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Job Seekers Project – Information and Highlights

DCPL Board Meeting, July 21, 2010

The Job Seekers Project was initiated as a priority item from Ginnie Cooper in April 2010. The
goal of the project is to increase the level of support that DCPL provides to job seekers and
design and deliver employment resources in ways that maximize impact for the people who
need them.

• Nationally, job seekers are turning to libraries. Librarians from across the country
report an increase in people seeking help finding jobs. In 2007, 44% of libraries reported
job seeker assistance as a “critical use” of their library. In 2009 that had risen to 67%.1

• How other libraries are meeting this need. Many major library systems have
developed resource sites for job seekers, including Boston, Brooklyn, Charlotte
Mecklenburg, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Enoch Pratt, Fresno, Los Angeles, Multnomah
County, San Francisco, Seattle, and St. Louis.

• Why a job seekers site as a place to start? A dedicated site centralizes resources for
job seekers and staff, and distills overwhelming information into manageable
recommendations. As we expand services and partnerships, the site is an up-to-date
resource center for all things job-related at DCPL.

• Internal Collaboration. The jobs project team brings together diverse skill sets and
perspectives within DCPL, with representation from Managers, Adult Librarians,
Neighborhood libraries, MLK staff, and IT. Internally, the team has received extensive
support from Collections, Marketing, the Director’s Office, IT, and multiple other
individuals for review at various stages.

• Department of Employment Services (DOES) partnership. The project team has held
several brainstorming sessions with DOES to align and cross-promote resources and
services. Together, we are pursuing ideas such as co-branded marketing materials,
cross-training for staff, and a co-sponsored ‘Jobs Day’ at MLK this fall.

• Launch date and roll-out for portal. The jobs site is anticipated to launch in late
August. The roll-out will include an initial press release, designating the Jobs Site as
default on DCPL public computers, system-wide marketing collateral, and displays.

• How will we evaluate effectiveness and success? Options include pop-up questions
for customers using the site, statistics on hits and length of visit, trends on usage of
DOES-driven web pages from library computers, increased usage of job- related DCPL
databases, informal staff feedback and surveys, and qualitative metrics such as a ‘Share
Your Success Story’ option on the portal.

1
National Project Compass workshop attended by representatives from DCPL; ALA Survey as reported in USA
Today http://www.usatoday.com/tech/2009-09-01-library-computers-internet_N.htm

Document #10.1
Board of Library Trustees Meeting
July 21, 2010

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