Newsweek: Reading into the future

This article is from a public librarian in Detroit talking about how much time she spends in her library answering questions about careers, information on unemployment, living acommodations, small businesses and just general "keeping my money" questions. She says:


Fortunately, we have all had comprehensive business training. Without it we wouldn't know where to start—especially now.

Based on her article, how would you rate yourself in these information literacy skills. Some of these areas also include suggestions on how to beef up this skill.

• Assisted patrons in obtaining an email address 
• Provided instruction on accessing email from a library Internet access terminal
• Have experience using a vertical search engine to look for job postings
• Have you showed a patron how to subscribe to job alerts for keyword searches in vertical search engines that offer this service (Indeed, SimplyHired, as examples)?
• Have you showed a patron how to use an RSS feed to create a job alert?
  
• Showed a patron how to use Google Local (or another mapping service) to find out how to get to an interview, or  how to get driving directions to their new employer?
• If the patron is looking for a new place to live and their main means of transportation is public transport or walking, have you used your local transit service to plot a route, or used Walk Score to find out about the community? A Walk Score can also be used to research potential local employers.
  
• Assisted patrons in navigating online application forms--for employment or EI--provided that the ability to deliver this service is also part of the library policy. You have to worry about accessing someone's personal information, as well as patrons who ask can you just fill this out for me, and your supervisor may not be too keen on librarians getting in the middle of this service. Using plain English, can you help patrons fill out this form? Do you have speakers in the community, or has your library provided an information session on these topics?
  
• Can you provide the above services in Spanish or additional Language Other than English?
• Did you help with the research, promotion and delivery of these services?
• Remember that these services and the information can vary from state to state, or province to province.
  
• Identified reputable community resources to assist with finding affordable housing
• Have access to information from local Landlord and Tenant office, including phone numbers and upcoming sessions
• Identified and provide a pathfinder for local and reputable sources on securing a loan for small business, as well as resources on how to write a business plan
• Do you know of an accountant or other reputable financial professional who is willing to provide these services free or low cost to patrons? Money advice, like medical and legal advice, may best be left to the experts in some cases.
• Identified major and reputable resources on personal finance, budgeting and credit within the library collection.
• Start with One Economy to get more information. Consumer.gov is also a great gateway resource for consumer financial information.
  
• In Canada, take a look at the free information from the Canadian Bankers' Association (you might want to get some of this information for yourself). In addition, the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada has fact sheets and links to publications from bank account to payday loans. Your province may also have some additional information through their provincial government site, so do some research there as well.
  

How'd you score?

Yep, the government is still hiring

Or hiring more, depending on who you're reading. I've posted before about what NACE says about government hires and I even mentioned when the new US administration arrived that there would be help wanted signs put out. According to an article on Reuters, the delivery of the stimulus package will require the assistance of many more workers, especially professionals. Since the stimulus will affect all levels of government, spread your search amongst the federal, state, and municipal governments and their various agencies. This could take a while, so try to narrow your search to the feds, a preferred state (not deranged) and two desired cities. Expand if you have no luck with your first choices, but remember that government work searches take time: you apply, get tested, get interviewed--usually twice--get selected, and then get an offer.

There are opportunities in public service in Canada as well, and I even have a post about how to find them.

Career-savvy information professional

Simmons Graduate School of Library and Information Science is offering an online course for Career-savvy information professionals. This is a new course according to the website, and if you feel that you have a gap in your career management knowledge, you might want to consider taking this course from them. At least they will put career management into the context of the library profession.

I have taken one other course from them and really liked them. I can't recommend this specific course, but I was happy with their online course delivery.

Alliance Virtual Library Online Career Fair

Library Career Fair and Library Fair will be held in SL on May 8th and 9th 2009. There is a registration procedure, but this seems to be for exhibitors, not for attendees, though that registration may come later.

I haven't attended many online career fairs, but it is a way to get out to the fair and cut down on carbon. Add some comments about quality if you do go: I'm curious.


SL: Celerity Yeuxdoux