The Economy

We've seen a big increase over the last couple of weeks in people doing online job searches and uploading resumes. Many are people who have never used a computer in their lives, but the unemployment offices are asking them to use the Michigan Works web site to search for jobs and upload resumes. It is frustrating for them to learn to use a computer while working on something so important. It's always nice to learn computers at a stress-free, slow pace, but many people do not have that luxury. We do what we can to help them, but we're finding that we often have to draw the line between giving excellent one-on-one, in-depth service to these patrons and helping other patrons too. We don't want to leave anyone hanging, but the reality is that while the library gets busier and more important to our community, our staffing has not changed.

We've added more computer classes and a "Job Hunting Online" class. We've also asked the Friends of the Library to consider sponsoring more new materials for the career section. We allow patrons to make a 20-minute appointment with a librarian for individual help on any topic, so that is an option too.