Museums and volunteers
The Year of Volunteering – Hungarian and international experience
MúzeumCafé 26.
The UN declared 2001 as the International Year of Volunteering and now ten years later in a symbolic manner the EU has similarly designated 2011 as a year to highlight the role of volunteers, stressing in particular the concept of active citizenship. Examining museum websites you find an increasing number of requests for volunteers to undertake certain tasks. The Hungarian Geography Museum, for example, is looking for volunteers interested in geography for its specialist library; the Ludwig Museum recruited volunteers to help with setting up the installation of its Yona Friedman retrospective, which opened in October. Mention can also be made of the volunteer web pages hosted by the Fine Arts Museum in Budapest and the Open-Air Village Museum in Szentendre (the most organised museums). They seek volunteers to help, for example, on the information desk, or with arranging activities for children, or giving language assistance for audio guides and even with gardening or help in the museum shop. German-language websites prove to be even better, with volunteer exchanges, handbooks, studies and offers of work experience. Fortunately, the use and appreciation of volunteers on the part of Hungarian museums seems to be on the increase. Perhaps that’s not surprising as it’s worth assimilating good practice to help mould the given institution’s self-image and to exchange experience. At the same time, it doesn’t do any harm to acknowledge that volunteer work isn’t entirely cost-free. It doesn’t function all on its own but requires a significant amount of organisation. In the long run retaining volunteer resources can become a key factor in sustaining institutions.