2018: the first full year as a hybrid library
It's the end of our first full calendar year as a hybrid library. 2018 has been a very busy year and our volunteers do an awful lot more than just stamping books.
Here are the different ways in which the volunteers, with support from the Volunteer Coordinator, have been involved in the library this year:
In 2018 our Library Volunteers have given almost 3500 hours to Baildon Library! Since we became a hybrid library in June 2017, 3 of our volunteers have contributed over 200 hours each and one has given over 300 hours of their time!
A Facebook Page has been set up to promote activities and events to the wider community.
Storytime sessions on Thursdays are run exclusively by a team of volunteers. 15-20 children regularly come along to join in the fun!
Book Promotions/ Displays and Decorations in the library – a group of creative volunteers have developed displays throughout the year including: Christmas, Halloween, gardening, Blind Date with a Book, Poet-tree, Shakespeare, family history, crime reading month, Remembrance Sunday.
Family History Drop-in Sessions have been set up and run by 6 experienced volunteers. The free sessions are open to all members of the public who are researching their family history or would like to start. 8 took place in 2018 and more are planned for 2019.
The Baildon Library History Archive consists of photographs, newspaper cuttings, flyers, posters and other artefacts. A group of volunteers have been working alongside Tish Lawson from the Local History Society to index all of the items in 2018. Work will continue on this in 2019 with the aim of displaying interesting parts of the collection to the local community.
The Summer Reading Challenge was successfully delivered by all staff and volunteers. In 2018 there was a 16% increase in children undertaking the challenge and a massive 86% increase in children who completed it.
Re-structured Mezzanine Level: a team of volunteers worked very hard in very hot conditions to move stock and remove bookcases to create a wonderful large, open space for people to sit, read, meet and study in.
Stock Control – volunteers worked with a Bradford Libraries development worker to remove old and tatty stock from shelves in the library to make way for new stock delivered in the summer.
In 2018, Baildon Town Council and the volunteers have supported the following charities:
- Food bank collection for St Hughs Community Centre;
- Collections for the Red Box Project Bradford;
- Ran a successful coffee morning and raised £236.77 for Macmillan Cancer Support.
Our volunteers are a dedicated bunch. In addition, to providing excellent customer service to library users, they also:
- took part in additional training (relating to the role, dementia awareness, summer reading challenge);
- attended Annual Reviews with the Volunteer Coordinator;
- went on a Team Visit to visit volunteers at Rawdon Community Library to learn more about how they work and the activities and events that they deliver;
- visited other libraries when on holiday or out of town and report back good ideas and suggestions for how we can improve our service;
- came along to a Christmas Fuddle and Quiz in the library to get together and celebrate the season!
Baildon Town Council have also invested in the following for the library:
- New comfy chairs and coffee tables throughout the library;
- A sofa and beanbags for the children's area;
- A globe and new large activity cube for the children's area;
- A CD player, CDs and small beanbags for storytime activities;
- A display unit for book promotions;
- Large, framed book posters to go on the library walls;
- New coffee cups for the book group.
