As a volunteer at the Madelyn Helling Library in Nevada County for the past four and a half years, I am very concerned with possible outsourcing of our county libraries.

Reading the FAQ's posted on the library's Web page, I am not satisfied with a lot of the answers. I know we are in a tough economic climate, but I don't understand how outsourcing will solve the problems. Cutting staff hours and pay will not make the library run more efficiently.

I, along with other volunteers, take offense at the statement in the FAQ “volunteers don't reduce operating costs.” I suggest that all library volunteers take off the same week so the private company realizes what we do and the county sees what they may lose! I know in the last year volunteer hours equate to approximately 2.10 full-time employees at this library alone.

The library is one of the ways I give back to our community. Volunteering to help a profit-making corporation, to me, is not community service. Count me out as a volunteer if privatization happens; I'll find another nonprofit that will be as thrilled with my hours as our local library.

Myrna Wood

Nevada City