RILA has a number of committees, full of hard-working people who want to bring you an informative conference, keep you abreast of Intellectual Freedom happenings, meet with legislators to protect library funding, bring you all the library news across the state, and much more.

Our members are important to us, so RILA also has a Membership Committee. We're the ones who remind you when it's time to renew your membership. But membership is more than just a renewal notice. You probably already know that being a RILA member will get you discounted conference registration, access to the members only RILA Listserv and the RILA Bulletin delivered right to your inbox. But we want to give you more. The Membership Committee has been meeting and brainstorming to bring you additional benefits, like events where you can socialize with colleagues in a fun, informal atmosphere, as well as some great ideas that are still in the works.

The Membership Committee is composed of several volunteers from all different types of libraries.  Adrienne Gallo of Cranston Public Library and Mary MacDonald of University or Rhode Island Library are the committee co-chairs. The rest of the the committee is comprised of:

We invite all library staff and supporters to join or renew for 2013. We're here to serve librarians, support staff, trustees, students, volunteers, retirees, and affiliates. RILA is yours and always will be.   

As a librarian working in Rhode Island, I have seen the necessity of the library for many job seekers, particularly those without a personal computer or Internet access. In November 2012, Rhode Island had the second highest unemployment rate in the country at 10.4% just under Nevada at 10.8%  .

These unemployed and underemployed residents are flocking to the library. Some are trying to maneuver the online job application world of today, while others work to play catch up with computer skills they never thought they'd need. I witnessed this while working at the Cumberland Public Library's reference desk and discovered that the library can serve as a classroom and a much-needed place of support for many of these job hunters.  

In 2010, when I began working in Cumberland the unemployment rate there was around 10%. I observed our twenty adult computers were in use mainly by job seekers. The reference staff got to know many of the familiar faces as they came in to search and apply for jobs online, send faxes, or ask us for resume formatting help in Microsoft Word, or how to upload a resume to an email or job site. The frequency of these questions and the time it took to answer many of these questions prompted me to seek ways to find more support for our job hunting patrons needs.

In 2011, I applied for a grant opportunity through Ocean State Libraries (OSL) and the Broadband Technology & Opportunities Program (BTOP) which offered the member libraries of OSL job skills programming to our patrons. This grant continued through the spring and summer of 2012 and made possible in Cumberland over a dozen programs on topics from resume writing, mock interviews, using social media for job searching, LinkedIn and lots more. We coupled these programs with a series of technology classes taught by our Assistant Director/Technology Coordinator. The classes taught the entire Microsoft Office Suite, along with Facebook and an introduction to the Internet.

In addition to computers and technology for job seekers, I took a look at our book collection in the Dewey area of business and careers (650) and computer technology (000). The computer technology section needed drastic weeding and the business and careers section needed more titles to keep up with user demand, along with better diversification in offerings.

During this time, I met Lisa, a patron who had been laid off from her job. Lisa could be found in the library just about everyday. In order to save on expenses, she cancelled her Internet and cable service and no longer owned a personal computer. Lisa even had to give up her apartment and move back home with her Dad. She often asked me to proofread her short email correspondence with prospective employers. Her frustration in looking for a job often centered around the amounts of writing she had to do from cover letters to emails and presentations for job interviews. I agreed to look things over before she sent them off.

Then there was Mary. I found Mary sitting at one of our study tables with her laptop. She handed me her now defunct business card and told me she had been let go from her job in broadcast journalism. She lives alone, and after losing her job, also had cancelled her Internet and cable service. Now she comes to the library to get out of her apartment, use our free WiFi, and to concentrate and feel productive.

I introduced Lisa to Mary. Over the period of 10 months, I saw them together in the library taking a computer class, using the public computers, printers and WiFi, or one of our study rooms. They often stopped by the reference desk or caught me near the computer workstations to tell the latest job interview horror story. They shared with me how their lives changed due to job loss.

Earlier this fall, Lisa accepted a job in the healthcare training industry. Mary is still looking for a job.

