Public libraries have reported a significant increase in people using the library for employment related services, according to a survey of public library directors taken last month. Library computers are being used by the public to file for unemployment benefits, fill out online job applications, and conduct job searches. Some job seekers are going to the Library to create cover letters and resumes for the first time. Others are looking for ways to update and improve materials previously created.

Librarians are being asked by these job seekers to help identify and provide access to a variety of resources that will help them in completing these tasks.

There is a wide range of software products libraries can buy that will help the user create cover letters and resumes. Some such as WinWay offer site licenses. Others such as ResumeMaker offer volume pricing, the cost per seat depending on the total number of seats (licenses) needed. Libraries could use resources like these to enable the librarian to introduce the job seeker to the software, and the job seeker may then continue to develop the cover letter and resume relying more on the software than the librarian to guide them along the way.

New services are beginning to develop that parallel the services now offered for homework help. The user of the service can chat or talk with a tutor who will help the user create a cover letter or resume, or critique a document that has previously been created.

For libraries that can’t afford to buy any software, there are lots of free resources out there too. Some link the job seeker to advice on how to create a cover letter or a resume, others provide examples of these types of documents, and others link the user to templates for use with common word processing software.

One resource that is available to job seekers is available from the Employment Security Department and WorkSource at http://www.esd.wa.gov/findajob/index.php. Look for the Write a resume link under the heading Prepare to find a new job.

An online search for “resume”, “resume examples”, “resume tips” will yield a large number of sites from which to select. Some provide quality information and others may yield information that is less reliable. I leave it to your personal knowledge and comfort level to select those sites which may work well for you.

One site that offers templates for use with word processing software that is compatible with Microsoft Word format is located at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/FX103076501033.aspx. This site organizes resume templates into job categories and provides numerous templates for cover letters.

DISCLAIMER: The State Library regularly highlights third-party events and online resources as a way to alert the library community to training and resource opportunities. By doing so, we are not endorsing the content of the event, nor promoting any specific product, but merely providing this information as an FYI to librarians who must then decide what is right for them. Please note our agency blog use policy.

Re-printed from District Dispatch, news from the ALA Washington Office.

The Department of Education is expected to issue the long-sought-after American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) guidance.

At a news conference on March 25, Secretary of Education Arnie Duncan said he expects the guidance to be issued by March 31.

We will post the guidance on this blog and www.ala.org/knowyourstimulus as soon as it is released.

Melanie Anderson
Associate Director
ALA Office of Government Relations

Re-printed from District Dispatch, news from the ALA Washington Office.

On March 25, the ALA Washington Office filed comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to the commission’s request for comments on a rural broadband strategy.

This opportunity gave ALA a platform to communicate how libraries can play a pivotal role in helping rural areas achieve the connectivity levels needed for tangible economic, educational and social growth.

The ALA’s filing outlined the following four recommendations:

• Develop and support the library’s role as the information hub in rural communities
• Recognize public libraries as an essential source of lifelong learning opportunities in rural communities
• The FCC should encourage the deployment of fiber to public libraries
• Simplify the E-rate process

Additionally, ALA explained that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 provides the funding for the initial investment of build-out of broadband infrastructure.  Existing federal programs, such as the E-rate program, assist with the day-to-day sustainability of that investment.  Both of these tools are necessary to create the advanced broadband network envisioned by the ARRA’s authors.

The Washington State Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development is a large and diverse agency. The 2009 Resource Book describes their many programs. It includes staff contacts for each program.

This may be a useful resource for librarians looking to help a customer looking for employment, housing assistance, or temporary aid. It may also be useful to local community organizations which provide similar services.

The 2009 Resource Book is located at http://cted.wa.gov/UPLOADS/agencyresource/CTED2009ResourceBook.pdf . A print version is not available this year given the tight budgets all are experiencing.

One area of interest may be the Community Services Division Program Fact Sheets which start on page 41 of the Resource Book. Examples of these programs and select links follow.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Washington State Library is aware that these trying times are putting special pressures on libraries and their customers, and we are thinking about ways to help. We will start by gathering resources and sites on job-finding, resume-writing, and many other aspects of the situation, including ideas from other state libraries. We are posting entries on a special section on this blog (click on the Hard Times category), and we invite you to add your own comments.

