In 1983, Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium and
Institute of Popular Science started a very aggressive
volunteer program [although there had always been some
volunteers from the beginning of the institution in
1939].

In the beginning, the idea was to try to reduce the
need for additional staff by using volunteers for
pretty-much the same work. This was not terribly
successful, as volunteers could not match the value of
a paid staff person for such things as schedule
reliability and availability.

However, we found that a lot of valuable people were
attracted to the Buhl Planetarium Volunteer Program,
particularly students, senior citizens [often retired
from a science or related profession], and middle-aged
people who were often science professionals. Some of
the "best and brightest" students in the Greater
Pittsburgh area became a Buhl Volunteer.

For instance, one teen-age volunteer from the 1980s is
now a physician and medical researcher at the
prestigious Mayo Clinic!

Volunteers come to an institution wanting to help.
But, as a volunteer, they are only certain things that
they are willing to do. If you try to have them do
something they are not interested in, they will often
leave.

Further, you must have something for them to do,
whenever they volunteer, so they do not feel they are
wasting their time. So, planning is essential for a
volunteer program. Again, if they think they are
wasting their time, they will simply leave.

Volunteer management, as with the management of any
staff, is an art. However, you have to be more
diplomatic with volunteers, as you are persuading them
to help you in a certain way. Actually, this is
probably the most successful way to manage any staff
member. I have always thought that anyone, who manages
any staff, should be required to manage volunteers
first.

We did have one instance when a long-time volunteer
interviewed for a paid position. The management was
hesitant to hire him, as he had been such a good
volunteer and this would leave a void in the volunteer
position. However, of course, they had to hire him,
otherwise they would have completely lost this
particular staff member. This is one of the problems
you may encounter in volunteer management.

I hope this information helps. Let me know if you have
any more specific questions.

gaw

--- Marilynn Havelka <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:
Date: Wed, 7 Sep 2005 16:48:04 -0500 
From: "Marilynn Havelka"
<[log in to unmask]> 
Subject: [MUSEUM-L] Use of volunteers vs staff 
To: [log in to unmask]

> I am interested in feedback from collegues on the
> use of volunteers vs
> hiring staff.
> If staff are hired does it discourage volunteer
> spirit /  how do volunteers
> feel about working side by side with staff who get
> paid for doing the same
> job / how you do define the "line" when staff should
> be hired to do the job
> etc etc etc...
> 
> If you have any experience or answers for these
> issues please respond.
> 
> Thank you...
> 
> Marilynn Havelka,
> Chief Administrative Officer
> Ruthven Park National Historic Site
> 243 Hwy. #54, Box 610, Cayuga, ON
> Canada N0A 1E0
> Tel: 905.772.0560
> Fax: 905.772.0561

gaw

Glenn A. Walsh
Electronic Mail - < [log in to unmask] > 
Author of History Web Sites on the Internet --
* Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh: 
  < http://www.planetarium.cc > 
* Adler Planetarium, Chicago: 
  < http://adlerplanetarium.tripod.com >
* Astronomer & Optician John A. Brashear: 
  < http://johnbrashear.tripod.com > 
* Andrew Carnegie & Carnegie Libraries: 
  < http://www.andrewcarnegie.cc > 
* Duquesne Incline cable-car railway, Pittsburgh: 
  < http://www.incline.cc >


	
		
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