In Tough Times Libraries Are A Popular Resource

By Zack on March 30, 2009

This weekend's New York Times features a profile of one free resource that could be very instrumental in the job search: The Public Library. In the current job market libraries have seen a boom in visitation and the absorbtion of resources.

[O]ut-of-work professionals crowd the computers in the afternoon, a time that had previously been dominated by elderly patrons, and books on résumé writing are hard to keep on the shelves. The Science, Industry and Business Library on 34th Street drew 700 people to a career preparedness fair in January, and the Bronx Library Center recently doubled the number of computer classes it offers to the elderly because people looking to re-enter the work force had packed the existing classes to overflow levels.

Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens all saw a rise in circulation during the fourth quarter of 2008, just as the job market was shrinking. If I had to guess, I would say that libraries everywhere are facing similar circumstances. The take away here is that the library is an excellent resource for the job hunter ... just know that these days you will face increased competitions for books, computers and other resources.

We have some other resources to shape your career, with The Links ...

TechCrunch Profiles: InternSHARE, "an all-in-one internship job and review portal where students can not only find a internship but also access the reviews of internships at companies, submitted by former interns." I think this sounds pretty cool ... absolutely worth a look.

The Chronicle of Higher Ed Reports: on students outsourcing homework (via Andrew Sullivan). "The writers for essay mills are anonymous and often poorly paid. Some of them crank out 10 or more essays a week, hundreds over the course of a year. They earn anywhere from a few dollars to $40 per page, depending on the company and the subject." Insane. I hope none of you do this.

Mashable Reports: Birmingham City University, in England, is offering a Master's Degree in Social Networking. The program consists of a one-year course that costs about $6,000. I like this idea, but think it should be closer to a masters in a broader topic (Communications? Marketing?) with a concentration in Social Networking.

JibberJobber Summarizes: PC Mag's best job search websites. Coming in at the number 1 spot is Beyond.com, a job search network that pulls in from a number of different sites.

Lifehacker Has: 10 ways to get free education online. These range from how to learn a new language, how to learn new skills (like photography) and how to trade your skills online to learn new ones. Regardless of your major, career interests, etc, it's important to always be learning something new in a field outside your own. I think it keeps the mind fresh.

"Library Visitor" Photo courtesy of umjanedoan via Flickr Creative Commons.