The Cumberland Public Library library has books for job seekers, public computers, employment skills programming, and electronic resources specific to job hunters, but the reference librarian in me felt that for people to learn about their availability we needed to have all of these resources organized in one place. This is where developing a page on our website and printed subject guides made it possible to easily direct job seekers to the vast amount of resources the library has available to them (http://www.cumberlandlibrary.org/jobsandcareers.html).

And it was a vast amount! As I collected the resources into one place I was learning more about what we had to offer. Such as the group Toastmasters (a non-profit organization founded to help get people comfortable with public speaking) which meets at our library and the Business & Workforce Development Center at the Providence Public Library. The resource collection kept getting larger, as I discovered new web and electronic resources, new book titles and found more libraries offering computer courses on popular topics like Microsoft Office, building a website and social media.

A job seeking patron suggested that we offer a workshop to demonstrate some of the resources available to them. I presented the information to a small post-superstorm Sandy group and repeated the talk to a larger group again in November. What I learned from the first group is they are interested in a job seeking support group. They are looking for a place to gather, to share their frustration, and to feel they are not alone. A common theme among many of the job seekers who have attended our programs is that they want to work, but are not able to find a job because they are either overqualified or they do not have the technology skills now needed in their field. Some find that the part-time retail jobs (for which they are overqualified) make it next to impossible to have a second job (check out this radio broadcast from WBUR). One of the women shared with me how she gained 30 pounds after she lost her job and expressed that the emotional and health impacts are just as hard as the financial ones.

Eleven months after our first BTOP/OSL funded program for job seekers we have provided 17 programs for job seekers and 40 computer/technology classes. Over 150 patrons have attended the job programs and over 700 patrons have participated in the computer/technology classes.

The Cumberland Public Library reference staff has served as a listening ear and provided information and assistance to those looking for work and for technology skills. We have helped to maintain an environment supportive to job hunters who don't have a personal computer or Internet access and need a place to be productive and pursue their goals. We have carried out a basic mission of the public library, to improve the lives of the individuals and communities of those we serve.

Resources:

Cumberland Public Library's Resources for Job Hunters

http://www.cumberlandlibrary.org/jobsandcareers.html 

WBUR's Broadcast of "Stuck in Part Time"

http://onpoint.wbur.org/2012/11/15/part-time 

State Unemployment Rates as of Nov. 2012 (Dec. statistics to be released on 1/18/13) http://www.ncsl.org/issues-research/labor/state-unemployment-update.aspx 

RI Department of Labor & Training--City, Town, Sub-State Labor Force Statistics http://www.dlt.ri.gov/lmi/laus/town/town.htm 

AtoZdatabases, available from AskRI.org, is accessible from within libraries and throughout Rhode Island. It is used for patrons to find information about businesses--including healthcare professionals, and people in order to create mailing lists and sales leads or to find a job.  

AtoZdatabases allows for a large variety of search terms to be used in a business search, for example searches can be by business name, keyword and business type, and location; including a radius search, as well as less typical search terms such as ownership status; including women or minority owners, year of incorporation, and business size. If a business is missing from another reference source, it may still be included in AtoZdatabases!

The databases can be used to search for people as well as a business. They can be searched by name, location; including a zip code radius search, or phone number. Other terms available for a people search include household status and income, interests and hobbies, and home market value. According to AtoZdatabases this people search is to "help entrepreneurs conduct prospecting, help students complete market studies, and help community members get more use out of our database".

A recent article on CNBC.com listed librarian as one of the 10 Least Stressful Jobs for the year 2013. The overall list of ten jobs were chosen because these are "jobs where people are in control of their day - working as fast as they feel they need to be effective," said Tony Lee, publisher of CareerCast.com. "You don't have somebody kind of breathing over your shoulder."

He explains how librarian made the list by asking, "What's the most stressful thing a librarian faces? Teenagers with a paper due and you don't have the books. It's not really your stress," Lee said. "Plus, there are mandatory "quiet" rules in libraries and you're surrounded by books." And finally, "Books don't talk back or criticize the job you're doing!"

