DUBLIN, Ohio, USA, 23 June 2010—The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has awarded OCLC WebJunction and the State Library of North Carolina (SLNC) a grant to continue work to provide library-based employment services and programs to assist the unemployed.

The $940,750 grant will fund work to conduct an impact and needs assessment on unemployment in all United States regions, and create a corresponding curriculum that can be tailored to meet local needs so that libraries are better equipped to meet the needs of the unemployed.

WebJunction, OCLC's online learning community for library staff, and SLNC will conduct a train-the-trainer workshop and up to 75 local workshops for public library staff working in the highest unemployment areas. They will deliver presentations at local conferences and make a free version of the workshop available online, in addition to hosting a Web site for ongoing communication among state libraries.

This project follows a previous IMLS funded project launched by WebJunction and SLNC to gather and share best practices for providing library-based employment services and programs.

"The State Library of North Carolina is looking forward to working with WebJunction and our partner libraries as they continue to deliver innovative and effective services and programs for their communities," said Jennifer S. Pratt, Chief of Library Development, State Library of North Carolina.

"WebJunction is eager to continue work with the State Library of North Carolina to help libraries help the unemployed," said Chrystie Hill, OCLC Director of Community Service. "This project will enhance libraries’ ability to provide stable, sustainable infrastructure for their communities’ economic recovery."

"Library services are in great demand as evidenced by the growing numbers of patrons turning to the library to meet their education, workforce, and health information needs," said Marsha L. Semmel, Acting Director of IMLS. "At the same time, information technology has transformed library service and opened the doors to innovation so that libraries can reach diverse people more effectively. In this fast-changing environment, providing training and educational support for librarians and library staff is more important than ever."

The IMLS grant was one of 38 Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program grants awarded totaling $22,623,984.