Library System Honored for Role in Job Search Program

The International Association of Workforce Professionals has honored officials from the Anne Arundel County Public Library system for its efforts to help job seekers in the area.

During a short ceremony at the West Count Area Library on Thursday, IAWP officials praised the library system for its role in creating a “Community Career Connections” program to supplement existing career centers in the county.

The West County Area Library is one of five libraries using existing computers and other resources to offer enhanced help with job search support. The library worked with the Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corporation in creating the program, in order to expand the AAWDC’s reach. The AAWDC already has four full service One-Stop Career Centers and three satellite centers throughout the county, but found that some areas were underserved.

Kirkland Murray, the CEO of AAWDC, said 1,700 people have used the library centers. In addition to West County, there are job centers in at the libraries in Crofton, Maryland City at Russett, Edgewater and South County.

“It’s really just to help people navigate and look for a job,” Murray said. “Even though we had seven One-Stop Centers, we needed to come up with a new and innovative way to serve Anne Arundel County. We wanted to make sure all residents had access to our services.”

Murray said AAWDC turned to the library system for help, because librarians were already spending time helping people look for jobs, and because most branches had the computer equipment and meeting space to assist job seekers. AAWDC offered the library trained job search specialists from the Senior Community Service Employment Program.

"This was just a very natural thing, for them to work with the library system," said Skip Auld, the library system administrator.

Anne Arundel County boosted AAWDC’s funding by $120,000 in the budget for fiscal year 2012.

“One of my priorities was job creation,” County Executive John R. Leopold said. “The best social program is having a job.”