The following are examples of what North Carolina libraries are doing to help get their community back to work. Add what your library is doing; share ideas with your colleagues across the state. Specific examples of handouts, etc. from NC libraries are available at Job Search Resources at Public Libraries in North Carolina.
East Albemarle Regional Library
We get lots of ESC people coming here to use our computers for their job searching. We also help lots of people with resumes. Our free computer classes are packed with people. We will be offering 37 classes in March and April. Classes range from basic topics like "Mouse and Keyboard Training" and Microsoft Office programs to Ebay, Vista, Blogging and Skype. It’s amazing how many people tell us they are currently out of work and are brushing up on their skills!
Randolph Public Library
RPL has a new research portal with a career guide, resume maker, language center, etc for job seekers. In addition, SCORE advisers hold weekly business counseling sessions here at the library. We also have a job search kiosk provided by the News and Record that had approximately 450 hits in January 2009.
Pender County Public Libraries
Pender County has a brochure of library services for job seekers for distribution at the local ESC. We are offering classes on using computers to design resumes, cover letters, as well as general orientation classes to the computer. We expect in the coming weeks to expand our services and marketing to job seekers especially after staff have attended the State Library workshops.
Alamance County Public Library
In addition to offering public computer access, we offer one-on-one computer sessions for job seekers new to computing—resume help, searches, etc. Alamance County Public Libraries also offers weekly updated area job listings in a special notebook—very popular when all computers are full.
Union County Public Library
Classes on resume writing, print materials on resume writing, including tip sheets put together by our reference librarian. Classes on online job searching with lists of job sites, bibliographies for job seekers, and monthly classes on basic computer skills, email, and on MS Office products – Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Publisher.
Fontana Regional Library
Fontana Regional Library provides computers and assistance for people doing job searches, filling out online applications, and writing resumes and cover letters. We’re seeing people who are recently unemployed coming to the library and that are unfamiliar with even basic computer skills, so in addition to helping with specific job-related assistance, we’re also spending time on computer basics. We offer our meeting rooms and computer lab to other community groups helping with job training and recruitments. We’ve also compiled a list of resources to refer people to GED and other adult basic education classes in our area
Rowan County Public Library
We do nearly the same as Fontana with the addition of computer classes nearly every week. Also in the past we have gathered paperbacks to send to the troops and provided books on reconnecting when returning from war to service family members through our local guard unit.
New Hanover Public Library
We offer a computer lab for individuals to compose resumes and apply online for positions, access the ESC website. Beginning computer classes are held on Tuesdays (practice sessions available on Wednesdays) on Mousing Skills, Intro to the Internet, and Email Basics. One on one coaching is provided as time permits.
Cleveland County Library
We have seen a dramatic increase in our public computer stats from people searching for jobs. We provide one-on-one assistance as staffing permits and we have free computer classes every month. We have just been given $2500 from our Friends to beef up our resources on GED, SAT and other tests, career information, computer technology, how-to manuals on software, resume writing and good job seeking skills. We do not serve the military here in any significant way, but we do get a lot of promotional materials, pencils, bookmarks, etc. from the recruiters to give to our patrons. We promote the resources of NC LIVE at every opportunity.
Halifax County Library
We have been involved with the Business Information Center Outreach Services grant. This grant, written and administrated by the Braswell Memorial Library in Rocky Mount, funded workshops of interest to small business owners. We feel we have reached many people who otherwise might not have used our libraries. We are also working with the Small Business Center at Halifax Community College.
Polk County Public Library
At the Polk County Public Library, we are partnering with other agencies to address job seeking and business development needs by launching the Entrepreneurial and Business Reference Center/Job Link Access Point at the public library. All of the partners in the program are contributing books, periodicals, audiovisual materials and online tools for job seekers, displaced workers, entrepreneurs and both new and established business owners. Partners in the endeavor include:
- Polk County Public Library
- Job Link
- North Carolina Small Business Center Network
- Workforce Investment Act Program
- Isothermal Community College
- North Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation
- North Carolina Employment Security Commission
- Polk County Department of Social Services
- Polk County Schools
- Polk County Economic Development Commission
The public library has always been a place that individuals could turn to for free services, but never has that been more important than now, during a time of financial insecurity. The Entrepreneurial and Business Reference Center/Job Link Access Point is a place where individuals can come to seek information regarding available jobs, resume writing, or obtaining certification online; and for entrepreneurs and business owners to find information on how to develop and maintain their idea or business.
The idea stemmed from recent observations that computer use for job seeking and reference requests for job and business information has skyrocketed since 2008 at the library, as more and more persons find themselves out of work or struggling to keep their business a going concern. The idea for the Center grew out of an expanded business reference collection at the new Polk County Public Library in 2006 that resulted in a marked increase in the use of business, job and career resources at the library.
Catawba Public Library
Catawba County libraries have sponsored Small Business workshops and we currently host GED classes at two locations. We offer computer instruction at all locations to individuals, as well as to groups, to assist job seekers with resumes, letters, and job searches. We are also sending staff to the State Library training.
Roanoke Rapids Public Library
On the job search front, we have assisted patrons with job searches and preparing resumes. We have hosted small business seminars in our conference room during the past summer through our association with BICOS and Halifax Community College.
