Dealing with economic woes

In the recent economic struggles and widespread job losses, many libraries are making job hunting help available on site as well as online. Many libraries are holding seminars with resume help and job-hunting skill sessions. The library in York, Pennsylvania, decided to offer more than help, they set up a day where people (even those who did not have a library card) could come to the library, get help putting together a resume, then print out five free copies. Now free copies might not seem like much, but to unemployed job seekers, it’s a help. The library director said the event was set up not only to help job seekers, but also to draw attention to other free services the library offers. They hope to show people who aren’t already patrons what the library has to offer for free.

In an article about helping library users who are looking for employment and help with tighter budgets, Paul LeClerc, the president of the New York Public Library, said: “We've been in the job-search business for decades. This is a continuation.” (Brustein)

To help public libraries offer assistance to their communities in tough times, the ALA has made available resources nationwide. As part of a grant program, they have made available information from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority called “Job Dislocation: Making Smart Financial Choices after a Job Loss.” It’s a brochure aimed at helping people maintain their financial stability while they are unemployed. The ALA provides the brochures to public libraries to give away.

The public library is the place to turn for free entertainment, too. With free DVDs to borrow (and sometimes free movie nights at the library), periodicals to read, presentations to attend (including some libraries that offer opera and symphony previews), book discussions, teen game nights, story times, arts & crafts sessions, podcasts, computer classes, and more, libraries have much to offer. One library in California includes on its Web site a “Library Use Calculator” that was created by Michigan State Library and adopted by the Maine State Library. The tool can help patrons see how much money they are saving by using library resources rather than renting movies or buying books. (“Mission Viejo Library Offers New Calculator”)

Christina Hennessy, in her article “Making Do: Library Use On the Rise As Residents Trim Spending,” gave this example of ways one library is helping: “At Greenwich Library's Cos Cob branch, several programs are planned to help families save money, learn how to best use coupons and build shopping lists, and find other ways to cut costs on household spending, according to Kate Petrov, the library's spokeswoman.” There seems to be no end to the ways in which public libraries are reaching out to help people in their communities.