4 to July 2003, and found that, without additional funding, 40% of hospitals would be unable to meet their payrolls, 2600 hospital beds would be eliminated, and 500 staff positions would be cut [1] Given this economic situation, a hospital librarian may willingly or unwillingly (because of administrative pressure), turn to volunteers in lieu of paid staff as a way to provide services. The views of hospital librarians toward volunteers have mainly been promulgated in anecdotal accounts in the library literature [2,3,4,5] These articles often debate whether volunteers are a benefit or a hindrance.
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