Rachel Wedeward

Skokie Public Library Internship Practicum Paper

Professor Bill Crowley
Public Library Programming to Enhance Workforce Development
According to recent publishing from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemployment in the
United States has had very little change. Recent numbers from September 2015, the
unemployment rate held at 5%1. While many reports are indicating employment has slowly risen,
others reports are saying it is not exactly the good news the American people are hoping for2.
According to a report from the International Business Times, a Goldman Sachs projection
indicates that a larger share of the US population is now out of the labor force, the most since
1977, an era considered by many to be the top for manufacturing enterprises, and a time when
women didnt have many jobs34.
Despite the recent decrease in workforce development, this has ultimately grown an
opportunity for public libraries to fill this gap. As one the last public institutions remaining,
public libraries are directing change from being a center of resources to being a community
center. Public library programming for career services is critical to the community in two
aspects. First, public libraries have notoriously nurtured adolescents all the way to high schoolers
in using the library regularly, but when patrons reach the age of eighteen, statistics have shown a
decrease in adults using the public library since adult programming isnt readily available5.
Second, with the age of technology as a daily necessity, job applications and networking

1 "Employment Situation-October 2015." The Forestry Chronicle 25.2 (1949): 144-46. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Web.
2 "Jobless Claims Rise, 4-week Avg. Lowest since 1973." CNBC. N.p., 29 Oct. 2015. Web. 13 Nov. 2015.
3Stangler, Cole. "US Labor Force Participation Will Continue To Plunge, Drive Down Unemployment Rate: Goldman Sachs
Projection." International Business Times. International Business Times, 13 Oct. 2015. Web. 13 Nov. 2015.

4Graham, David A. "How America's Workforce Has Changed Since 1977."The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 02 July 2015.
Web. 13 Nov. 2015.

5 Zickhur, Kathryn, Lee Rainie, Kristen Purcell, and Maeve Duggan. "Section 1: An Overview of Americans' Public Library
Use." Pew Internet Libraries RSS. Pew Research Center, 11 Dec. 2013. Web. 13 Nov. 2015.

Rachel Wedeward
Skokie Public Library Internship Practicum Paper
Professor Bill Crowley
resources are now mainly online. In generations that did not grow up around this technology, a
gap develops in technology usage and daily participation in society6. To prove these statements,
community demographics will be analyzed to each public library that has implemented career
services to see how numbers and program compare.
Skokie Public Library Profile
A 2015 Library Journal Five Star Library, Skokie Public Library has continuously strived
to be the cornerstone of information, entertainment, and community of the North Shore of
Illinois78. The mission of the Skokie Public Library is As a springboard for personal growth and
community development, Skokie Public Library promotes discovery, enrichment, and the
exchange of ideas through a broad spectrum of materials, technologies, and experiences.9
Skokie Public Library has been able to effectively and efficiently meet the needs of Skokie
residents through programming such as movie screenings, informative lectures, and musical
performances, among others.
Skokie Illinois Demographics10
Population

Income

Age

Race(s)

64,784

$65,060

43

White: 66%
Asian: 24%

Education: 89%
High School
Graduate or Higher

11.4% Live Below

Poverty Level

Female: 53%
Male: 47%

Hispanic: 11%
Black: 6%

6Anderson, Monica, and Andrew Perrin. "15% of Americans Don't Use the Internet. Who Are They?" Pew Research Center RSS.
Pew Research Center, 28 July 2015. Web. 13 Nov. 2015.

7"Skokie Public Library - Skokie, IL." Yelp. Yelp, n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2015.
8 "America's Star Libraries, 2015: Top-Rated Libraries." Library Journal. Library Journal, 2 Nov. 2015. Web. 13 Nov. 2015.
9"Policies." Skokie Public Library. Skokie Public Library, n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2015.
10 "American FactFinder - Community Facts." American FactFinder - Community Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2015.

Rachel Wedeward
Skokie Public Library Internship Practicum Paper
Professor Bill Crowley
Skokie Public Library Career Services
Skokie Public Librarys career services was started in by Steven Osserman in the late
1980s. This service is now operated by Reference Librarian, Mike Buhmann. Prior to working at
Skokie in 1998, Mike was a Career Services and Business Librarian at Mount Prospect Public
Library11. The career services, located on the second floor of the library offers one on one career
assistance, networking discussion group, career databases, and a collection of resources
dedicated to career services12. All of these services could not be offered at Skokie without the
help of volunteers and library staff13.
However, one of the larger initiatives the career services staff is working on at Skokie
Public Library, is to target different audience groups through varied programming and varied
market avenues. Generally, the audience that comes into use career services are older workers,
retired but still looking to work, immigrants, and parents that are looking to get back in the
workforce after raising kids14. In terms of targeting different audiences, career services staff are
looking to target young professional audiences that are not using career services at the library by
offering varied career services programming and using social media to better market to this
audience group.
Young Professional Career Panel
In order to cater to this demographic, Career Services Librarian, Michael Buhmann,
Adult programming specialist, Mimosa Shah, Programming Assistant, Rachel Meiri, and Adult
Services Intern Rachel Wedeward, teamed up to create an event that would draw in the young
11 Buhmann, Mike. "Career Services Staff Interview." Personal interview. 23 Nov. 2015.
12 "Job Seekers." Skokie Public Library. Skokie Public Library, n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.
13 Buhmann, Mike. "Career Services Staff Interview." Personal interview. 23 Nov. 2015.
14 Buhmann, Mike. "Career Services Staff Interview." Personal interview. 23 Nov. 2015.

