[OPLINLIST] Department of Labor Provides Guidance to Workforce Agencies on Partnering with Libraries

Wed Jun 30 14:40:58 EDT 2010

Please excuse multiple postings...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 30, 2010

IMLS Press Contacts

202-653-4632

Jeannine Mjoseth, jmjoseth at imls.gov

Mamie Bittner, mbittner at imls.gov

Department of Labor Press Contact

202/693-4661

Lina Garcia, garcia.evangelina at dol.gov 

Department of Labor Provides Guidance to Workforce Agencies on
Partnering with Libraries

Washington, DC-On June 29, 2010, the Department of Labor Employment and
Training Administration (ETA) officially encouraged its state and local
workforce investment boards, state workforce agencies, and One-Stop
Career Centers to partner with public libraries to extend their career
and employment services to job seekers and unemployed workers. The ETA's
Training and Employment Notice (TEN) cements a partnership between the
ETA and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) that was
announced on June 25, 2010, at the American Library Association annual
meeting.

"Thirty million people used library computers in 2009 to meet their
workforce needs. Libraries offer Internet access, welcoming spaces,
convenient hours and locations, and, most importantly, librarians to
serve as information navigators," said IMLS Acting Director Marsha L.
Semmel. "The public workforce system offers a strong network of
dedicated professionals with the resources and expertise to help job
seekers. Our partnership at the federal level is an important catalyst
to partnerships at the state and local level." Read Marsha L. Semmel's
full remarks at http://www.imls.gov/news/speeches/062510.shtm

ETA Assistant Secretary Jane Oates said, "Permanent partnerships between
public libraries and One-Stops are a long overdue effort at the federal
level, although we are delighted that this is something that has been
taking place informally across the country. These partnerships have been
extremely useful and we hope they continue to strengthen and grow."   

The TEN provides examples of partnership activities including
co-locating One-Stop Career Centers and libraries; collaborating to
train library staff about in-person and virtual employment and training
resources available through the public workforce system; and training
public workforce system staff about the value of partnering with
libraries. 

While the IMLS-ETA partnership encourages library/One-Stop Center
collaborations in states that haven't yet made these connections, it
seeks to strengthen alliances that already exist. Linda Strong, JobLink
Unit manager with the North Carolina Department of Commerce's Division
of Workforce Development, and Mary Boone, the State Librarian of North
Carolina, have worked closely to address employment issues. For example,
they held nine, one-day workshops to connect public library staffs and
people from the local job link centers to explore how they could work
together to help people find jobs. 

"People may not have heard about One-Stops, which breaks my heart, but
they do know about libraries," Strong said. "Some of the benefits that
One-Stops derive from this partnership include longer library hours that
allow access beyond One-Stop office hours, better and more technological
access, and the fact that parents can work on their job search while
children are engaging in productive activities. We consider libraries to
be extensions of One-Stops in North Carolina."

Sari Feldman, president of the Public Library Association, a division of
ALA, and executive director of Cuyahoga County Public Library in Ohio,
also has ample experience in partnering with a workforce agency. Since
2007, her library has offered Cuyahoga Works, a Web site with direct
access to resources and assistance available to job seekers within
Cuyahoga County that was developed in partnership with local Employment
Connection Centers run by the City of Cleveland/Cuyahoga County
Workforce Investment Board. 

"This year, we've seen extraordinary growth in our career center
counseling, programs, and job club offerings. As one customer put it,
'The library was always my trusted friend and was there for me when I
lost my job,'" Feldman said.

An estimated 3.7 million Americans have found work with support from
their public libraries, said Semmel, citing a March 2010 study conducted
by the University of Washington and sponsored by IMLS and the Bill and
Melinda Gates Foundation. The report also found that: 

* More than 77 million people over the age of 14 used a library computer
last year. 

* 30 million people used library computers to help address career and
employment needs in the last 12 months.

* Among these users, 76 percent reported they searched for jobs online.

* Among job seekers, 68 percent went on to apply for a job or submit a
resume.

* 23 percent used library computers to receive job-related training.

Other IMLS/ETA activities include sharing of career and training
information and tools of the two systems and dissemination of
information about workforce-library partnerships via webinars. ETA will
host a webinar on July 19 to talk about the IMLS-ETA partnership at
Workforce3One. On August 11 at 2 p.m., ETA staff will also participate
in a webinar hosted by Project Compass, an initiative made possible by
and IMLS grant to WebJunction. The webinar will provide an overview of
the public workforce system and present the electronic tools most
helpful to library staff that assist unemployed workers. For more
information, please go to Helping Job Seekers: Using Electronic Tools
and Federal Resources. For more about the IMLS grant, click here 
http://www.imls.gov/news/2009/091009.shtm. Visit the Public Libraries
and the Workforce page on the IMLS Web site for additional resources at 
http://www.imls.gov/about/workforce.shtm.

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services The Institute of
Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for
the nation's 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute's
mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to
information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in
coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage,
culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support
professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please
visit www.imls.gov.

U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration The
Employment and Training Administration funds and supports a network of
nearly 3,000 One-Stop Career Centers that address the employment needs
of job seekers and businesses in every community across America.
One-Stop Career Centers draw from a vast array of community resources to
make a multitude of services available to address employment challenges
including job search and placement assistance; skills assessments;
career assistance and counseling; free training services for eligible
individuals; English as a second language; and assistance with Pell
grants and student loans. To learn more, please visit 
www.workforce3one.org. 

Marsha McDevitt-Stredney

Marketing & Communications Director

274 E. 1st Avenue

Columbus, OH 43201

Tel: 614-644-6875

Fax: 614-466-3584

www.library.ohio.gov <http://www.library.ohio.gov/> 

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