Last week, we discussed the different roles that librarians play though Kane’s article “Careers and Environments.” Contrary to what the article Job seekers without Internet access stretch libraries' computers, from "Portland News", describes, I never saw “job counselor” or “resume builder” listed. This article really speaks to the different hats that librarians have to wear to benefit and help their community. As we discussed, the roles of librarians are not always laid out in black and white, but rather range to include tasks of every color imaginable. Excuse the bad metaphor, but I think experienced librarians, especially in the public library sector, would agree that there is no task too big, small, or off the wall and the new programs and events that librarians are putting on for job seekers and technology learners seems to suggest that.
This week we’re discussing “21st Century Literacy @ your library” from the American Library Association (ALA) which describes “helping children and adults develop skills they need to fully participate in an information society—whether it’s learning to read or explore the Internet...” What better way to illustrate how libraries are helping adults with digital literacy than though computer usage, and in our current economy, computer usage to find a job. Libraries all across the county, specifically Portland (Ore.) in this article, are greeting with open arms those who need assistance with basic job searching and everything that comes along with it (creating an e-mail account, searching for jobs, filling out applications, etc.). The only problem is that those open arms seem to only be so big—the need for assistance is overtaking many library resources. One of the librarians quoted in the article expresses her frustration of only having minutes to help each patron. With limited funding and shrinking budgets, libraries are feeling the pain of the economy just as patrons are. It’s a nasty cycle. Not only to mention the drain on library staff resources, but this article is saying that libraries have a limited number of computers to begin with which I’m sure is only becoming more of a challenge as budgets continue to diminish and computer usage steadily increases causing computers to be over-used and eventually damaged.
This article also mentions some of the more specific things libraries are doing for patrons, such as “three-hour job-hunting labs” and basic computer classes in multiple languages such as English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese and Russian. Out of curiosity, I visited the Chicago Public Library’s (CPL) events and programs section of their Web site to see what they had to offer in the month of June. The programs that came up include: Create and E-mail Account; Ask a Career Expert; Sell Yourself in Any Interview; Internet Basics (twice); and Using E-mail Skills to Aid Your Job Search. All of these programs are about job searching or can be used when job searching. I wonder what programs are other libraries offering and if there is any liability or risk to holding such workshops? I can’t imagine that someone would try to hold the library responsible for receiving “resume help” that wasn’t actually helpful, or something of the sort, but stressful times often lead to irrational people…
Another important point that this article touches on is equality of access. Wealthier people are more likely to have the internet in their homes than the less wealthy, and because of the overwhelming need for internet, those without internet in their homes are not able to come to the library and go online to get the information that they need. As we’re shown in “21st Century Literacy @ your library”, the stated mission of the ALA is, “To provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.” The key here is “for all.” If libraries are being overpopulated and those who need information are not being able to access it due to overcrowding, libraries are not able to fulfill their mission. But like I’ve mentioned, it’s a vicious cycle—is there a solution? What are other libraries doing to assist patrons with job hunting needs? Have there been other times in history where libraries played similar roles for different circumstances? These are all just questions I’ve begun to ponder…
*IF the link above does not work, please visit: http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2009/05/job_seekers_without_internet_a.html to view the article. Thanks!
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As we continue on our path to become professionally trained librarians, I’ve started to notice a societal trend of an increasing number of people utilizing the library. Although this trend is due to our nation’s economic hardships as is evident in Oregon it is a promising one for librarians and people like us who aspire to become librarians. During a time when most industries are laying people off I had a twinge of optimism shoot through me as the words job security kept repeating in my head. Needless to say I am not hoping to gain from the misfortune of others but hoping that we can all benefit from new library jobs being created to match the demand of the public’s needs.
Despite my positive thinking, my feet are firmly planted on the ground and I realize that the digital divide will continue to be an issue. In fact, just today, some of my cheerleaders confessed to me that they either do not have a computer or do not have internet access at home so the statistics listed at the end of the article were not shocking to me, saddening, but not shocking. During the school year I encourage the cheerleaders to use the school’s library computers to check their email but in the summer I have a hard enough time with them finding transportation to practice let alone a ride to the library to check email.
