Job Assistance in Libraries
“We were initially trying to meet the needs of maybe the most underserved, maybe the folks experiencing the most economic and racial injustice in our community, but we wound up serving just any…a lot more of a wider range than I ever would have expected.” – Zephyr
Meet Zephyr Kendzierski. Zephyr’s pronouns are they/them/theirs. Prior to working in libraries, Zephyr had been in retail and ecommerce. They loved the mission and the people, but they were feeling burnt out and longing for human connection again. They were ready for a career change. This promoted Zephyr to quit their job and volunteer at the Appleton Public Library. And so their professional story in libraries begins.
Today, Zephyr is the Assistant Supervisor for their Public Services team at the Appleton Public Library in Wisconsin. Zephyr and several other team members run a successful job assistance service titled, Job Connections, for individuals in the Fox Cities. It partners with Workforce Development along with other agencies and businesses to connect individuals to local employment opportunities. Individuals may request for one-to-one assistance with online job applications, resume and cover writing, digital skills, and any other techniques and tricks to guide them in their job search.
Zephyr and their team were not only serving individuals experiencing homelessness or recently incarcerated individuals. They were serving individuals in their fifties who needed digital skills training to apply for jobs on Indeed. They were serving educated individuals who needed to improve their writing skills or English literacy. They were serving individuals with degrees in Business and Digital Marketing.
The impact of Job Connections was greater than they had anticipated, and it continues to evolve to meet demands. Below are a few takeaways from the conversation with Zephyr.
Study the reports in your community because it will allow you to determine the community needs and the populations who were hit hardest in any economic downturn.
Research what other libraries of all shapes and sizes are doing to serve their communities’ economic disparities. Start learning and gathering ideas, but understand that other libraries’ models may not fit with your community. Be willing to try, adapt, and alter as needed.
Develop a job assessment, a community survey to analyze patterns of perceptions, skills, knowledge, needs, and any other feedback related to the workforce.
Be intentional in your efforts to reach diverse populations. For example, have surveys translated into multiple languages, have staff who speak other languages and/or reflect the populations served, and be mindful of barriers.
Build strategic community partnerships. The success of Job Connections came from partnering with Workforce Development, US Venture, and other agencies to tap into their resources, connections, and service models. Partners are another effort to broaden your promotion and reach.
Advertise the service on your website, social media, through emails, and with your partners. However, anticipate that many of your patrons will be walk-ins…those who use your library regularly and those who have heard about your service through word-of-mouth.
Have staff stationed and available at the library during peak hours to help with job assistance. The Appleton Public Library found that their peak hours were during mid-day.
If you have the capacity, extend the service to create more opportunities to build digital literacy skills. For example, provide laptops and hot spots for circulation, offer computer learning classes for adults, offer web conferences, marketing, or other necessary skill-building workshops, create mentorship programs or matchmaker programs to get individuals certified in a specific field.
Address economic injustice and disparities through the lens of community and holistic well-being. Realize the importance of connecting individuals to a job that they love, a job that they are good at, and a job that allows them to provide for their families. When we have any breaks in that, we are hurting as a community.
Listen to needs without judgement or defensiveness.
Tune into this podcast episode with Zephyr Kendzierski to learn more about Job Connections at the Appleton Public Library. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Zephyr Kendzierski at zkendzierski@apl.org.