Volunteering in museums, libraries and archives

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Volunteering in museums, libraries and archives
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Introduction

• Introduction to MLA London
• Volunteering facts and figures
• Volunteering in practice
• How MLA London supports volunteering

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MLA London and theMLA Partnership

• The Museums Libraries and Archives Council (MLA)
  and the nine Regional Agencies have now joined
  forces as the MLA Partnership
• MLA is funded by DCMS and core funds the nine RAs
  to deliver on shared objectives to a single
  corporate plan
• MLA London maintains a regional focus

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MLA Partnerships aims

• Increase and sustain participation
• Put museums, libraries and archives at the heart
  of national, regional and local life
• Establish a world class and sustainable sector
  and put it on the best footing for the future
• Lead sector strategy and policy development

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• Isobel Siddons
• MLA London

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MLA Londons remit

• MLA London works with
• 250 museums
• 600 archives
• 1500 libraries
• Our key focus is on the non-Nationals and
  organisations offering a level of public access
  to their collections

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The wider picture

• Research commissioned by MLA from Institute for
  Volunteering Research 2005
• National sample, with regional analysis across
  museums, libraries and archives
• Update of research in 2001

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Facts and figures London

• 80 museums, libraries archives have volunteers
• 7 totally volunteer-run
• Average 22 hours per institution per week
• Most offer induction, expenses and training
• Half of respondents said they needed more
  volunteers

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A closer look London
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What do volunteers do?

• Anything! For example
• Governance and administration
• Fund-raising
• Specialist tasks e.g. cataloguing, excavation,
  preservation
• Front-of-house, including warding, guiding and
  running shop

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Perceived barriers

• Lack of specific volunteer manager
• Lack of time
• Worries about job substitution
• Recruitment difficulties
• Not enough funding to recruit and manage

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Volunteering at Kew Bridge Steam Museum

• We couldn't manage without volunteers.
• Without them, we would only be able to open
  two days a week, rather than our current six, and
  would not be able to run our steam engines every
  weekend.
• Lesley Bossine, Director Kew Bridge Steam Museum

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Volunteering at Kew Bridge Steam Museum

• Typical day has 10 volunteers
• Treated as part of core workforce
• Recruited via direct contact, volunteer bureaux,
  do-it.org.uk
• Volunteer info on front page of website
• Opportunities created to fit needs of volunteers
• Volunteers develop new skills, and use existing
  ones
• Retains volunteers for many years

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London Archaeological Archive Resource Centre

• Located in Hackney. Part of Museum of London
• Records and artefacts from 5,000 digs
• Recruited wide age range of volunteers 15-87
  years old
• Volunteers opened up archive by sorting
  collections and putting information on website
• Won prestigious 10,000 Award for Care of
  Collections 2005

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Womens Library

• Employs 10-15 volunteers
• Recruits via university advertising, Friends
  Group, word of mouth, website
• Wide range of roles audience development,
  guiding, preservation
• Training given
• Wide age range, including students and retired
  people

• Volunteers are very important to us

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Preservation volunteers at Womens Library

• Preservation project funded by MLA London

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MLA London supporting volunteering

• We aim to increase volunteering in museums,
  libraries and archives. Why?
• Expands basis of workforce route for recruiting
  more diversely
• Roots us in our communities
• Provides invaluable expertise

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Tackling the barriers

• Foster positive attitude towards volunteers case
  studies
• Programmes to recruit and retain more diverse
  volunteer workforce, including via local
  volunteer bureau
• Training in volunteer management
• Offer subsidised places on our training days for
  volunteers

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What we have done so far

• Change-up funding for
• Increase engagement of museums with voluntary
  sector support
• Conference in March 2006
• Museums development officers to build links with
  CVS and local volunteer centres

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Contact details

• Isobel Siddons
• 0207 549 1701
• Isobel.siddons_at_mlalondon.org.uk
• MLA London
• Fourth Floor
• 53-56 Great Sutton Street
• London EC1V 0DG
• www.mlalondon.org.uk