Biddeford, MAINE (December 13, 2011)--In a challenging economy,
librarians are just as concerned as local politicians with assisting the
unemployed and providing a boost to economic development. On Wednesday
December 14th from 11 am to 2 pm, McArthur Library will be hosting a
training session for a group of displaced workers from Lowe's Biddeford
store. The training will be presented by the Maine State Library, in
conjunction with the Department of Labor's Rapid Response Team and
McArthur Library. Individual workers were contacted with an invitation
to learn about the assistance libraries can provide. The program is a
timely response to the urgent need to provide assistance to displaced
workers - for those who are seeking employment or educational
opportunities, the online resources provide a wide range of tutorials,
classes, tips and skill-building opportunities.
Patrick Therrien, Technology & Education Training Specialist with
the Maine State Library, will be providing an overview of resources
available on the topics of job seeking, interviewing skills, and an
introduction to preparing for job fairs, as well as how job seekers may
leverage the latest technologies, including social media, during the job
search. These resources are online and can be accessed through McArthur
Public Library's public access internet computers as well as from home.
Jeff Cabral, McArthur Library Director, welcomes the opportunity to
showcase the resources as well as the abilities of his staff to assist
with employment questions. "People are realizing that the library plays
an important role in the community, and it's not just about 'books on
shelves' anymore nor is it about what is in our physical 'bricks and
mortar' building. It's what we know, it's what we have access to, and
it's the incredible knowledge and expertise of our staff."
The online resources are part of the Maine Public Library Information
Commons Project, and are available to all Maine residents. The project
provides Mainers with access to modules on employment, accessing health
and e-government information, business start-up and legal assistance,
digital literacy, and LearningExpress, a vast collection of classes and
study guides. LearningExpress includes modules on topics as varied as
software tutorials, reading skills for elementary students, and college
prep study guides for the SATs.
The Maine State Library was awarded a grant through the Broadband
Technology Opportunities Program of $1.3 million - which has enabled the
Maine Public Library Information Commons Project to go forward. The
project enhances public computer access in 107 public libraries in
Maine, establishes 11 video conferencing regional hubs, and creates a
partnership between the Maine State Library and the Department of Labor
to provide support for job seekers through training and access to online
information on a range of relevant topics, including job searches,
resume writing, interview readiness skills, and preparing for a job
fair.
"Libraries are a critical access point for job seekers who may not
have a career center in their community," said Maine Labor Commissioner
Robert Winglass. "In addition to providing online access to unemployment
benefits and job search services on Maine's Job Bank, the broadband
grant has provided unemployed workers with practical skills to help them
become reemployed."
McArthur Library is Maine's oldest tax-supported library and serves
the residents of Biddeford, as well as visitors, with its wide ranging
collections, resources, programs and technology.
The Maine State Library's Information Commons page can be found here.
Emma Lishness, Tilson Technology Management
Linda Varrell, Broadreach Public Relations
About
Tilson Fiber Technology, LLC: Tilson Fiber Technology, LLC (TFT), part
of the fast-growing Tilson family of companies, is a Portland, Maine
based business providing information technology and telecom project
management world-wide. www.tilsontech.com
