Library volunteers at RHS gardens

Library volunteers at the RHS gardens are managed by the Wisley Library staff. Volunteers play a major role in each of the libraries at RHS gardens. The Garden Libraries at Rosemoor , Hyde Hall , and Harlow Carr are operated entirely by teams of volunteers. At Wisley, the garden libraries' headquarters, there are 25 volunteers who help on a wide range of projects and tasks and who contribute enormously with the overall smooth functioning of Wisley and the Garden Libraries.

Library volunteers at Hyde Hall, Harlow Carr and Rosemoor help visitors to find the answer to enquiries. Information requested can be on plant details, pruning and propagation information, information on societies, garden history and design.

The volunteers make sure that the books are kept in order on the shelves, and that journals are arriving regularly. Volunteers also explore the library stock to find out what information is contained in the books on the shelves, the new books and the journals. At each Garden Library a Volunteer Librarian leads the rest of the volunteers. The Volunteer Librarians report directly to the RHS Gardens Librarian (based at Wisley).

People who are interested in becoming a Library volunteer working in one of the Garden Libraries need only enjoy the subject of gardening, have an enquiring mind and a desire to help people. Full training will be given. Usually Garden Library volunteers work in pairs: weekday volunteers work one session each week and weekend volunteers work either one session each fortnight or one session each month.

We are currently actively seeking volunteers to work in the new Rosemoor Garden Library.

At Wisley Library volunteers can contribute in many ways, such as:

• Labelling and jacketing books
• Repairing books, and conservation work
• In-house binding
• Data entry and other IT functions
• Sorting books and putting in order
• Sorting, listing and filing nursery catalogues
• Filing generally
• Working on the Oral History Project
• Helping with background research
• Helping visitors find the information they require
• Typing/word processing
• Shelf-checking
• Helping with the periodicals and RHS Collection
• Helping with leaflet production and folding
• Helping with duplicate book sales

Although we like to give volunteers the jobs they find the most interesting, we particularly need volunteers who are flexible and who are prepared to do routine jobs as well as the more interesting work. Most volunteers do a mixture of the two.

Our volunteers enjoy working as part of a team, some like to make use of their work experiences and others to develop new skills. Several of the library's very first volunteers are still with us today, and some have made the jump to becoming staff members. We are most grateful for their time, commitment, and enthusiasm.

To work at Wisley or one of the Garden Libraries, contact the Coordinator of Library Volunteers, (RHS Garden Wisley, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB) or e-mail: library.wisley@rhs.org.uk

All RHS Libraries are part of the world-famous Lindley Library

Volunteering for the RHS

More information on RHS gardens