As things stand now our society remains stagnate. One man in the article mentioned on some days he could not complete his applications and fill out unemployment documents in the same sitting due to time constraints on the free access he was able to get at the library, perpetually delaying his efforts to find employment. How do we pull ourselves out of this rut? I feel this is an issue for the government. In the US we have numerous assistance programs for so many traditional needs that access to information needs to be added. Honestly, if we could have a better educated, more informed, employable society I would not be opposed to a tax hike.
The main thing that struck me in the article was the comment that the "Internet is no longer a luxury." I completely agree. Regardless of who you are, how old you are, or what you do, you will have a hard time functioning in society today without a computer and Internet access.
Think about all of the things we need computers for today. We talk to each other online (email, Skype), we shop for clothes, shoes, household items, and groceries. We apply for jobs, we look up phone numbers and addresses, we get directions and product reviews, we apply for unemployment and take classes...
I was shocked by the statistics that "73% of libraries provide the only source of free computer and internet access in their communities" and that 4 out of 10 people don't have computers in their homes. Looking around my house, my neighbors houses too, seeing 5 computers for 4 people, I never really realized how much we take access for granted.
But how would our lives change without those computers and that Internet access? How would I read my son's school newsletter each week? They don't provide paper copies anymore. How would I get and pay my bills? I'd have to waste all that paper receiving and sending them. How would I try and figure out what that rash on my daughter's arm is if I couldn't access WebMD? I guess I'd have to make an appointment with the Dr., take the morning off work, pay the $15 copay... You get the idea.
How can we expect people to function and thrive in a technology driven society if the technology is only available to those who can afford it? While I applaud all that has been done to provide access via public libraries, if this country is to survive and someday thrive again, we have to do more. We need to provide some kind of incentives to computer/access companies that provide equipment and/or access to those who cannot afford them. We need to somehow find tax breaks for people purchasing computers or businesses providing free access. Starbucks - would it be so hard to add a few computers to those little tables?? I know this country is at a breaking point financially, but what choice do we have? We must find a way to put computers and the Internet in every home in America. Information is power and those without access will continue to feel powerless.
YES, "the Internet is no longer a luxury" as Lynn highlighted. One of the class readings I just finished noted that other countries have universal internet access. The extremely expensive privatization of things like cable television and phone use (remember when TV access was free? you just plugged it in and wiggled the rabbit ears around. Remember when a $7 phone bill sent your mother into hysterics???) are deepening the "digital divide." YES we are a capitalist nation that encourages earning income in a variety of entrepreneurial ways. BUT when are things like the internet going to be acknowledged as items for the public good, where all citizens have equal access to information, regardless of income levels? I think the emphasis our society puts on the accumulation and conspicuous display of wealth is the greatest detriment to our advance as a nation. Sorry, I guess I'm just a big STAR TREK fan and I think we should all be free to contribute our unique offerings and not have to worry about salary level. We should all be able to get "tea, Earl Grey, hot" when we need it because we have already contributed to the public pot with our skills and hard work. Those concerned with the display of wealth drive up the prices for everyone else.
Another of our readings stated that libraries are a middle class thing. Yes, so true. The wealthy just have the books they need sent to them. The poor don't see needs beyond the immediate ones of procuring food and shelter. And no, this won't change anytime soon.
Shannon mentioned transportation to the library. That is also an issue. Hours, not enough resources to go around, etc. I too have noticed that the libraries I visit often have people waiting outside the doors before opening time and lots of traffic throughout the day. I was also amazed that the three librarians I spoke to didn't mention MelCat to me. I was specifically asking how I could access resources that were physically located far away, and none of the three mentioned it. My boss, when I asked him later, did know about it.
Also, many workplaces discourage the use of work computers for personal use, such as job searches or e-mail access. You can't blame them, but until the day comes that we all have free internet access and low-cost computers, I think our nation will still continue to lag behind others in terms of producing informed citizens and valued workers.
I just wanted to take a minute to look at the positive steps Librarians are taking in helping people access information online when they normally wouldn’t have that access. Yes, I believe the “digital divide” is a serious problem, and I do not think the solution will be an easy one or something that should be ignored.
However, when I read the article, I was surprised and felt a little pride for the libraries of Multnomah County. In response to the surge of patrons using the free Internet access to look for jobs, they began offering “job-hunting labs” and computer classes. I thought it was awesome that they offered these classes and to top it off they offered them in 5 different languages.