Rachel Wedeward
Skokie Public Library Internship Practicum Paper
Professor Bill Crowley
professional audience. Originally, the plan was to create an event outside of the library,
preferably in a bar setting that so that it could be more easily marketed to the young professional
audience. Due to budget constraints and slight difficulty to coordinating with staff in other
departments, the career services team decided to hold a young professional panel in the library.
Since this the first career services event geared towards this young professional audience, the
career services team is eager and excited to get an audience to use Skokie Public Library career
services.
The event called Be an Adult: Job Edition looks to help young professionals by
listening to a panel of 4-5 young professionals themselves tell their stories of how they used their
degree to get the career they wanted. The panelist experiences range from a comic bookstore
owner to a real estate agent. After the panel tells their stories, audience members will have a
chance to ask questions and potentially have opportunity to network with time allowed. What
Can I Do with My Degree? will be held on Tuesday February 9, 2016 from 7pm-8:30pm in the
Radmacher Room at the Skokie Public Library.
Arlington Heights Demographics15
Population

Income

Age

Race(s)

75, 101

$77.195

42

White: 88%
Asian: 7%

Education: 96%
High School
Graduate or Higher

4.2% Live Below

Poverty Level

Female: 52%
Male: 49%

Hispanic: 6%
Black: 1.3%

Arlington Heights Illinois

15"American FactFinder - Community Facts." American FactFinder - Community Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2015.

Rachel Wedeward
Skokie Public Library Internship Practicum Paper
Professor Bill Crowley
In terms of geographical location, Arlington Heights Memorial Library is comparable to
Skokie, when looking at demographics and career services. Arlington Heights Memorial Library
was first established as a womens club in 1896. Since than the library has undergone many
changes. In 2009, Arlington Heights was given a five star rating by Library Journal, an honor
that only one percent of the nations libraries receives16. Arlington Heights has a very high value
of customer service, and patrons are their number one priority. According to the website,
Arlington Heights values are;
Unparalleled Customer Service: our best-in-class staff strives for continuous improvement by
identifying and providing the services our residents and businesses need most. Free and Equal
Access: all individuals have the right to choose for themselves what to read, hear, or view. Fiscal
Responsibility: all decisions are weighed against the value added to the lives of our customers. A
Focus on Arlington Heights: we are a part of the fabric of our community; all services are
tailored to the unique needs of our residents and businesses.17
Arlington Heights has been able to accomplish this through by offering an incredibly
length jobs and career services18. First service offered is programming. Programming for job and
career services varies from social media networking to job seeking for ESL learners. Second
service offered is resume help. Resume help is available by appointment only for Arlington
Heights cardholders only. Additional resume services includes live online help for Arlington
Heights card members only and online guides resume building and templates. Third resource
available, is career research. The career research available online include, Gale and Lynda
courses, Reference USA, and Occupational Outlook Handbook. Additionally, career resources on

16"Visions, Values and History | Arlington Heights Memorial Library." Visions, Values and History | Arlington Heights
Memorial Library. Arlington Heights Memorial Library, n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2015.

17 "Visions, Values and History | Arlington Heights Memorial Library." Visions, Values and History | Arlington Heights
Memorial Library. Arlington Heights Memorial Library, n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2015.

18 "Jobs & Careers | Arlington Heights Memorial Library." Jobs & Careers | Arlington Heights Memorial Library. Arlington
Heights Memorial Library, n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2015.

Rachel Wedeward
Skokie Public Library Internship Practicum Paper
Professor Bill Crowley
the website include local career resources in Barrington Career Place, Illinois WorkNet, Jewish
Vocational Services, and St Huberts Parish.

