The estimated dollar value of volunteer time and talent in 2008 was $20.25 per hour. This figure doesn’t include the intangibles, such as good will, which are invaluable and difficult to quantify. For example, volunteers also demonstrate the level of support an organization has within a community, according to a report on the Independent Sector website (www.independentsector.org). Until recently, I’d never given this much thought. I had done my share of volunteering for a variety of organizations, either as a pastime or as a form of community service. However, it was brought home to me when I learned that volunteers at the Como Park Zoo & Conservatory in St. Paul, Minnesota, where I had once served as a regular, seasonal volunteer for the park’s Japanese Garden, had contributed 50, 158 hours of time and talent in 2008, at an estimated dollar value of over $978,602.
Organizations benefit from the efforts of their volunteers, but what’s in it for the volunteer? A recent article in the Michigan Chronicle cited a University of California research project that found retirees who volunteered experienced fewer health risks than those of their non-volunteering peers. At the other end of the spectrum, young people are encouraged to volunteer in order to hone their social skills, explore potential careers and acquire new skill sets. These endeavors may lead to new friendships, both social and professional and capabilities which might be parlayed into relevant career competencies.
Volunteering is one of the simplest ways to give back to a community that has nurtured us and to ensure a better tomorrow. According to a report published by the Corporation for National & Community Service, Volunteering in America: 2007 State Trends and Rankings in Civic Life, Americans are making more time to improve their community through service.” Volunteerism exists on college campuses, in service organizations, and through religious communities.
Although, in the past, volunteering had been a rewarding experience for me, I have always managed to squeeze it into the cracks of my professional life and personal responsibilities. Over the last few months, as I considered the next step in my professional career, I had been reluctant to embrace my downtown. I conscientiously followed the advice proscribed in professional journals, newspaper columns and blogs regarding what one should do during the time it takes for the economy to settle:
I have remained connected to my profession by attending two library conferences, one local and one national, coordinating a presentation at the national conference, and attending various local library association meetings, professional development opportunities and information provider-sponsored product presentations. My continuing legal education requirements have been completed for this year, and for a good portion of next year. I have audited a class on web development and investigated course offerings at local colleges. I read current professional literature. I have re-connected with friends and tackled home projects. I have contemplated joining a gym or enrolling in a yoga class. All of these endeavors provided me with some minor sense of satisfaction. With the exception of the housework and exercise, all these tasks were undertaken with the vigor of the quasi-type A personality which personifies librarians.
As a whole, those of us who embrace the U.S. work ethic, have identified strongly with our careers and have tended to measure our self worth against our profession or accomplishments. Like many other law librarians of leisure, I had under estimated the recovery time of our economy. Being “at leisure” has been difficult for a generation which has never embraced the concept of “waiting” as part of its responsibilities. We’ve been forced to re-evaluate this concept, while at the same time balancing our self-perception, re-prioritizing, re-evaluating our skills and pursuing career opportunities. Those who find themselves at leisure have been encouraged to pursue things they have never done. Becoming a volunteer is a logical segue.
My community service began somewhat passively, as a way to spend time during my hiatus. I attended two fund-raising events, which simply necessitated that I “show up.” Both events included a “suggested” donation and both were meant to provide, in return, an opportunity for social networking. One, in particular, provided the possibility of meeting a potential employer. Although no employment has resulted from these events, I met and mingled with peers. I enjoyed getting out and seeing people. These events permitted me to put myself “out there,” tell friends and new acquaintances that I was looking for a job and to remind others that I was still available.
I also participated in the “occasional” volunteering opportunity. I assisted with two rummage sales; one was held by my church and one by a service club of which I was not a member. Another time, I teamed with friends to “Feed My Starving Children” by packaging food for poverty-stricken countries. Although these opportunities qualified as job-seeking activities with regard to unemployment benefits, they were mostly social in nature. Nevertheless, these efforts not only provided a benefit, they were also good for my soul.
I yearned to volunteer on a regular basis and develop a more lasting connection to one, single organization. I was fortunate in finding a situation which, while unlikely to lead to employment, will compliment my resume and permit me to enhance and maintain my librarian skills. I contacted the woman who had been my supervisor when I had volunteered at Como Park Zoo and Conservatory. She had moved to the local history center and claimed be delighted that I wanted to work with her again.
Initially, I worked as a proofreader for the Minnesota Historical Society Press on their digital conversion project. I was able to skim / read books. How great is that? Furthermore, my new supervisor had been forced to reduce her staff and thus was very sensitive to my feelings. Eventually, I took on other projects, including one which comprised of interviewing visitors to a specific exhibit at the History Museum. This project led to another which involved entering the data from the interviews. The benefits I have derived have enriched my life in unexpected ways.
These “regular” opportunities have provided me with some structure. Although advice to those of us “at leisure” has been to develop a schedule and to treat our leisure time as we would a work day, I, not unlike many of my peers, have struggled with this. The majority of my projects have been discrete tasks, which give me both a sense of accomplishment and closure. Furthermore, volunteering has permitted me to meet new and interesting people. I now have a bit more time in which to interact with them and permit them to tell me their stories. My self worth has been restored, in part, as my supervisors have expressed approval and appreciation.
In addition, volunteering has even given me a chance to hone my skills and possibly to prepare myself for my next job. My proofreading has reinforced my skills regarding “attention to detail.” My data collection (i.e., asking individuals to complete a short survey), has permitted me sharpen my “reference interview” skills, including patience, timing and, to some extent, behavior modification. As a collateral benefit, I have learned much about Minnesota’s history and have made news friends. Volunteering has allowed me to feel as if I am giving back to my community. I challenge anyone to try it for themselves.
Susan Catterall recently coordinated “Charting a New Course Mid-Career,” a program presented at the AALL annual conference, aimed at librarians who are exploring changes in their career paths. She has worked in private and academic law libraries as well as public libraries. In addition to a Master in Library Science degree, she has earned a J.D., an M.P.A. and a B.A. in art history. Susan Catterall has lectured, taught, written and is currently a law librarian of leisure.
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Excellent article!