LSTA JOBS Category

JOBS - For Help, Start at Your Public Library

In an effort to assist the public library community in responding to the economic situation that has affected families and individuals across the state, DLTCL initiated a LSTA category in 2009 called "JOBS-Searching, Training, and Support." In 2009 this funding was made available on an emergency basis to the 17 regional public library systems in a non-competitive category. Funding was distributed on a population formula. In 2010 the category will be competitive and open to both public libraries and systems.

The Systems used the funding to address a variety of needs. A summary of the overall project was included in a Channel article on the JOBS category. A link to the article appears in the box to the right on this page. Links are also included for the 2009 JOBS Project Highlights and the current project abstracts. In October there will be a session at the fall Wisconsin Library Association Conference on the JOBS category at which several panelists will explain what their library(ies) are doing to help people who are looking for employment or trying to improve their job skills. There is a link to the 2010 LSTA information, as well as one for the DWD Unemployment Figures by County for the State of Wisconsin.

Additional information about what public libraries are doing to help people looking for jobs is included below.

Wisconsin Library Agency Employment Help Web Sites

These Wisconsin library systems have created web pages for people who are looking for jobs.

Arrowhead: http://als.lib.wi.us/ALS/jobs.html

Eastern Shores: www.esls.lib.wi.us/unemployment_resources.htm

Indianhead: http://jobs.iflsweb.org

Milwaukee County: www.mcfls.org/news-details.asp?ID=6

Outagamie Waupaca: http://info.infosoup.org/jobs.asp

Winding Rivers: www.wrlsweb.org/job_search_resources.htm

Winnefox: www.winnefox.org/jobs/.

Articles on the Role of Public Libraries in Helping Job Seekers and other Libraries in the News

Wisconsin Libraries in the News Regarding their Assistance for Job Seekers

"Looking for Work Just Got a Little Bit Easier"
WQOW, October 29, 2009.
www.wqow.com/Global/story.asp?S=11408057

Thanks to an Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) grant, the Indianhead Federated Library System (IFLS) haa a webpage tailored to the needs of job seekers in west central Wisconsin. It gives job seekers an up-to-date, excellent selection of web resources about resumes, cover letters, and interviews. Many public libraries in the region have resume-writing software on public computers and offer basic computer classes to help displaced workers catch up on skills.

"Thanks for the Library Services"
Beloit Daily News, October 20, 2009.
www.beloitdailynews.com/articles/2009/10/20/opinion/letters/let2001.txt
A Beloit resident writes to the Beloit Daily News in appreciation of the job search services offered by the Beloit Public Library.

Slow Economy Drives Many to Library Computers to Search for Jobs
FOX6, October 15, 2009.
www.fox6now.com/videobeta/watch/?watch=d18f9daa-4b27-4762-a235-f33fb3760a5d&src=front
The Wauwatosa Public Library was featured in a news story on Fox 6 television station in Milwaukee.

The library expects 450,000 patrons will visit the library before the end of this year. Shawn Duffy was interviewed and explained that usage has increased significantly, especially by adult men using computers to look for jobs online. The story highlights the savings people find by using a public library and the library's self checkout system. The story mentions the free job training the library is offering (with funding from LSTA). The reporter said that the library is acting almost in the role of a "job center," and she added, "That makes sense, since everything is free."

Milwaukee County Federated Library System Offers Free Computer Training
Milwaukee Journal Sentinal, September 18,2009.
www.jsonline.com/business/59804597.html
Beginning in August, 18 libraries began offering free training through a $29,500 federal grant awarded to the Milwaukee County Federated Library System. In its first two weeks, the classes drew more than 200 people seeking to learn how to complete online job applications, write résumés on the Web, search Internet job listings and get a free e-mail account.

Tips for Librarians on Assisting People Who are Unemployed

At the recent workshop on Assisting the Unemployed in Sheboygan County, Brian Ognacevic, program manager for the Great Lakes Training and Development Corp., from the Sheboygan County Job Center had a number of suggestions for libraries.

• Due to the overwhelming number of unemployed people libraries should continue to provide workshops on interviewing skills, writing resumes and cover letters, basic computer skills and Microsoft Office skills.
• Provide space for individuals to build networking groups or support groups.
• Provide access to computers, which is especially needed.
• Present materials and/or workshops on the reality of dealing with reduced family budgets.
• Inform the public that it is essential to make an appointment to use the resources of regional Job Centers. Link to the local Job Center web sites.
• Help inform the public of the need for higher education in a changing job market and help promote awareness of adult education programs.

