A new report has warned that England’s public libraries face mounting workforce and infrastructure pressures as volunteering continues to expand.
Volunteering in Public Libraries, published today by Libraries Connected, highlights the scale of volunteer involvement, with over a third of services managing 100 or more volunteers.
While satisfaction among volunteers is high, the report stresses that this growth places significant demands on paid staff responsible for recruitment, training and coordination.
According to the findings, 71% of library services identify lack of staff time as their biggest challenge in managing volunteers, while 60% point to administrative burden.
Although most services have volunteer management policies in place, many report insufficient capacity to provide consistent support. The report also flags risks linked to over-reliance on volunteers, unclear role boundaries and uneven training opportunities.
Libraries Connected chief executive, Isobel Hunter, said sustained investment in staffing, training and infrastructure is essential to ensure volunteering enhances rather than strains modern library services.
