My mother was a librarian and had an insatiable love for books. Book shelves were crammed, and piles of books accumulated in her favorite resting spots around our home. She'd take me to her job when I was a kid and I would sit in silence surrounded by books. There was no escape.
So, I couldn't help but notice how more patrons are visiting libraries these days. Over the past year, I've read how people are shifting from buying tickets at local movie theaters to checking out DVDs at their local libraries.
Libraries have taken note of this renewed (forgive the pun) interest. They are offering free workshops to help with issues, such as organizing your job search and building a basic resume. The Science, Industry and Business Library in Manhattan created "Job Search Central." The room originally was used for viewing patent documents on microfilm, but New York Daily News reports that it now has 8,000 books about job-hunting and computers loaded with templates for résumé writing.
Some libraries are offering even more assistance. Crowley Ridge Regional Library in Arkansas is starting a resume review, according to a local news story. The library lets patrons send or walk in their resume for someone to review, and the reviewer will send it back with comments.
Have you participated in your library's workshops? What do you think about them? Tell us about the unique programs your library is offering.
Comments
The King County Library System in Washington State is engaged in a comprehensive community outreach to make library resources available to area residents coping with hard times:
-- 300 added service hours May 1-8 dedicated to serving job seekers. 41 KCLS libraries will open one hour early for eight days to serve job-seekers, with no added labor costs--staff adjusted their work schedules for the week.
-- 650 hours of workshops during the week, with librarians demonstrating how to find and use the library's free resources. The first two hours of each day, all 44 KCLS libraries will offer free 'how-to' workshops on library resources for business and career information and tools, including Resume Builder software, computer workstations, software classes, and more.
-- Tailored Web pages that take the "search" out of "research" for job-seekers, small businesses, new layoffs, and anyone seeking to save money without sacrificing all of life's little pleasures.
-- Special "More Resources" section gives tips and suggestions for ways to use library resources to spend less, enjoy more, start something new, and help others.
The resources promoted are standard library fare, but the outreach is a special effort to help the public understand the incredible array of business and information resources available at the library.