--based on "Assisting the Unemployed," Library Connections July 2008, the electronic newsletter of the Eastern Shores Library System. http://www.esls.lib.wi.us/newsletter/Jul2009.html

Madison Public Library Helps Job Seekers
WKOW, July 22, 2009.
www.wkowtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=10773878
A $25,000 grant will benefit four Madison Public Library branches and twenty other public libraries in South Central Wisconsin. The grant will be used to offer workshops geared toward displaced workers, developing skills for job searching, and workshops for resume and cover letter writing.

Danielle Kaeding of Wisconsin Public Radio reported on the efforts of the La Crosse Public Library to help people who are looking for jobs. When Superintendent Tony Evers visited the library on July 14, 2009 he observed a basic computer training course the library was offering for people who wanted to improve their job skills. To listen to the webcast go to http://clipcast.wpr.org:8080/ramgen/wpr/news/news090715dk.rm

"When Times are Tough... Find a Library!"
by Darcy Skibba, Reference, La Crosse Public Library, July 2009.
www.wrlsweb.org/Whirlpools0709/Reference.htm
LaCrosse Public Library is active in serving people looking for jobs or who want to improve their job skills. A summary of their activity is included in the July 2009 edition of the Winding Rivers Library System's electronic newsletter, Whirlpools.

"Libraries Take on New Roles Employees Proctor Exams for Work, College"
by Tony Walter, Green Bay Press Gazette, May 26, 2009.
www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20090526/GPG0101/905260512/-1/archive
Brown County Library offers free proctoring as a service to help people taking employment tests or improving their job skills by taking college courses online. Library employee oversees the testing process then mails the results to the college or business.

"Downtown Library Helping Job Seekers" The Capital Times, June 19, 2009.
www.madison.com/tct/news/stories/455485
Madison Public Library is using LSTA funding, made available through the South Central Library System, and funds from the Madison Senior Center to offer services to job seekers. Staff from the library, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center and the Madison Senior Center provide one-on-one sessions with job seekers to help them with resume writing and job searches.

"Dollars & Sense/ Daily Tips for Tough Times : Check These Out Library Group Lists Favorite Books to Help Job Hunters." Dresang, Joel. Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. April 20, 2009, pg. A2.
Dresang indicates that public libraries are among the agencies that make computers available to job seekers. More than 260,000 Wisconsin residents were out of work and couldn't find a job in March 2009. That's the most since 1983 and up 70% since the recession began in late 2007. Dresang quotes Paula Kiely, Director of the Milwaukee Public Library, in regard to the increased demand for free job hunting and resume writing classes. 160 patrons attended classes at the library from January-March 2009 and increase of 20% over 2008. Kiely said, "We're getting a lot more inquiries about using resources to help people find jobs. They're coming in not only using the computers but they're also using the library collections."

Record numbers of Americans are visiting public libraries for the tools and references they hope will help them find jobs, according to the American Library Association. The article includes the April 1, 2009, Library Journal list of the most-borrowed books for job hunting. For a list of the titles go to www.librarystuff.net/2009/05/21/job-seekers-without-internet-access-stretch-libraries-computers/.

Kris Nieman, Head of Administrative Services for the Kenosha Public Library, appeared on "The Morning Blend" television show on Monday, June 22, 2009, to talk about the library's LSTA Job grant. To watch the segment, go to www.themorningblend.com/NewsArticle/tabid/1474/xmid/33517/Default.aspx.

Library Services for Job Seekers in the National News

"Job seekers in need of computers flock to libraries" by Ron Barnett, USA Today, September 2, 2009.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/employment/2009-09-02-job-seekers-libraries-computers_N.htm

The September 2, 2009, edition of USA Today reports that a new national study by the American Library Association shows that libraries across the United States are filling up with people waiting to get online to fill out applications, write résumés, or look for job openings. "Libraries are really the first responder in this economic crisis, and particularly for job seekers," said Larra Clark, who managed the study due for release September 15. In 2007, before the economy took a nosedive, 44% of public libraries said assisting job seekers was a "critical use" of their library; now it's 67%.

NBC's national news program, Today, carried a segment on the new role public libraries are playing across the country in helping people find jobs. More people have library cards than ever and for 73% of all communities, the public library is the only place that offers free access to computers and WiFi.
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/31237988#31237988

"Job Seekers without Internet Access Stretch Libraries' Computers" by Nikole Hannah-Jones, The Oregonian, Thursday May 21, 2009.
www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2009/05/job_seekers_without_internet_a.html

"Nowadays, if you're not online, you're way behind," Alilat, a Northeast Portland resident, says. "It hinders my entire life." The 33-year-old finds herself on the wrong side of a digital divide blown wider by the sinking economy. Like thousands across the metro area, she's turned to the only place she knows where she can easily access computers for free: the public library.”

