Volunteering Policy

Archives and Special Collections  

Volunteering Policy 

Contents 

1. Introduction 

2. Aims and objectives 

3. Principles of good practice 

4. Recruitment and selection 

5. Volunteer tasks 

6. Training and development opportunities 

7. Health and Safety 

8. Expenses 

9. Insurance 

10. Contact 

 

Document Control
File Name	Archives and Special Collections Volunteering Policy
Original Author(s)	Head of Archives and Special Collections
Current Revision Author(s)	Archives and Special Collections Manager
Status	Approved by Collections and Cultural Affairs Task Group 19 December 2022.
Distribution	BU Digital Services
Authority	Archives and Special Collections

 

 

Version	Date	Author(s)	Notes on Revisions
0.1	March 2016	Head of Archives and Special Collections	Approved June 2016
0.2	June 2016	N/A	Policy was Equality Impact Assessed by Gwawr Griffiths
0.3	April 2019	Archives and Special Collections Manager	Reviewed – no changes made
0.4	April 2022	Manager of the Archives and Special Collections	Revised to reflect BU’s Strategy 2030 and to clarify that students and community members can volunteer. Also, reference is made to the option of remote working from home and the Conservation Induction Checklist

 
 
Review date : April 2025 

 

1. Introduction 
    

A volunteer is a person who undertakes voluntary work on behalf of the Archives and Special Collections through choice, with no contract of employment and without expectation of financial remuneration 

The Archives and Special Collections has benefited considerably from the services of volunteers and individuals on work placement/experience over the years and wishes to maintain its current good level of volunteer support. The latter are a valued resource which complement and add to the work of office staff. The Archives and Special Collections wishes to support and encourage volunteers and to foster a mutually beneficial environment where both parties gain from the relationship. We hope also that volunteering at the Archives and Special Collections will provide a rewarding and enjoyable experience. 

The Archives and Special Collections is a small office and works under considerable space constraints in its current premises. It also has no dedicated space for volunteers meaning that volunteers and paid staff would need to occupy the same working areas. Volunteers can also present a considerable challenge to the Archives and Special Collections team in terms of the staff time necessitated for supervision and management. Therefore, careful consideration must be given to how many volunteers we can accept at any one time. We would also need to discuss the exact terms on which any volunteering session is commenced in order that both the volunteer and the Archives and Special Collections respectively are clear about its duration and content. 

2. Aims and objectives 

Offering voluntary work opportunities to BU students and members of the community at the Archive and Special Collections, will assist Bangor University to achieve some of its key strategic priorities as highlighted in BU’s Strategy 2030, namely to provide  

• an excellent student experience by continuing to support student volunteering activities to promote engagement between students and the community contributing towards a Wales of cohesive communities 

• a thriving Welsh language and bilingual environment by strengthening our relationship with communities throughout north Wales 

 
Our main aims are : 

• to establish a framework for recruiting, supporting and managing volunteers 

• provide guidance and direction to staff and volunteers 

• to recognise that the purpose of voluntary work is to contribute to the work of the Archives and Special Collections and not to replace the work of paid staff 

 

3. Principles of good practice 
    

• policy and procedures on volunteers will be monitored and reviewed regularly 

• priority tasks for volunteers will be identified regularly 

• training needs for volunteers will be identified regularly 

 

4. Recruitment and selection 
    

• Bangor University Archives and Special Collections aims to recruit volunteers from all sections of the community 

• Equal opportunities principles will be adhered to when recruiting volunteers 

• Placements will be for a probationary 28 day period 

• Recruitment of volunteers will be carried out through on-line / printed advertisements and informal contact within the existing user community. 

• All prospective volunteers will be interviewed to discuss their skills, roles and expectations 

 
5. Volunteer tasks 

It is our aim to provide all volunteers with a varied programme of activities, based on their abilities and skills. Where possible, every attempt will also be made to tailor the work according to the interests of the volunteer. Tasks that can be carried out remotely by our volunteers will also be offered with regular meetings held online or in person to monitor progress. 

Tasks allocated to volunteers fall under the following categories :  

Conservation and collection care 

• Cleaning and packaging of documents 

• Re-boxing and labelling of collections 

• Creation of custom made archival folders 

 

Listing of material  

• Basic listing work under the direction of a suitably qualified professional archivist 

• Typing of historical cataloguing slips into word table 

• Data inputting into excel spreadsheet of historical paper catalogues for uploading onto CALM database by staff. 

 

Marketing and promotion 

• Assisting during open days, public lectures etc. 

• Creating content for webpages and social media 

• Creating promotional material e.g. posters / leaflets 

 

Answering queries and research work 

• Answering simple queries relating to the archival collections 

• Conducting research in preparation for future exhibitions or promotional material 

 

Administrative 

• Photocopying and scanning of documents 

• Scanning of historical files relating to accessioning of material 

• Gathering of statistical information 

 

6. Training and development opportunities 
    

• All volunteers will have to attend induction training providing them with an overview of the department – our work and the types of collections that we hold as well as Health and Safety issues such as manual handling and basic conservation information (see Conservation Induction Checklist) 

• Volunteers involved in basic listing work will be provided with an introduction to our cataloguing policy and our in-house cataloguing guidelines.  

• Volunteers involved in cleaning and packaging of documents will be trained by archival staff who have attended NCS training session on cleaning and packaging. 

• A member of staff will be appointed to supervise and set work for the volunteer 

• Any work produced will be the property of Bangor University Archives 

 

7. Health and Safety 
    

Volunteers will not be placed in situations that will put their health and safety, or that of others at risk. Volunteers must comply with the University Health and Safety Policy requirements 

8. Expenses  
    

The Archives and Special Collections is not able to pay travel expenses (between home and the Archives and Special Collections) or subsistence to anyone working as a volunteer. 

9. Insurance 
    

Volunteers will be indemnified against third party claims under the University’s Public Liability Insurance while carrying out their duties. 

10. Contact  
     

Anyone interested in volunteering at the Archives and Special Collections is requested to complete a  Volunteer Enquiry Form (available online and at the Archives and Special Collections) and return it in person or by email archives@bangor.ac.uk