老年人參與公共圖書館志願服務之研究：以臺北市立圖書館為例

Abstract

在現今高齡化社會中的老年人，由於積累了豐富的人生閱歷，如果參與志願服務活動，無論是對社會、機構，以及對志工本身而言都是一大福音；且公共圖書館對社區居民而言，一直是個靜謐卻又不可或缺的角色，兩者透過志願服務為媒介，在圖書館遇合、發酵，不但充實老年人的生活，也有助於公共圖書館的行政業務、讓推廣活動更形多元化，兩者相得益彰。 本研究為探尋公共圖書館老年志工參與志願服務之概況，以臺北市立圖書館老年志工為研究對象，從老年志工的角度出發，試圖探求老年志工最初參與志願服務的動機與目的、選擇進入公共圖書館服務的因素、參與志願服務情形（含訓練課程、服務歷程、持續服務的原因）等五項研究問題，並依據研究結果提出相關建議，以作為圖書館相關單位參考。 在研究方法及取向上，採質性研究半結構深度訪談法為主，其次輔以小型問卷取得研究對象之背景資料，以便與訪談結果互補，以俾對研究對象能有較完整全面性的了解，並能夠對研究問題進行客觀的詮釋，達到貼近老年志工參與志願服務的歷程及經驗，共計訪談三十名年齡在56至85歲的老年志工。研究結果歸納如次： 一、老年志工參與志願服務之初始動機 老年志工參與志願服務的初始動機共計二十一項，其中以打發時間占最多。研究者歸納為：受到圖書館特質吸引、基於回饋心理、增加人際互動、學習知識技能、滿足個人內在需求、環境因素之地理位置。 二、老年志工參與志願服務的目的 （一）利他目的：以協助服務機構為主，包括協助服務機構、幫助別人、引導孩子發展、回饋社會，其中較為特殊的項目為引導孩子發展、有參與的美好經驗等兩項，這是在文獻分析中沒有提及的。 （二）利己目的：以發揮所學專長為主，指出老年志工最想透過參與志願服務達到發揮所學專長，可知老年志工在參與服務之際，仍希望能將所學專長應用於社會上，其他目的依序為繼續學習成長、肯定志工價值、參與圖書館活動、打發時間、增加社會接觸、認識新朋友、方便借書和找書、增加生活重心、增加學習印象等十項。 三、老年志工選擇公共圖書館為服務機構的原因 （一）機構因素：服務內容、圖書館資源、志工管理、機構認同。 （二）環境因素之地理位置：指服務機構與住家之間的距離。 （三）時間因素：彈性運用時間、家庭規模、子女是否成年。 （四）個人因素：個人興趣、家人意見。 四、老年志工持續參與志願服務的原因 持續參與服務的原因共計十四項因素，依序包括服務及回饋心理、離家近、參與固定已成習慣、自己樂在其中、保持身體健康、契合自我興趣、打發時間、繼續學習成長、收獲很多、喜歡小孩、發揮專長、館員態度認真、做有意義的事情、喜歡機構環境，研究者將其分為表達社會責任、獲得學習機會、增加社會接觸、打發閒暇時間、節省通勤時間五類。 五、老年志工參與訓練課程及服務過程的情形 （一）老年志工參與訓練服務的困擾 老年志工對於參與訓練的回應以沒意見為主，對參與訓練課程的經驗上包括正面及負面經驗，其中以正面經驗較多；在負面經驗上，主要反應缺少課程資訊的來源管道、課程地點較遠、場地及座椅不便等，與課程內容無直接關係。 （二）老年志工在服務過程的學習經驗 在服務過程的經驗中主要包括正面及負面情緒，其中以負面情緒較多，進一步了解影響老年志工產生情緒的波動，皆源自於讀者。 依據研究結果，提出下列建議，以供未來相關志願服務機構參考： 一、人力規畫方面：建立老年人力資料庫、創造適合老年志工參與的方案。 二、志工管理方面：針對不同類型志工進行職前訓練、增加調查志工服務狀況、積極安排老年志工之間的互動機會、擴大館員與老年志工之間的交流、提供老年志工獲得課程資訊的多元管道、強化老年志工的退場機制。 三、圖書館活動及服務方面：增加與社區活動的聯繫、建立老年專區及增設老年特殊館藏、辦理圖書館利用及電腦教學課程。

While public libraries have been playing a quiet and indispensable role to community residents, with rich life experiences, the elderly of nowadays aging society add a valuable asset to the society, the organizations, as well as to the volunteers by their participation in voluntary services. Through volunteer services at public libraries, the unification of the two complements each other. In addition, it not only enriches the life of elderly people, but also brings diversity to public library activities. This study aims to explore the condition of elderly participation in voluntary services in public libraries. Subjects for this research have been chosen from the elderly volunteers of the Taipei Public Library. The research questions attempt to investigate and have findings for the followings : the motivations and purposes of elderly participation in volunteer services, the factors that influence their choices of entering the public library service, and the state of volunteer services, etc. This study uses a semi-structured interview and questionnaire to collect data. In order to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the research subjects and to objectively interpret the research questions, the findings have been supplemented with the background material of research subjects collected from personal profile forms to achieve the relevance to the volunteer services experience of elderly participation. The total of 30 elderly volunteer aged from 56 to 85 have been interviewed. The results of the study can be summarized and categorized as follows: I. The initial motivations of library elderly volunteers include 21 items, and the major one that tops the list is time-passing. In addition, the researcher sums up 21 items into six categories, including being attracted by the nature or the library, a sense of feedback, increasing interpersonal communication and interaction, learning new knowledge and skills, satisfying internal needs of individuals, and the environmental factor in location. II. Altruistic and self-interest purpose are the two purposes of elderly participation in voluntary services. The self-interest purpose is served mainly by the employment of professional expertise, while altruistic purpose is served by providing services to the library. III. The fact that elderly choose public libraries to be the service organization is an affirmation to the public library. The reasons for the choice include organizational factors, environmental factors, time factors and personal factors as follows: 1. Organizational factors include service contents, library resources, volunteer management , and organization recognition. 2. Environmental factors include physical location. 3. Time factors include flexible use of time, family size, and if there are young children. 4. Personal factors include personal interests, and family suggestions. IV. From the research findings, it can be concluded that there are fourteen factors for the continuing participation of elderly volunteers. In order of relevance, they are : providing service and a sense of feedback, near-home location, a formed habit from regular participation, self-enjoyment, staying healthy, agreement to self-interest, time-passing, continuing self-growth, rich reward, enjoyment with children, employment of professional expertise, for librarians’ serious attitude, working on meaningful things, and enjoying the physical environment of the service organization. The researcher has organized the fourteen factors into five categories : expressing community responsibility, obtaining learning opportunities, increasing contact with society, passing leisure time, and saving the time on commute. V. The training courses and the services of elderly volunteers. 1. Majority of the elderly volunteers have no opinions on the training they have participated. 2. Elderly volunteers have responded positively in more trainings than negatively. On the negative experience, problems mainly lie upon lacking a proper channel for course information, training location being too far, and poor training facilities such as bad chair condition. VI. Elderly volunteers’ learning experience of the volunteer services. 1. During the services, elderly volunteers have experienced both positive and negative emotion, and negative emotion is stronger. 2. After the services, elderly volunteers feel they have expanded their life circles, met new friends, and enriched their lives by learning new things. Based on the research findings, the researcher offers three suggestions to voluntary service units of public libraries in terms of human resources planning, volunteer management, and library services and activities in order to serve as references for improving services for elder volunteers.