The Reality of Voluntary Work in University Libraries: A Case Study of the Central Library of Imam Abdul Rahman bin Faisal University

Abstract

The study aimed to identify volunteer work in the Central Library in Al-Rayyan, where the case study approach was relied upon to describe the phenomenon, relying on a main tool, which is the checklist for collecting and interpreting data from the point of view of the researchers. The checklist was divided into 15 questions, each question aimed at achieving the goals that it seeks. The study reached several results, including: the diversity of volunteer opportunities for university employees in various library departments, limiting library volunteering to educational volunteering and no other sectors of volunteer work, adopting the national platform for volunteer work, good planning for volunteer work, and providing the volunteer with many skills. Communication, cooperation, and investment of time. When activating volunteer work, the library faces many challenges to achieve its goals. The study came out with several recommendations, including: opening volunteer fields for all specializations at the university and in various sectors, announcing the policies that govern volunteer work, and conducting studies aimed at measuring the impact of volunteer work on development. Self-skills and capabilities from the volunteers’ point of view.