Does that sound like your day? No one needing anything right away (except those last minute teenagers), no one criticizing you, working at your own leisure? It sure doesn't sound like my day, and I'm guessing it doesn't sound like yours either. However, this sadly seems to be the standard library job stereotype that is still out there. With the ever-available Internet, Google, and Wikipedia, it have become increasingly important to show the value of libraries and how they are still relevant in this fast changing day and age.

However, during tighter economic times advocacy efforts often take a backseat to the day-to-day operations of the library. There's not enough staff or resources. There's not enough time. There's not enough money. But without advocacy, how can we ever expect these things to change?

Libraries across the country have been addressing the advocacy issue by reaching out to current patrons. Among others, the Texas Library Association, the Cincinnati Public Library, and the Jasper County Public Library in Indiana have all participated in a "What My Library Means to Me" campaign.

Why is the library important? Ask the people who use it. Create a display at your library, add a survey to your webpage, set up a table at community events. Ask patrons to briefly share either by what they like about the library as well as the impact the library has on their lives. Be sure to include kids, teens, and adults; everyone has a story about why the library is important in their life. Then, share these stories with others. Post them in the library. Set up a bulletin board display at the local community center (thereby reaching people who may not yet be library users).

Most importantly, share them with your local legislature. It's important to speak up and show elected officials it is not just librarians who believe library services have value, but also the people in the communities that the elected officials represent believe that libraries have value.

Social media is also one of the most cost-effective and easiest ways to promote services the library offers. Use Facebook, Twitter, and Pintrest to highlight not only programs and collections, but also technology news. It only takes five minutes to send out an update that your library now lends Kindles. Granted, these updates initially only reach patrons who are already fans of the library; but remember, every time a fan or friend likes or shares something, they are sharing it with countless other people who also live in the community. People who may not receive these updates and have no idea of the services their library offers.

Advocacy initiatives do not have to start as big, time-consuming projects.  

Start small. Start smart. And use the fans you already have. 

One of the challenges that our profession has faced for some time is the stereotype of the bun-haired shushing woman wearing eyeglasses with beaded chains and a horrible fashion sense. Who can forget the horror the community felt when poor Donna Reed, as Mary in It's a Wonderful Life, had fallen to the depths of despair and was *gasp* just a librarian?  

Then there were the very able librarians working at a television network under the guidance of Katherine Hepburn in Desk Set who were fraught with the idea of having a computer as a tool because it would cost them all their jobs.

Fortunately for us, the stereotype has jumped us from zero to hero with some more modern representations of librarians in comic books, television, and film. In fact, this seems like an almost literal evolution as this change as resulted in librarians becoming action stars. Perhaps the earliest librarian to take on the role of action hero was Barbara Gordon. Those of you familiar with the Batman comics will most likely know her better by her alter ego of Batgirl. She would help people with their information as a public librarian by day and help protect the streets of Gotham City alongside Batman, Robin and the rest of the Batman family. She was so good at maintaining her secret identity that not even her father, Police Commissioner James Gordon, had any idea of her secret night life. Unfortunately for Barbara, she wasn't able to keep her secret forever. When the Joker learned of her real identity, he came after her with a vengeance. A quick fire of the gun left Barbara with a back injury, ending her career as Batgirl. With that said, Barbara didn't give up crime fighting. From her wheelchair, she served as researcher and information provider for most of DC's heroes as Oracle, using her Internet connection and tech savvy to hunt down any detail the other heroes need to get their villain.

Women aren't the only librarians fighting evil. Fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer are probably familiar with Rupert Giles (played by Anthony Stewart Head), who was the school librarian at Sunnydale High School before it was eaten by the Hellmouth. While he helped all the students at his school get just what they needed for assignments, Giles was actually a specialist in the occult. Trained as a Watcher, Giles had the responsibility of mentoring Buffy Summers and her "Scooby gang" as they mastered the skills needed to deal with vampires, demons, and any other monsters that came their way.

