We aren’t promoting it or billing it as a library service. We’re definitely not interested in supplanting the library’s role, just temporarily filling in a gap. I was just surprised how well it came together and pleased with the willingness of the library to let us do it.

Yes, we do rent out our room when the library is not open. People use it when we are actually in the library and working, but also when we are closed. There is a whole big process but the room can be rented for any time of day or evening. (We’ve never had an overnight….but who knows?)

Well, I suppose she really does have to work on other programs, if you are now running the storytime. Essentially, that’s what she’s being paid to do. However, maybe it is just our patrons at my particular library that need assistance? Not sure…

I’m a little confused by your “closed library time” statement. Do you normally let people use your meeting room when you aren’t open? We are definitely doing storytime during normal operating hours.

I will say that our children’s librarian doesn’t provide any services to our storytime other than allowing us to use some of the supplies that are already in the room. We’ve actually only seen her once in the storytime room in the entire time we’ve been doing it.

I think that there are a lot of reasons that libraries can be resistant to volunteers running programs. When I began our storytime this fall, we only had one session per week. In the new year, we added another and they are both usually full. This is good and bad, of course, for the patrons who are using the program and those who cannot use it due to registration limits. We have to put on limits, of course, maybe for room size, maybe just to have some control depending on the age of the children. I, myself, have limits due to the craft that we do each week. I have to make sure I have enough for everyone, and have enough room for everyone to do the craft. Tons of kids can sit on a floor and listen to a story, but not everyone will fit at a table for a craft.

But our storytime stops off and on each year, also, in order for me to run other programs. The funding is just not there to hire other people to work in the children’s area, so I am required to catalogue, order books, run programs (which means preparing the crafts as well), work on the desk and I also take care of the IT portion of our library as well as run our blog. Lots of work, lots of fun, but limits to what I can do each week.

Our library in particular, is governed by a Library Board who decides just how money is spent and how things are run in general (although we have a lot of say in everything.) However, since our children’s program room is also a room that we rent out for other non-library events, they board does not encourage a volunteer session for storytime when I am not able to run one. I’m not sure of the thinking behind this, but its “something that has always been done”.

However, maybe this is a good thing in some respects as even though it might not seem as though we are providing anything more than just the room to use, it does interrupt our only closed library time when we can do our cataloguing etc. And when you have patrons in the library, whether they are just here for a program or not, they may want to take out books, or at the very least, may have inquiries. I love the idea of a parent run group, but I know I would have to provide SOME sort of services and I just do not have to hours to do so. Selfish, maybe, but I’m here to make sure the children’s library is stocked with books so that when the kids do come, they’ll have plenty to find.

Just a “few” thoughts……

MPOW does background checks on volunteers, but not my local library, as far as I know. I’m not sure I actually constitute a volunteer in this case though. I’m just someone using a meeting room to run a program similar to what the library offers.

The time and management issues are also even more difficult with volunteers because they can feel that they are doing the library a favor by being there. It can get really difficult when a program has been successful and then a volunteer has ‘weight’ to throw around (or thinks they do). Also security issues as I haven’t worked at a library that does background checks for staff or volunteers yet. There may be reliability issues too as a person isn’t being paid so the library isn’t a priority. Sometimes things suggested by a volunteer can take up more staff time and be costly too. A major consideration is if paid staff can continue a successful program should the volunteer have to bow out and no other is available.

Now this just may be issues in a specific community. I can only think of one or two volunteers who are reliable but there are management issues in both situations with expectations from them in regard to other aspects of the library. It seems to take a careful balance in expressing appreciation for volunteers without offending. Unlike staff, there isn’t always an awareness of complications that can ensue because it is a library, a government entity, a public place, policies, etc.

None of this is insurmountable. A good training system for volunteers would handle most of it. They were very lucky to have a professional like yourself volunteer.