Mauney Memorial Library
Mauney Memorial Library is offering job search classes, resume writing, how to use the internet, how to use a computer as well as resume review classes.
Neuse Regional Library
The Reference Desk does assist patrons using the lab with searching for jobs through the NCESC website and Joblink, but we are not an official ESC satellite or Joblink center. We also allow LCC to use our space in La Grange and Jones County to conduct such classes.
BHM Regional Library
We have been working closely with the local ESC folks for a while. They send their clients here for job searches all the time. We also do small-scale workshops on navigating JOBLINK, writing resumes and cover letters, filling out on-line applications, etc. as well as providing individual assistance!!
Duplin County Public Library
Our libraries are being given assistance by ESC; they do not have enough workstations to accommodate the demand so they are encouraging people to use the public libraries. Our patron computer use has increased dramatically from October 08-February 09 compared to the previous year.
KENANSVILLE (MAIN) 409.1% Increase
BEULAVILLE (Only decrease) 6.6% Decrease
FAISON 35.2% Increase
MAGNOLIA 36.5% Increase
ROSE HILL 79.9% Increase
WARSAW 26.2% Increase
Average increase across 5 libraries = 117.4%
Davidson County Public Library
We offer workshops on resume writing, basic computing skills, office productivity products and we are working with the local DavidsonWorks (JobLink is under that umbrella) to provide additional workshops and assistance with DavidsonWorks personnel at our branches. We’re having a followup meeting between the management teams of our agencies to identify additional collaborations.
Haywood County Public Library
We provide resume assistance and staff assistance (when available) in performing job searches.
Cumberland County Public Library and Information Center
Pathways to Job Searching offered by Rose Navarro, Employment Readiness Specialist with Army Community Service. Navarro will cover job-search tools and programs available to active duty military, military dependents, and civilians. She will also give some useful tips for cover letters and resumes, interviews, and the post-interview follow-up. Our library offers a variety of job and career related classes. We also partner with Fayetteville Technical Community College and the Women's Center on programs related to small businesses and jobs. Here are a few titles that we offered in January and February:
- How to Start a Small Business
- Marketing on a Shoestring
- Personal Productivity and Time Management Workshop
- Create a Resume Using Microsoft Word
- Building a Professional Resume
- Business Start-Up Basics
Davie County Public Library
We have a new link on our website to provide job info with a 2-page information sheet "Your Job Search Starts at Davie County Public Library"; copies of this are printed and available at the circ desk. We also provide basic computer help and have public access computers that may be used for an extended period if necessary for completion of tests, resumes, job search, etc. We are sending 2 staff members to the State Library training and they will train other staff.
Stanly County Public Library
We received an LSTA grant to open The People’s Office. We offer laptops in private settings where people can work on business related activities to start a business, learn a language, take an online course, etc. We have put software on the laptops that will help people write a business plan, design a web site, etc. We also allow people to use these computers for longer than our usual timed computer sessions so they can do more extensive work, if needed. We did this in response to the community college Small Business Center’s comments that while they have people wanting to start a business, they don’t really have pc’s available at the college for people to use. We are also partnering with the ESC to do some classes in submitting online job applications.
Forsyth Public Library
For the past two years, we have offered a county wide computer training program both within our library system and in additional lab settings. These classes were often taken by job seekers and people with current employment but needing additional skills. Within the past 6 months, we have seen a substantial increase in these classes due to unemployment and desperation for free high quality programming. Over 400 people attend computer training programming each month. To meet the more individualized needs, we established the Job Seekers Series and Programming which offers tangible skills and assistance, in addition to motivational support and direction for the unemployed. We offer the following:
- Drop-In Job Seeker’s Lab - An open lab format utilizing staff and volunteers to assist job seekers with resumes, online job applications, researching available positions and other tasks as needed. This lab began at the Downtown Central Library but has grown to extend into the library branches using WIFI laptops and volunteer support.
- Job Searching Online - A structured hands-on class utilizing staff to lead groups through the online job application process.
- Survive and Thrive, Job Seeker’s Series - Weekly workshops centered around topics such as coping with unemployment, networking, understanding benefits, budgeting, and reinventing yourself provide participants focus and direction for being effective in their job search.
- Additional Consumer Programming - as needed
Wake County Libraries - Employment Assistance Programs@Wake County Libraries.
The North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) awarded the Wake County Libraries one of their Outstanding County Program Awards which honors innovative county programs in the categories of General Government, Human Services, and Public Information/Participation. The awards are a way to recognize innovative programs that other counties might want to emulate, with the intent of sharing this information with other counties about programs that involve a uniquely innovative process, solution or idea to address a county or multi-jurisdictional issue and/or to prevent a future problem from developing.
The purpose of the Employment Assistance Programs @ Wake County Libraries program was to provide training, information, and support for unemployed, underemployed, financially stressed citizens of Wake County in response to the national economic downturn. The library locations hosted programs, workshops, one-on-one resume and job application assistance, added additional collections, and partnered with other state and local agencies and citizens for expertise and support. Today, this program continues as an ongoing commitment by the Wake County Libraries.
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