We have also set up a resource portal and discussion space on WebJunction to assist libraries. See wa.webjunction.org/691/.  You can read what is there without joining WebJunction, but to fully participate in discussions and take the classes (for free) you need to join. Joining is free for Washington library staff (funded by WSL).  To join, go to wa.webjunction.org/home.  For more information, contact Ahniwa Ferrari, [email protected] or Jennifer Fenton, [email protected], toll free 1-866-538-4996.

Workforce Explorer Washington has a tag line which reads, “Quality labor market information to help you make informed decisions”. Within the home page for Workforce Explorer you will find information on statewide economic conditions, links to various reports, a description of What’s New and now available, and both a set of quick links and a section titled, How do I Find? Tabs across the top of the page take you to the Career Center, WA Labor Market, or Publications and Reports sections. You can also set up an account on Workforce Explorer and a page, My Labor Market Info, that allows you to save the information you use most in one convenient, personalized page.

Clicking on the WA Labor Market tab takes you to a new page with a similar arrangement of features. Here you will find statewide labor market information, the same set of quick links as found on the home page, a new set of How do I Find links, and various reports. You will also find a section titled “Plain Talk” and a column on the left side of the page which allows you to tour what is found on this page.

If you continue down the left hand column, you may select from local area information, occupation information, industry information, and training information. Selecting Explore Local Area brings two additional choices, the Local Area Profile and Compare Area. The Local Area Profile shows an overview of labor market information in a particular area within the state. You may select information by county or for the entire state.

Selecting Cowlitz County, for example, the profile gives a short descriptive write-up on the county. That is followed by a number of tables summarizing labor force and unemployment statistics for the county, a list of fastest growing occupations, wage information for various occupations, and near the bottom of the page, a list of training providers both private and public in nature. In the case of Cowlitz County, specific information for the county is not available in every instance so the report defaults to a larger region such as the Southwest Washington Workforce Development Area (WDA) or the Longview Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The More button at the bottom of several of these tables takes you to more complete information and allows you to sort the data as in the case of Fastest Growing Occupations by occupation, employment changes, growth rate and other factors.

For those interested in general employment trends within a county, the range of wages associated with particular professions within the local area, and for a list of training providers on file with the site, local area profiles may be of interest. Similar information on occupational trends by region is available at Occupational Outlook 2004 – 2014. Please be aware that most information on the Workforce Explorer site is very current but other information is more dated.

If you know of great sites for local area employment information, share that information with others within the Washington library community by leaving a comment in response.

Washington state is typically significantly underrepresented in applicants for this award, especially from libraries. The award includes $10,000 for the recipient library. 

From Michele Farrell, Senior Program Officer, Institute of Museum and Library Services: “You’ve got great libraries and museums in your state, right?  Well it’s time to let the rest of the world know that.  Each year there’s a different crop of candidates and prospects for winning change.   The deadline for applications is February 17, 2009.    SPREAD THE WORD!!!”

National Medal for Museum and Library Service

Program Contact for Libraries:
Michele Farrell, Senior Program Officer
Phone: 202-653-4656
E-mail: [email protected]

Program Contact for Museums:
Christopher Reich, Senior Program Officer
Phone: 202-653-4685
E-mail: [email protected]

Nomination Form
Download now (Fill-in PDF, 143KB)

Program Overview
The National Medal for Museum and Library Service (formerly the National Award) honors outstanding institutions that make significant and exceptional contributions to their communities. Selected institutions demonstrate extraordinary and innovative approaches to public service, exceeding the expected levels of community outreach and core programs generally associated with its services. The medal includes prizes of $10,000 to each recipient and an awards ceremony to be held in Washington, DC.

Qualifications and Criteria for Selection
The main qualification for selection is community service, as demonstrated by the institution’s ongoing commitment, at every level, to its community.

Nominations should describe:
• The institution’s goals in serving its community.
• The population served.
• How the institution works together with the community to achieve the goals.
• The outcome of this effort during the past two to three years.
• How the institution will sustain these efforts in the future.

The National Museum and Library Services Board reviews the nominations and makes recommendations to the IMLS Director, who makes the final selection.

