Staff at the Worcester County Library (MD) were offering workforce development services for their community when they learned how many patrons encounter roadblocks due to their previous criminal history. Staff also knew that expungement–the process by which a record of criminal conviction is destroyed or sealed from state or federal record–could be helpful and so they set up an expungement clinic to pair patrons with a pro bono attorney who could assist with the process. Learn more about their story and how you might begin to set up an expungement clinic at your library in this 10-minute interview with Elena... Read more

WebJunction is collaborating with the Veterans Health Administration and Legal Services Corporation to promote free and reliable services, information, and resources on suicide prevention.

Suicide is a national public health issue. It impacts people from all walks of life, regardless of whether or not they have served in the military; however, the suicide rate among Veterans in 2019 was 52% higher than non-Veteran adults in the U.S., according to the 2021 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report. It is estimated that Veteran suicides represent approximately 22% of all suicide deaths in the U.S.

Libraries are well positioned to provide information... Read more

Are there patrons at your library who seem to be influenced by misinformation? Have you tried to provide them with trustworthy information, or offered tips on how to better search? Have you provided digital or media literacy programs that teach critical thinking and other important skills? How successful have any of these approaches been in addressing misinformation in your community?

We asked library staff these questions and heard that approaches they’ve used over the years have not been very effective when it comes to misinformation. They offered many insights, based on their front row view of how... Read more

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 to time to stay in tune with public library trends. CML is without question a trendsetter.

During one of those visits, I heard about CML’s workforce development partnership with a local healthcare technology company, CoverMyMeds, as well as other partners like Goodwill and Jewish Family Services. 

“The partnership with Columbus Metropolitan Library allows Goodwill Columbus to meet people where... Read more