Ever increasing expectations : the volunteer manager

When communities decide to deliver a library service where can they go for help?

Locality's Community Knowledge Hub supports a peer-to-peer network to raise awareness of emerging good practice amongst councils and community managed libraries. At present, the Asset Transfer Unit provides direct support to many organisations within the network who seek advice about asset transfer and aquisition, library management by communities and not-for-private-profit enterprise solutions more broadly.

Neither is an advocate for council-led efficiency saving measures that might affect library services. Neither regards community managed libraries as a panacea to effect public service transformation. Instead, Locality strives to help people develop sustainable communities through local self-help solutions. Our advice is always independent, based upon practitioner experience and tailored towards achieving high quality long-term outcomes.

To date, the only research concerning community managed libraries in England outlined 3 possible operating models:

• volunteer / donation based libraries
• precept -linked libraries
• community enterprise libraries

However, all community managed library offers are not created equal - for example, service level agreements and lease arrangements vary significantly. Some of the critical success factors are outlined elsewhere in the 'Transformation Challenge'. It is acknowledged that some areas are more apt to maintain library services through volunteering and philanthropic donations - and, without a doubt, such operating models present significant challenges. But, local communities are best-placed to determine upon what basis they want or are able to maintain service provision. Hence, we offer support to communities exploring the full-range of models around the country at this time.

Where communities seek to take responsibility for managing a local library service, Locality wants to provide the support and guidance that best enables that service to become sustainable in the long-run, so that the service continues to be of benefit to the community seeking to maintain it.

Useful Information for Volunteer-led Community Libraries:

In terms of governance, there is a plethora of guidance about how best to structure and sustain an organisation. A good starting point is: charity commission guidance

A somewhat dated but useful background on volunteering in the cultural sector: Cultural volunteering research

In terms of volunteer recruitment and deployment, best practice guidance can be found here Good practice in volunteering