I felt fortunate to be able to visit Vleuten Public Library this September because it was very nearly closed last year. It was only saved by strong community support and a willingness to compromise on the part of the public and the library system.
Some context
Historically an independent village, Vleuten became a suburb of the city of Utrecht in 2001. Although the former village maintained its own library for about a decade, their branch was recently put on the municipal chopping-block with the understanding that local residents would be able to use the newer and much larger branch in a neighbouring suburb. However, the local decision makers soon discovered that they had underestimated community support. When the dust settled, the library was spared from closure BUT would no longer operate as a regular branch. What changed?
The compromise
Under the new system…
- The branch was moved from its own designated building to a new, smaller space within the local municipal service centre
- Its staff was cut to one part-timer
- It lost 40% of its collection
- It was forced to stop offering periodicals and public computer access
- The opening hours were substantially extended
The library was able to extend its opening hours despite the other cuts because it moved to a new model of library management. The new system relies heavily on volunteers and technology to perform tasks which have traditionally required a trained staff member.
The library now occupies this corner of the local Wijkservicecentrum
At the time of my visit the volunteer was an out-of-work library technician with experience in special libraries. She explained that volunteers perform many key duties in the library, such as shelving, answering questions from the public, and offering assistance with self checkout. The part-time paid library staff member works three afternoons per week. Only she is able to issue new cards, pull holds from the shelves and offer programs.
While it was wonderful to hear about the community’s response to the library closure, I find myself unable to see the town’s solution in a solely positive light. It was particularly difficult to hear from a job seeker that this experimental model is being watched by municipal authorities who hope to make similar changes in other locales. Although the dedication of the Vleuten library volunteers is stirring, I can’t help but agree with the New Zealand Library and Information Association’s Statement on Voluntary Workers
– the best quality of library services is achieved through the use of paid and trained staff.
The Roving Librarian 