I was curious to see if my local library offered any services like the services offered by Multnomah County mentioned in the article. After checking out the website, I was pleasantly surprised to find computer classes and workshops offered for children and adults alike. Classes ranged from Job Searching and Basic Internet to Word Processing and Email. I also found that the downtown branch has a Small Business Resource Center. They have designated librarians, computers, books, and resources and information to help a person start up their own small business and grow it into a successful business.
Although we are living in a time of uncertainty, I feel proud to be going into the library profession. Libraries are not solving the problem of the “digital divide”, but they are being active in helping people as much as they can. Kudos to the librarians out there who are being open minded and flexible in the services they are offering to help their community’s needs.
I think an important question to ask is are people limited to their local public library when it comes to free computer usage, or can surrounding libraries afford them the use of computers with internet access wherever it is available? I know whenever I look in the “computer lab” at my local public library (Clinton-Macomb Public Library) there are always a few computers open. Out of curiosity, I checked the website and it says that anyone who carries a guest card (which is almost anyone who has a library card from a library in Macomb County) can use the computers. They also offer wireless internet free to all card carry members and guest can purchase an internet card for one-time fee of $2, so that helps those who have a laptop computer but no internet at home. I think it is worthwhile for libraries, and librarians, to know policies on computer usage of surrounding area libraries so they can relay them to patrons. If the computers at that person’s library are all in use, by knowing other library policies, a person will be aware that another library may be able accommodate them. Now, with economic times as they are, where library resources are stretched thin, it would seem logical for libraries in adjoining neighborhoods to pool what resources are available and embrace outside patrons into their communities.
Reading this article, it occurred to me that those computer terminals being occupied for 94% of the time is a great example of a use of space and resources that is really getting a service to those who need it.
A funny thing happened recently at my local library - the server was down. I walked in and it was so quiet. There was literally nobody there. When somebody finally walked in, all they wanted was to know if the "computers had been fixed yet" and if the library staff knew "when the computers might be fixed". I think it's just another interesting example of the fact that the library is a fluid concept. It's whatever people need it to be. If people need job hunting skills, the libraries respond to that need. The local library meets people's needs to be educated, informed and entertained in whatever way is most relevant and efficient at the time.
It would be nice if the government or other organizations banded together to provide some sort of free internet, perhaps for a whole metro area, or a whole country. However, while profits continue to be made by companies who price their goods and services in a way that restricts access to those resources to some percentage of the population, also known as 'capitalism', this is an unlikely scenario. However, when something becomes as pervasive as the online environment, it has to get cheaper. Mass demand means mass availability, means cost reduction, generally. So maybe there's hope. I certainly remember when TV was free (it's still free in Australia and Hulu is still free, thankfully), so I too think that something so basic and integral to all of our lives should be if not free, then at least minimally expensive, and I do think we are moving in that direction.
Lastly, Bill Gates gets a lot of flak for all sorts of things, some probably well-deserved, but he has filled the computer lab at my local library with computers. So kudos to Bill Gates, too.
Only 25% of underprivilged families have computer access in their homes? That statistic is astounding to me. Not so much because I don't believe it, but because until I saw it in writing I forgot just how privilged I am.
I have noticed that whenever I go to a library, be it in the community or at my school, it is increasingly harder to gain access to a computer without waiting in line. I can empathize with what Hannah-Jones was saying in her article.
This topic, the need for new programs in a new era, is a great thing for us to be discussing because our future jobs will be in the industry and we're going to have to face this issue on a daily basis. I think it is great that there are new programs like the three hour job search, resume and basic skills classes popping up in more libraries across the nation. It is becoming increasingly necessary for us to be there to help the public. My only concern is that resources are being stretched too thin. Oftentimes,librarians seem to be having to take on the role of teacher. And without more funding and more training that may pose a problem.
I think action to increase funding and provide more access to job training and computers needs to be taken from both government and private donors like the Gates Foundation. More needs to be done to ensure that those who need Internet access can gain it.
