2019: the year we really found our stride
It's the end of our second calendar year as a hybrid library. 2019 has once again been an eventful year - all thanks to the contributions of our fabulous team of volunteers.
Here are the different ways in which the volunteers, with support from the Volunteer Coordinator, have been involved in the library this year.
We have a team of 42 volunteers who regularly volunteer in the library. During 2019 our Library Volunteers have given over 3000 hours of their time to Baildon Library! Since we became a hybrid library in 2017, 11 of our volunteers have contributed over 200 hours each, 6 have given over 300 hours of their time, and one has given over 400 hours.
Storytime sessions on Thursdays are run by our volunteers, Jill McDougall and Jane Bowdery, who are joined weekly by up to 30 under 5 year olds for stories, songs and crafts. In June 2019 they were shortlisted for a Rhyme Challenge Award from Bradford Libraries following their fabulous work delivering the Rhyme Challenge sessions at Baildon Library earlier in the year.
Our Book Promotions and Displays have been created by our talented and creative volunteer, Rosie Prentice, throughout the year. She spends a lot of time selecting and ordering in books to complement the range of displays, as well as creating the eye-catching decorations in the library.
We also created a new mural of the Solar System in the children's area for the Summer Reading Challenge. The theme for 2019 was Space Chase to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the lunar landing.
Family History Drop-in Sessions continue to be run by our team of experienced volunteers, Rosemary Cole, Isobel Fairburn, Jill Hirst and Linda Brannan with support from Family History expert, Tish Lawson. The free sessions are open to all library users who are researching their family history or would like to start. 11 drop-ins took place in 2019 and more are planned for next year.
The Baildon Library History Archive consists of photographs, newspaper cuttings, flyers, posters and other artefacts from Baildon. Volunteers, Rosemary Cole and Paul Robinson, have been working alongside Tish and Mike Lawson from the Local History Society to index the items during the last 2 years. Items from the collections have been displayed in the glass-topped cabinet purchased by Baildon Town Council throughout the year.
Art Collection: A team of volunteers, Rosie Prentice, Rosemary Cole, Paul Robinson and Jane Oldroyd, spent many hours during 2019 working on the Art Collection that is currently based at Baildon Library. They ensured that the stock was properly catalogued on the database, and cleaned and re-jacketed all books that needed it.
The intention was to then promote this to Bradford Library users, however, work on this project is now on hold due to the impending closure of Ian Clough Hall and the removal of the Art Collection to new premises.
We continue to keep library users up-to-date about our activities by using social media. The Facebook page was set up in 2018 and a Twitter account in 2019. To follow us, click on these links:
In 2019 Baildon Town Council and the volunteers have supported the following charities:
- Shipley Area School Uniform Bank;
- Food bank donations for the St Hughs Centre, Baildon;
- Collections for the Red Box Project Bradford;
- Macmillan Cancer Support - a successful coffee morning raised £216.
Baildon Town Council have also collaborated with a range of organisations to run the following activities in the library:
- A Cyber Awareness Session led by West Yorkshire Police for parents of children who use social media or online gaming (January 2019);
- A free Children's Book Swap during the February half term school holidays followed by a free Book Giveaway in March in collaboration with Baildon Imagination Library;
- Power of Water: an exhibition of photographs related to the floods which hit the local area in December 2016 that were previously on display at Salts Mill.
As well as setting up a new Craft & Chat group that meets fortnightly on Friday mornings in the library. Click on the link below for further information.
In September 2019, Baildon Town Council asked Baildon Library users to complete a short questionnaire to:
- inform library users that Bradford Council will be cutting a further £1m from Bradford Libraries in 2020/21;
- advise library users that this reduction in funding will have a significant impact on all libraries in Bradford, including Baildon;
- ask them to tell us how they use Baildon Library and what it means to them.
In 3 weeks, we received a fantastic 680 responses (382 electronic forms were submitted online and 298 paper copies).
To read the results, please click on the following links:
