Operating Volunteer Work in Gamla Linköping

Working with Volunteer associations is both fun and stimulating, but can also be a challenge, especially if it is an old association that, for many years, has been linked to a museum. As in other countries, it used to be a tradition in Sweden that when a museum was built, an association of museum friends was also started. The association would nurture and maintain the museum collections and keep the museum open on weekends and for various events.

The advantages of such Friends’ groups and the volunteers are that they help to keep the museum open and alive. Many of the members have a level of expertise and practical experience of working in the environment relevant to the museum; knowledge that ordinary staff often lack. Their help also enables the museum to offer that little extra which is so important for a good visitor experience.

In Gamla Linköping we work with both associations and volunteers who have signed up as individuals. There are 18 different associations connected to Gamla Linköping in one way or another of which 10 are more or less active. These include all types of groups, from the Printing Museum, which is open all year round and pays rent, producing its own exhibitions, and manufacturing its products to help to pay the rent; to associations which see the open-air museum as a headquarters, which will ensure that they can run their own museum.(not quite sure what this means? Rephrase if this is correct : to associations who, without the infrastructure of an established museum, would be unable to run their own museum.

The members of the associations are often elderly and it can be difficult to recruit new members. This presents a problem with continuity and the preservation of the skills and traditions, and the obvious risk that one association after another eventually will have to close down. Young people are happy to help for shorter periods during events, such as the Christmas Market, but then they disappear again. It is clear that, if we want to continue to work with volunteers, we have to change and adapt our volunteer activities to suit and benefit the younger audience better.

Working with old associations which have existed for a long time at the museum, it is important to create a balance between the interests of the various association members and the museum's policy to be there for the public and to be as accessible as possible, which can sometimes lead to some disagreement.

We have learned a lot over the years and here are some aspects to consider:

• If you want to have a functioning organization of volunteers, you can expect it to involve time and resources from the regular staff
• It is advantageous if there is a gathering place or meeting room for the volunteers to gather in
• If you are going to start a group of volunteers, it is of the utmost importance to think through what you want the group to do and establish clear guidelines regarding projects, tasks and associated roles and responsibilities
• It is also important that the loyalty of the association is to the museum and not only the group itself

In Gamla Linköping, we have drawn up a contract that every volunteer must sign. Please follow the link to see an example:
Agreement for volunteers in Gamla Linköping Open-Air Museum pdf, 47.3 kB.