"But like I’ve mentioned, it’s a vicious cycle—is there a solution?" Unfortunately, I see no solution in sight. With resources going down the drain there is no way for libraries to ask for more. I mean, they can but will they receive it? Probably not. Even though the library is taking the place of schools even (to teach how to interview, write a resume, etc. The library is still not seen as a viable resource. "What are other libraries doing to assist patrons with job hunting needs?" I know for sure that my library is doing nothing. Although the local community college is giving free seminars of resume writing, and how to's for job searches. Unfortunately, the more in depth a job is, the more institutions want to teach it. Thus, give the college a hundred bucks a patron doesn't have and THEN the college will teach you how to be viable in society. "Have there been other times in history where libraries played similar roles for different circumstances?" To tell you the truth, I have no idea if there have been other times when libraries did so much for the society as a whole. But I will assume that maybe the Great Depression or another huge fluctuation of the economy could spark a library to teach for free what colleges could not. I am happy that libraries are stepping in to help but fear that there is only so much that they can do with the very limited resources available to them. Librarians cannot do what they want to with each patron and that should not be the case. This is just another example of education not being a priority in this particular culture.
Growing up just outside of Metro Portland, I know the economic trials that affect the state quite personally. Having said that, it's hearting to see that the Multnomah County Library has accepted the role as the main entity in helping an economically downtrodden society get itself back on its feet.
Libraries often don't get enough credit for the resources they have that are available FOR FREE to the general public. How many times have we stepped into a library and seen the newest bestseller and been able to check it out without paying a single dime, other than our taxes of course? Or had to search something on the internet because we were out running errands or otherwise away from home when we needed a computer? I often have and am grateful to the public library for making itself available. Because there are those that fall on the wrong side of the digital divide in a time when being digital so is important and such an integrated slice of everyday life, the public library is all the more important. People need access to the internet to function, its a tried and true reality in this day and age. Sadly, not all can afford everything that comes with being connected and rely heavily on their local library. This just goes to show how important sufficient funds are to these bastions of the public domain and should be a clarion call to voters and the local government to find ways to continue to provide the less fortunate an adequate access to the necessary things in life.
It’s likely that my stance here will be extremely unpopular, but I’m going to say it anyway.
While I believe it’s incumbent upon libraries to offer free Internet access due to their very nature of providing access to information, I do not believe for one moment that it is incumbent upon libraries or librarians to offer resume writing, interviewing, or job searching workshops or assistance. Being forced into a position to offer such services is simply an exhaustive drain on already restricted/limited resources. For all the time that library staff is helping a patron write a resume, valuable time is taken away from the staff’s re-shelving, cataloging, weeding, reference assistance, and other library “duty” time.
Don’t get me wrong—I do not think the unemployed or underprivileged should be left to their own devices; however, the library is not the only free “computer”/”job” resource available to communities. There are other resources designed specifically for the job-seeker that offer professional assistance in all these areas PLUS free Internet access. It’s called the unemployment office, or, in Michigan, the MichiganWorks! program. I’ve been to MichiganWorks! and know that they offer all the programs mentioned in the article here, plus some, and they, like the library, also do it for free. Additionally, as one of the commenters on the article stated, many HR departments also offer free computer use for those applying for jobs within their organization. We see this all the time at Target and WalMart, at the very least, and I can even say that of all the universities and colleges I’ve worked for, they too offer similar service. Besides, many of the jobs that the people using these resources are qualified for are minimum-wage jobs in the service industry, and the last time I checked, McDonald’s wasn’t limiting applications to only those received online. I realize this sounds harsh, but unfortunately, I think it’s the reality of things.
In closing, I must whole-heartedly disagree with Gibbon’s comments in the article that such tasks are not a “burden” but rather an “extension of” the librarian’s “role.” Librarians are educated, but simply being educated does not make them an authority on resume-building or job interviewing skills. Do any of us really want to be responsible for proofreading a patron’s resume and having it contain a typo? I certainly do not, and I’m even trained to do provide such service. I am rarely one to say, “That’s not my job,” but in this case, those words somewhat ring true.
Leanna,
Colleges *do* offer these courses; students simply do not take them because they are often not taken for "real" credit toward graduation or because of the simple fact that, in America, college is marketed and sold to potential students as their golden ticket to the land of opportunity and a million bucks a year. (Okay, so the last part of that is an exaggeration, but there is an element of truth to that statement.)
Most college graduates have access to career services at the college for a year after graduation, and sometimes even more. I can say that CMU offers e-mail/Internet for six months after graduation and access to career services for a year. Delta College graduates have access to Delta's career resources for the rest of their life.
I realize that it's important to help our communities in a variety of ways, but as I said, there are other places to get help, such as the local unemployment office or your college, if you're a graduate.
The library should not and cannot be the sole source of employment assistance for a community.
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