Library Volunteer Corps

I just spent four hours keying misspelled terms into a search engine we’re evaluating to see how well it does. I may be rooned for lyfe. (Note: because vendors may be reading my blog, I’m not using any of the terms used in our evaluation.)

I really shouldn’t be keyboarding during my lunch break–it would be better to take a tip from Walt Underwood and water the roses (or perhaps that should be watter the roases)–but I feel like riffing on Leslie Burger’s explanation of the Library Corps program, which I know has had mixed response from working librarians.

I’m very divided on this issue. I think it’s all in the implementation–and that’s unclear from Leslie’s discussion, but I think she’s inviting discussion and engagement, which is wonderful, is it not?

On the one hand, I like the idea of making it easier for librarians who are perhaps not so bold as I am to reach out to their peers for “short term assistance from someone who could help them diagnose some organizational problems, recommend new technology, assist with staff development, help with physical improvements, etc. etc.” This is what I did for MPOW’s budget issue (and Leslie, by the way, was one of the librarians who quickly reached out to me). I either contacted people directly, or asked friends, advisory board members, my fiscal agent, people I knew slightly or well: Who should I be talking to?

I am still humbled by the librarians (and sometimes consultants, past, present, or future) who have set aside time to freely give me leads, ideas, warnings, suggestions, tips, and lessons-learned. Sometimes the assistance was simply in the form of commiseration or a bit of championing–but often that sympathy email or phone call or IM arrived just when I had sunk the lowest. Quite often the advice was seasoned, astute, and consonant with the majority.

So let’s count that as a strong argument FOR a volunteer corps.

But I do think such a corps needs boundaries and some reality checks. Most “retired librarians” are not the first people I’d reach out to “recommend new technology.” If someone had been consulting in that area post-retirement, that would be persuasive; but then we’d be talking about asking a consultant to work for free–which is fine, but not exactly in line with the initial proposal. If someone is truly retired, it’s unlikely (though not impossible) that he or she would be up to speed on “new technology” and its myriad implementation issues within libraries.

This isn’t to diminish the world knowledge of retired librarians. I think about my military experience. When I left the Air Force in 1991, it was largely an analog organization. I wouldn’t venture to offer any expertise to the DOD (not that a request for my talents is likely to be forthcoming), at least in areas that are touched on by technology–and think of how many areas those are these days.

So consider that a big “yes, but.”

On the other hand, I can see retired librarians helping with “organizational problems.” Management produces the same classic problems. Never mind Library 2.0: put yourself in my seat the day I had to tell a library worker (not in MPOW, please!) that she was, ah, odiferous. Strongly odiferous. It is easier to fire someone than it is to have that discussion. (Actually, in MPOW, I think I may be odiferous many days, but who’s to know?)

Another vote “for,” then.

I notice that Leslie has throttled back from the “retired librarian” emphasis in earlier descriptions of the program, and that’s good. But it raises another issue. Part of the challenge of using volunteers is ensuring that the volunteer assistance corps is appropriately skilled. Leslie’s example of “Doctors Without Borders” rang a bell, because doctors not only have medical degrees but have to remain certified in their specialties. This initiative would bog down quickly if it required certification training–but at the very least, a c.v. and references for each volunteer would be in order. I hope this initiative puts the emphasis on quality control, and encourages librarians to think as carefully about “free” assistance as they do about paid consulting.

In any event, I take it that Leslie is soliciting widespread feedback on this project… and that’s the best part of her initiative! What do you think?