Harker Heights, Texas Demographics19

Population
27,700

Income
$63,711

Age
43

Education: 90%
High School
Graduate or Higher

14% Live Below

Poverty Level

Female: 50%
Male: 50%

Race(s)
White: 68%
Asian: 5%
Hispanic: 22%
Black: 16%

Central Texas
In terms of states doing amazing career services programming, central Texas is ahead of
everyone else. According to the article, Collaboration, Large and Small: The Digital Literacy
Corps Draws Upon Human Talent to Bring Workforce Development Classes to Central Texas
Libraries, the Texas Workskills Workforce Development in Libraries established the North
Texas Library Partners that brought computers and job searching classes to public libraries all
over the state of Texas20.
Between January and August 2011, librarians held 230 classes and reached over 1,000
patrons. According to the article, the classes were a huge success for the patrons.
DLC classes met or exceeded student expectations and needs. Based on surveys that trainers
distributed after each class, a majority of DLC students indicated that they were very satisfied
with what they learned. On a scale of 1 (low) to 7 (high), each of the five classes earned a score
of 6 or 7 from over 70% of participants. Even more impressive over 80% of students gave their
19 "American FactFinder - Community Facts." American FactFinder - Community Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2015.
20 Perna, Laura. 2011. "Collaboration, Large and Small: The Digital Literacy Corps Draws Upon Human Talent to Bring
Workforce Development Classes to Central Texas Libraries." Texas Library Journal 87, no. 3: 82-83. Library & Information
Science Source, EBSCOhost (accessed November 13, 2015).

Rachel Wedeward
Skokie Public Library Internship Practicum Paper
Professor Bill Crowley
trainers a 6 or 7 on a scale of 1 to 7. In some locations, students pitched in to buy their trainer a
gift at the end of a course or sent personal thank you notes.21
With libraries being able to provide these career services, a community can thrive economically.
After this program was initiated, Texas libraries continued efforts to provide career services in
the library. In the article, WIN at the Library, the Texas Library Association began a program
known as WIN, that would promote the many workforce, business, and career/ college readiness
programs, activities, and resources available at Texas libraries22. This is still a developing
program for the Texas Library Association. The goal for this project is to increase public
awareness, open up pathways and partnerships for new allied groups, and create energy and
shared messaging to build a case for local and state investment in workforce development23.

Other Library Career Services Programming

Aside from public libraries, school libraries have also taken advantage of offering career
services assistance. According to the article, Trading Book Bags For Backpacks: How School
Libraries Help the Workforce., thirty one percent of Americas 2011 high school graduates did
not enroll in coursework at a college or university in the fall. This also did not include the 1.2
million high schools who have dropped out of high school prior to a scheduled graduation24.
21 Perna, Laura. 2011. "Collaboration, Large and Small: The Digital Literacy Corps Draws Upon Human Talent to Bring
Workforce Development Classes to Central Texas Libraries." Texas Library Journal 87, no. 3: 82-83. Library & Information
Science Source, EBSCOhost (accessed November 13, 2015).

22 MERAZ, GLORIA. 2014. "WIN at the Library: On Workforce Development, Career and College Readiness and Business
Support." Texas Library Journal 90, no. 2: 72-73. Library & Information Science Source, EBSCOhost (accessed November 13,
2015).

23 MERAZ, GLORIA. 2014. "WIN at the Library: On Workforce Development, Career and College Readiness and Business
Support." Texas Library Journal 90, no. 2: 72-73. Library & Information Science Source, EBSCOhost (accessed November 13,
2015).

24 McDaniel, Emily1. 2013. "TRADING BOOK BAGS FOR BACKPACKS: HOW SCHOOL LIBRARIES HELP THE
WORKFORCE." Library Media Connection 31, no. 5: 14-15. Library & Information Science Source, EBSCOhost (accessed
November 13, 2015).

Rachel Wedeward
Skokie Public Library Internship Practicum Paper
Professor Bill Crowley
Startled by these numbers, Thomas Dale High School librarian, Emily McDaniel
provided suggestions on how to provide career services to high schoolers prior to graduation.
First, maintain a regular career collection in the library. Include materials that discuss trade
skills, and cost of certifications. Creating a separation between college bound and career bound
will allow for more flexibility in post-high school options for students. Second encourage
collaboration with teachers across all subject areas to get as much information out to students as
possible. It could be as simple as discussing job rates and income levels in Math classes, or
budgeting and bills in an Economics class. Third, offer opportunities for help during regular
school hours. Discuss with school administration or teachers about creating once a month career
workshops. Not all students can stay after school, or by offering this option in exchange for class
time can be incredibly beneficial for real-life job preparation. Fourth, create a comprehensive
website. Trying to be as much information on a website as possible can be very difficult. So,
Thomas Dale created a binary wiki that has separations that are called, book bags and backpacks.
Students can choose what option is best for them, especially if they are on the fence. Finally,
never underestimate the importance of a video blog, aka a vlog. A vlog comes in handy when
demanding schedules cannot be met, and allows for viewing opportunity after being filmed.
Career focused vlogs at Thomas Dale occurred during the monthly career workshops. McDaniel
suggests using examples of previous vlogs to get started. Particular vlogs suggested include,
Crash Course, and The Vlog Brothers, which are both available on YouTube25.
Discussion

25 McDaniel, Emily1. 2013. "TRADING BOOK BAGS FOR BACKPACKS: HOW SCHOOL LIBRARIES HELP THE
WORKFORCE." Library Media Connection 31, no. 5: 14-15. Library & Information Science Source, EBSCOhost (accessed
November 13, 2015).