Eligibility
Public or private nonprofit institutions are eligible to receive this award. Nominated institutions must be open to the general public for at least 120 days per year and be located in the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, or the Freely Associated States in the Pacific. Federally operated institutions are not eligible for the medal. A friends group associated with a single museum or library is not an eligible entity.

When an institution receives a National Medal for Museum and Library Service, it becomes eligible for renomination only after 10 years have elapsed.

Nomination Information
An institution may be nominated by one of its own employees or by a member of the community with a special interest in the institution. If you are an employee of the museum or library you are nominating, please state your title. If you are a member of the community, please indicate your particular interest in the institution.

For more information: http://www.imls.gov/about/medals.shtm

Application deadline are due February 15, 2009

Announcement taken from GrantStation Insider; provided by GrantStation in partnership with the Washington State Legislature, Governor Gregoire, and the Washington State Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development (CTED) 

The Institute of Museum and Library Services and the American Association of Museums offer the Museum Assessment Program (MAP), which is designed to help museums assess their strengths and weaknesses in order to better plan for the future. MAP offers technical assistance to museums for four kinds of assessments: collections management, governance, institutional, and public dimension. Assessments are funded on a first-come, first-served basis. There is no cost associated with participation for museums with annual operating expenses of up to $125,000. Museums with higher expenses are charged nominal fees for their participation. Applications are due February 15, 2009. For additional information, visit the website provided above.

Proposals must be submitted by 5 p.m. Pacific Time on March 30, 2009.

Announcement taken from GrantStation Insider; provided by GrantStation in partnership with the Washington State Legislature, Governor Gregoire, and the Washington State Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development (CTED)

HP Innovations in Education
The 2009 HP Innovations in Education grant program provides support to educational institutions in the United States through two initiatives. Grants for Secondary School Districts help eligible districts launch innovative pilot programs that support the administrators and teachers responsible for student success in math and science in middle schools and/or high schools. HP plans to award approximately 25 grants valued at more than $270,000 each in HP technology, cash, and professional development to public or qualified private school districts. Grants for Colleges and Universities are targeted at administrators and faculty who are enhancing undergraduate degree programs in engineering, computer science, information systems, and information technology. HP plans to award approximately ten grants valued at more than $240,000 each in HP technology, cash, and professional development to public or qualified private colleges or universities. The online web-based proposal submission system will open in early March 2009. Proposals must be submitted by 5 p.m. Pacific Time on March 30, 2009. Visit the HP website listed above for detailed program guidelines.

Application Deadlines:
Basic Grants: March 2, 2009
Enhancement Grants: May 1, 2009

Press Release from IMLS December 18, 2008

Washington, DC—The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is accepting applications for the 2009 Native American Library Services Basic Grants and Enhancement Grants. These grants are designed to help Native American libraries support their communities by improving their collections, establishing or enhancing their technological capabilities, making their libraries and holdings accessible to all users, and strengthening their traditional library services to ensure that patrons are able to find the information they need.

The Native American Library Services Basic Grants are specifically awarded to support existing library operations and maintain core library services. Applicants interested in funding for staff participation in conferences, library-related continuing education courses and training workshops, or working with a consultant on a library assessment may choose to apply for the supplemental Education/Assessment Option in conjunction with the Basic Grant. Enhancement Grants support projects that improve existing library services or implement new services, particularly as they relate to the goals of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).

In 2008, IMLS awarded Basic Grants to a total of 209 American Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages. In addition, the Institute made 15 awards for the competitive Enhancement Grants. To apply for these grants, please visit www.imls.gov/applicants/grants/nativeAmerican.shtm and www.imls.gov/applicants/grants/nativeEnhance.shtm.

IMLS has also scheduled two audio-conference calls to give prospective applicants an opportunity to ask the IMLS staff questions pertaining to Native American Library Basic Grant and Enhancement Grant applications. To participate, please refer to the information below:

Topic: Basic Grants
Date of Call: Monday, January 12
Time of Call: 3 PM Eastern Time
Participant Dial-In Number: 1-800-603-9527
Conference ID# 72465301

Topic: Enhancement Grants
Date of Call: Monday, March 16
Time of Call: 3 PM Eastern Time
Participant Dial-In Number: 1-800-603-9527
Conference ID# 72466388

For more information, contact Alison Freese, Senior Program Officer at 202/653-4665 or [email protected].