Library Opens Resource Center for Job Seekers, Entrepreneurs

The following is a press release:

Edith Wheeler Memorial Library has created a new Business and Career Center to assist small business owners and job seekers in the community.

First Selectman Steve Vavrek, who requested the center in response to a growing demand from people looking for employment, "feels the services provided by this new center are vital for building a stronger, better educated Monroe work force.

"I want to thank the staff at the library for working with my office to make it a reality," he said, in a library press release.

Reference Librarian Karen Recine has been instrumental in establishing the new center. She has selected many of the books and is involved in updating pamphlets and making additions to the resources on a regular basis.

"This is an on-going project," she says. "There is new information coming out all the time, especially in the web environment. We want to make sure that people are getting the most up-to-date and useful information. Also, we encourage patrons to take advantage of the Reference Librarian's knowledge. We put the center next to the Reference Desk because we want people to feel free to seek assistance. Librarians have a lot of experience helping people and we can direct people to the resources that best meet their needs."

The center contains a wealth of information. For entrepreneurs, there are books about small business laws, business plans, web pages and social networking for business, and franchise selection. Job seekers can find books about résumé and cover letter writing, improving interview skills, finding a new career, online employment searching, and recovering from a job loss.  

In addition to books, there are flyers and brochures from organizations that offer assistance and free classes on everything from starting a business to developing a job-specific résumé. The center contains a binder with handouts from business and career workshops held previously at the library.

Online resources round out the center's offerings with free access to paid services and databases like JobNow, Reference USA, and Gale’s Business and Company Resource Center. There is also a webguide with links to online sites that have been vetted for their reliability.  For patrons who would like to sit in a quiet area of the library while they browse the web for jobs, type up résumés or make business calls behind closed doors, there are laptop computers that can be checked out for in-library use.

The library hopes that the consolidation of business and career information into an accessible location will make it more convenient for patrons to browse and find the information they need.

Edith Wheeler Memorial Library is located at 733 Monroe Turnpike in Monroe and is open Monday through Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Thursday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Closed Sunday in the summer. For more information, call (203) 452-2850, ext. 6 or visit its website at www.ewml.org.