Rachel Wedeward
Skokie Public Library Internship Practicum Paper
Professor Bill Crowley
In order for public libraries to succeed, there must be a strong connection and
development to the community served. With economic downturns causing drastic changes to
workforce development, it is critical that public libraries address this need. The research of
public libraries in and out of the Chicago area, in collaboration with each community
demographics proves that having this resource available has increased education rates and
ultimately increased income rates and decreased poverty rates.
Public libraries such as Skokie have also proven that this service is need regardless of
economic need. Patrons are always looking for work, additionally, it is important that public
libraries train patrons on the ongoing changes for employment applications. This is especially
true with technology usage increasing in employment applications. With technology is continuing
to evolve, libraries should evolve with this technology too.

Conclusion
Career services will continue to evolve, even in better economic times. As one librarian
told me, libraries have changed so much to meet community needs, this change will only
progress as community needs change26. But despite potential change, career services in public
libraries will always be the most logical and the most needed service to serve the community.
People will always be on the hunt for a better job, and the process and criteria for getting the
right job will continue to evolve and change into the digital, it is critical to address challenge a
community might face with these changes to ultimately foster a better community.

26 Buhmann, Mike. "Career Services Staff Interview." Personal interview. 23 Nov. 2015.

Rachel Wedeward
Skokie Public Library Internship Practicum Paper
Professor Bill Crowley

Bibliography
"American FactFinder - Community Facts." American FactFinder - Community Facts. N.p., n.d.
Web. 13 Nov. 2015.
"America's Star Libraries, 2015: Top-Rated Libraries." Library Journal. Library Journal, 2 Nov.
2015. Web. 13 Nov. 2015.
Anderson, Monica, and Andrew Perrin. "15% of Americans Don't Use the Internet. Who Are
They?" Pew Research Center RSS. Pew Research Center, 28 July 2015. Web. 13 Nov. 2015.
Buhmann, Mike. "Career Services Staff Interview." Personal interview. 23 Nov. 2015.
"Employment Situation-October 2015." The Forestry Chronicle 25.2 (1949): 144-46. Bureau of
Labor Statistics. Web.
Graham, David A. "How America's Workforce Has Changed Since 1977."The Atlantic. Atlantic
Media Company, 02 July 2015. Web. 13 Nov. 2015.
"Jobs & Careers | Arlington Heights Memorial Library." Jobs & Careers | Arlington Heights
Memorial Library. Arlington Heights Memorial Library, n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2015.
"Jobless Claims Rise, 4-week Avg. Lowest since 1973." CNBC. N.p., 29 Oct. 2015. Web. 13
Nov. 2015.
"Job Seekers." Skokie Public Library. Skokie Public Library, n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.

"Policies." Skokie Public Library. Skokie Public Library, n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2015.
"Visions, Values and History | Arlington Heights Memorial Library." Visions, Values and History
| Arlington Heights Memorial Library. Arlington Heights Memorial Library, n.d. Web. 13 Nov.
2015.
MERAZ, GLORIA. 2014. "WIN at the Library: On Workforce Development, Career and
College Readiness and Business Support." Texas Library Journal 90, no. 2: 72-73. Library &
Information Science Source, EBSCOhost (accessed November 13, 2015).
McDaniel, Emily1. 2013. "TRADING BOOK BAGS FOR BACKPACKS: HOW SCHOOL
LIBRARIES HELP THE WORKFORCE." Library Media Connection 31, no. 5: 14-15. Library
& Information Science Source, EBSCOhost (accessed November 13, 2015).

Rachel Wedeward
Skokie Public Library Internship Practicum Paper
Professor Bill Crowley
Perna, Laura. 2011. "Collaboration, Large and Small: The Digital Literacy Corps Draws Upon
Human Talent to Bring Workforce Development Classes to Central Texas Libraries." Texas
Library Journal 87, no. 3: 82-83. Library & Information Science Source, EBSCOhost (accessed
November 13, 2015).
"Skokie Public Library - Skokie, IL." Yelp. Yelp, n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2015.
Stangler, Cole. "US Labor Force Participation Will Continue To Plunge, Drive Down
Unemployment Rate: Goldman Sachs Projection." International Business Times. International
Business Times, 13 Oct. 2015. Web. 13 Nov. 2015.
Zickhur, Kathryn, Lee Rainie, Kristen Purcell, and Maeve Duggan. "Section 1: An Overview of
Americans' Public Library Use." Pew Internet Libraries RSS. Pew Research Center, 11 Dec.
2013. Web. 13 Nov. 2015.