Examples of What Individual Public Libraries are Doing to Help People Looking for Jobs

Fond du Lac Library to Open Opportunity Center

"State Superintendent at FdL Library Thursday," Fond du Lac Reporter, September 30, 2009.
www.fdlreporter.com/article/20090930/FON0101/90930121/1985

The Fond du Lac Public Library will open its Opportunity Center in mid-October, transforming the library's computer lab into a center for job seekers with trained volunteers on hand to help people fill out applications, write resumes, and brush up on the skills needed to obtain a new job. The center will offer free classes on basic computer use, resume writing and other employment-related topics. Once the Opportunity Center is open and running, the two VISTA volunteers who have been with the library for nearly a month hope to bring services to the other five libraries in the county.

"Help for Unemployed at Fond du Lac Library"

Fond du Lac Reporter, September 24, 2009.
www.fdlreporter.com/article/20090924/FON0101/909240362/1289/FON01/Help-for-unemployed-offered-at-Fond-du-Lac-Public-Library

Two full-timeVISTA volunteers have joined the staff of the Fond du Lac Public Library to help connect the unemployed in Fond du Lac County to state and local programs assisting with recovery. Programs range from training and job searching to support groups. Many programs already exist in the community such as those offered by Moraine Park Technical College and the Fond du Lac Job Center. Assistance may include classes on basic computer use, online employment resources, interview techniques, and other services that may be of help to the unemployed.

Hedberg Public Library - Job Seekers Open Lab @ Your Library

Let Hedberg Public Library staff help you find a job! Drop in to the next Job Seekers Open Lab anytime between 4 and 7 p.m. on Monday, August 17, and our librarians will help you with your job search. Get tips on searching the Internet for jobs, writing resumes and cover letters, and more. The Open Lab is held in the library's Woodruff Training Room, 316 S. Main Street. No registration is required for this free event. For more information, visit www.HedbergPublicLibrary.org.

VISTA Workers in Public Libraries Help with Employment Assistance Efforts

Ten VISTA placements in public libraries were available in Wisconsin through the Department of Public Instruction (DPI). These positions will begin in August 2009 and run through July 2010. They are full time positions paid for by the DPI. These VISTA workers cannot provide direct services to the public, but part of their role could be to administer these grants or to support the administration and organization of the activities. VISTAs may work for either the System or an individual library.

Libraries that will be hosting VISTA workers include the Vaughn Public Library in Ashland, Marathon County in Wausau, Oshkosh, Racine, Oshkosh, Racine, Spooner, Shiocton and Fond du Lac. Several of these VISTA workers will be working on activities related to public library efforts to help people who are unemployed or seeking to improve their job skills. Betsy Prueter is the DPI VISTA coordinator. Contact her at betsy.prueter@dpi.wi.gov or 608-267-7290.

Wisconsin Senior Employment Program (WISE) Overview

Monica Snittler coordinates the WISE program for the Wisconsin for Bureau of Aging and Disabilities Resources program. She encourages interested librarians to contact their area coordinating agency to discuss a possible placement. WISE has recently received federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) stimulus funding. This program helps train seniors who are looking for employment and pays for a placement in a job where they can improve or refresh their job skills. One of the possible placements is public libraries. Snittler's overview is available at http://dpi.wi.gov/pld/pdf/wise-overview.pdf.

The WISE program is not new: it has been placing senior employees in public libraries for many years. But they do have extra money and have been encouraged to place workers in public libraries when that is an appropriate program.

In addition to the information included in Monica's overview, she also indicated part of the training they provides includes basic computer skills. The placements should have no impact on a library's staffing and the workers can't replace paid staff.

Libraries interested in acting as a job training site should have an idea of what they want the worker to do. The work should be meaningful. Libraries can't necessarily request a specific person, but they can encourage people to apply to be in the program and it may work out that the placement for that person will be at the public library. Many workers in the past have express an interest in working in public libraries.

For a list of whom to contact for information about the WISE program, go to http://dpi.wi.gov/pld/pdf/wise-overview.pdf#page=3.

For questions about this information, contact Barbara A. Huntington (608) 267-5077

Last updated on 11/19/2009 1:12:54 PM