Workforce Services
This section includes resources to help your library provide services and support to job seekers, small business and entrepreneurial start-ups, and the unemployed. Many of the resources here were collected as part of the IMLS-funded Project Compass, a national initiative to support public libraries' services to the struggling workforce.
See also the Project Compass Curriculum Workbook and Materials.
Self-paced courses and webinar recordings on this topic are freely available in the WebJunction Course Catalog.
Most Recently Added
Social Work Approaches to Library Services
Publish Date: Webinar / 29 November 2022
Learn how a range of social work approaches can be applied to help improve library services for your community.
Resources for Social Work and Library Collaboration
Publish Date: News / 28 November 2022
Library staff are known for their resourcefulness and commitment to adapting to help community members in need. But as the scope of library services has expanded to address complex social needs that aren’t being met elsewhere, it can feel overwhelmin...
Resources for Helping Unhoused Patrons
Publish Date: News / 10 November 2022
Libraries are central to our communities, as places where anyone is welcome to gather, connect, and learn, but for some members of our community, they represent much more than that. For many people experiencing homelessness, the library might be the ...
Redefining Public Libraries in a Post-Pandemic World: Key Resources from Urban Libraries Council
Publish Date: News / 5 July 2022
While public libraries and their communities across North America continue to grapple with the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the collective strength of libraries continues to endure and grow. Public libraries have proven during these ch...
Workforce Development: A Library Partnership Success Story
Publish Date: News / 31 May 2022
OCLC’s headquarters are in Dublin, Ohio, a neighbor to the award-winning Columbus Metropolitan Library (CML). Not only is CML frequented by OCLC employees because it’s their local system, but many of us visit (I work out of Pittsburgh, PA) from time ...
Employment and Training Resources for Spanish Speakers
Publish Date: News / 6 February 2022
As part of an ongoing collaboration with the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (DOL/ETA) and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), WebJunction is pleased to update you on employment and training resources ...
Report on Public Libraries: A Community's Connection for Career Services
Publish Date: News / 21 November 2019
Local public libraries serve an important role in the national workforce development system. This role has increased since the Great Recession and became formalized through changes in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014. Public libra...
Library Offers Training to Enhance Job-Readiness in the Community
Publish Date: News / 15 February 2018
In 2016, Berkeley County in South Carolina was seeing an increase in businesses opening or moving to the area, bringing new job opportunities for community members. The Berkeley County Library System, along with their partners with the local school d...
Libraries Help Patrons Become Financially Empowered Consumers
Publish Date: Webinar / 14 February 2017
In this webinar, learn about the financial education resources you can use with your patrons, made available by the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau.
Resources on Libraries and Homelessness
Publish Date: News / 24 January 2017
A collection of resources, webinars, courses, video, and articles on libraries and how they serve the homeless in their communities.
