Ten Tips for Developing Partnerships in Your Community
Comments compiled from the two presentations at the ARSL conference September 2009.
Participants were asked to list a challenge they face in providing service to the job seekers in their communities. The challenges were posted and the participants shared solutions.
Challenge: Not Enough Time or Staff
Solutions:
Utilize volunteers
Partnerships (samples of partnerships can be found in the wiki under "What Other Libraries are Doing")
Bookmark sites on the computer
Share workshop materials with others
Utilize fact sheet - customer can complete prior to coming to the library
(fact sheet can be found in the wiki under "online applications")
Challenge: No Jobs
Solutions:
Provide resources to complete unemployment application
Provide tools to customer for skills assessment (information in the "Getting Started" section of wiki)
Encourage training (various training modules in "Free Tutorials" and "What Other Libraries Are Doing" sections of the wiki)
Provide information on support services
Information on starting small business
Explore volunteer opportunities
Provide information on national job sites (information on "Where to Find Jobs" section of the wiki)
Challenge: Customers Need Help with Applications/Resumes
Solutions:
Partner with outside agencies
AARP resources
Online tutoring (training under "online applications" section of the wiki)
Skill Builders
Offer way to store information (data stick)
Google docs
Utilize fact sheet and other templates
Challenge: Computer Skills
Solutions:
Provide computer classes
Set up times for individuals to make an appointment with library staff
Tutorials
Partner with other agencies to provide computer classes (see samples on wiki under "What Other Libraries are Doing")
Open computer lab early for computer training
Online tutorials ("Free tutorials for people new to computers" on wiki)
Challenge: Where Are the Jobs
Solutions:
Utilize websites (see wiki "Where are the Jobs" )
Professional associations
City/government web sites