The New York Public Library Opens State-of-the-Art New Job Center and Unveils Free New Resources to Help New Yorkers Find Jobs

In response to overwhelming demand by the public, The New York Public Library has launched JobSearch@NYPL, a campaign to ensure that every job-seeking New Yorker is connected to the technologies and information they need – for free. “The new Job Search Central, a state of the art space at the Science, Industry and Business Library, has opened to help job seekers from entry through executive levels,” said Library President Paul LeClerc. “Throughout our system we have added more than 1,000 career-related classes, from resume-writing workshops to networking seminars to computer skills sessions, and we have provided special training to at least one staff member in each of our 87 branches to help users with job search needs.”

Job Search Central offers an extensive range of resources, including free help on everything from learning how to create a resume to finding the names of hiring managers and other inside information not available on the Internet. Job Search Central is located on the Lower Level of the Science, Industry and Business Library at 34th Street and Madison Avenue.

At Job Search Central, the outstanding collections and services of the Science, Industry and Business Library are building on the rich resources formerly located at the Job Information Center at the Mid-Manhattan Library. Among the highlights:

- 8,000 up-to-date books on career options, company information, interview skills, resume writing, test preparation, career and other job search topics
-free access to high end subscription-only databases such as Vault Career Library and Wetfeet Career and Industry Guides
-11 desktop computers just for job seekers; with access to research databases, resume templates, and internet job search sites
-roving librarians to help with online job searches and other job information
-hands on classes on such subjects as job opportunities in emerging industries, writing winning cover letters, and creating a company contact list
-in-depth job search and resume writing help will be available by appointment
-free job counseling, for users age 50 plus, by appointment, will be provided by AARP career counseling
-free how-to-start-a-business advice for aspiring entrepreneurs provided by the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) abd the NYC Small Business Solutions Center

“In tough economic times, more and more New Yorkers are turning to libraries for critical services like help finding a job,” said Speaker Christine C. Quinn. “This is just one of the many reasons why the Council has made it a priority in the last few years to invest in our libraries. The new Job Search Central will provide New Yorkers with a full gamut of resources - everything from one-on-one career counseling to computer databases. And as we in government work to create jobs, we’ll depend on partners like The New York Public Library to help connect hard working New Yorkers with those opportunities.”

In addition, Library users can draw on SIBL’s other broad resources, which include a research-level collection of 1.2 million volumes and a circulating collection of 48,000 books and DVDs as well as 7,000 journals, including trade magazines with current information about employment opportunities within particular industries. SIBL is also a depository for the federal government and for New York State with comprehensively collected information related to government employment, social security and Medicare benefits, and labor regulation. Specialized databases with the most current business and financial information, hands-on training and workshops, as well as collaborative programming with partner organizations such as SCORE provide an unprecedented array of practical business know-how. SIBL is a Business Solutions Center of the NYC Department of Small Business Services and additionally manages the NYC Small Business Resource Center (smallbiz.nypl.org) a comprehensive online guide to starting and running a small business.

“The need for these services is growing amid climbing unemployment rates,” said Catherine C. Marron, Chairman of the Library’s Board of Trustees. “The Library is being challenged to do far more with significantly less.” In the last nine months, attendance at the Library’s career related classes jumped by 82 percent, and the Library now offers at least one career-related class every day. Visits to the Library increased by 1 million in the first half of this fiscal year alone, and over the past 12 months circulation rose by 3.5 million items. The proposed City cut to the Library’s operating budget this year is $28.2 million.

“The Library is also responding to demand by users who want immediate help with job searches and resume writing, either by walking into their local branch or visiting online at www.nypl.org,” said David Ferriero, the Andrew W. Mellon Director of The New York Public Libraries. An ambitious training program is being rolled out to enhance librarians’ skills related to job search, and all librarians are receiving training in financial literacy. For online users, Job Search @NYPL recently unveiled a dedicated web page full of resources, including subscription databases available free with a library card and a live chat widget that connects users instantly, 24 hours a day with a librarian, who can help them find classes, databases or learn how to file for unemployment benefits. The Library’s goal is to ensure that every New Yorker, regardless of income, age or education, has the resources they need to find a job.

About The New York Public Library
The New York Public Library was created in 1895 with the consolidation of the private libraries of John Jacob Astor and James Lenox with the Samuel Jones Tilden Trust. The Library provides free and open access to its physical and electronic collections and information, as well as to its services. It comprises four research centers – The Stephen A. Schwarzman Building; The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts; the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture; and the Science, Industry and Business Library – and 87 Branch Libraries in Manhattan, Staten Island, and the Bronx. Research and circulating collections combined total more than 50 million items, including materials for the visually impaired. In addition, each year the Library presents thousands of exhibitions and public programs, which include classes in technology, literacy, and English as a second language. The New York Public Library serves over 16 million patrons who come through its doors annually and another 25 million users internationally, who access collections and services through the NYPL website, www.nypl.org.

Contact: Heidi Singer 212.592.7311 orHeidi_Singer@nypl.org.