Rachel Weisz took on the role of Evelyn "Evy" Carnahan in The Mummy movie series. At first glance, she would seem to fit the stereotype with her glasses and general klutziness, but viewers quickly come to realize that her knowledge of Egyptology is just what the dashing and knave-like Rick O'Connell will need to help solve the mystic ancient Egyptian secrets to save themselves and the world from the dusty and icky clutches of the evil Imhotep. She is also able to fight one-on-one against future villainesses in later films in the series.   She proves that academic librarians can hold their own, too.

Noah Wyle, along with mentors Jane Curtain and Bob Newhart, prove that large beautiful libraries like the New York Public Library really do provide gateways to knowledge and other worlds! In The Librarian television film series, Wylie plays Flynn Carson (a man of many master's degrees, but, strangely, not Library Science) who falls into librarianship and a job at NYPL. While he doesn't get to hang out with the puppets from Between the Lions (who also help rid the library of its stodgy stereotype), he does get a chance to work with the library's really special collection, which is filled with realia and artifacts from throughout history. Over the course of three films, Carson must work to recover some of the stolen or lost artifacts that could destroy or subjugate the planet. With an organization that would do James Bond, M, and Q proud, he saves the day ... and the relic.

Finally, we come to the most unique of our highlighted librarians. She doesn't fight crime, and no one would call her a hero, but boy does she throw off that nasty stereotype. In the film Party Girl, viewers meet Mary, played by Parker Posey.  

This Mary the librarian is the polar opposite of the one played by Donna Reed. After being arrested for throwing an illegal party and in need of some money to pay for bail, Mary turns to her godmother Judy for a loan. While that frees her from some time behind bars, it does mean she has to pay back Judy. Judy happens to be the head librarian of one of the branches of the city library, and she needs some help. Hiring Mary on as a library clerk could be just the answer for both of them. Judy is hopeful that it might help Mary raise the funds and learn some responsibility. That does happen (though it is a bit rough at first), but it doesn't stop Mary from proving that library staff can still be original and funny party girls and guys.

So see, we can throw off the dusty image of being stodgy, boring, and out-of-fashion! While we may not fight crime, head into dusty tombs, or wear interesting costumes, a lot of our patrons really do think of us as their heroes when we get just what they needed in time.

Barrington Public Library, East Providence Public Library and Providence Community Library are collaborating to create a Human Library in Rhode Island!  This exciting project will take place Sunday, March 3rd from 1-5pm at Rochambeau Library. The Human Library Rhode Island is a living, breathing library where humans are the books and the stories are their lives.  

Just as memoir and autobiographies teach us to see the humanity in people different from us, the human books tell of their own lived experience, breaking down assumptions and ignorance with every word. Based on a Danish project, now with worldwide participation, the Human Library's aim is to to allow people to interact with other members of their community with whom they might not otherwise have contact, or who they might have preconceptions about but want to understand. This is a great opportunity to bring Rhode Islanders together in the public library for an afternoon of conversation, discovery, and growth. We could use your help in spreading the word. Hope to see you and your patrons there! For more information, visit our website: http://www.humanlibraryrhodeisland.com; or, email: humanlibraryri@provcomlib.org.  

Funding generously provided by the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities, and the Friends groups of the three library systems. 

WHAT IS A HUMAN BOOK?  

Human Books, folks from all over Rhode Island, are willing to challenge prejudice through respectful conversations with members of the public who borrow them from the Human Library. They are volunteers who have experienced stereotyping and/or prejudice due to race, sex, age, disability, sexual preference, gender identity, religion/belief, profession, appearance, and/or lifestyle choices, or have broken down boundaries through their personal or professional choices.  

HOW DOES IT WORK?  

In many ways, it works like a regular library, except that in this case, the books are people. Human Books have agreed to meet other members of the community who are called "Readers" After browsing through a catalog with a title and a description for each book, a Reader may select a Human Book to check out for a 20-minute one-on-one conversation. Readers may ask questions and learn about life from the Human Book's perspective. Each conversation is unique. Books are returned at the end of the designated loan period but Readers may check out several books as time allows.    

WHY SHOULD I VISIT A HUMAN LIBRARY?

When it comes to promoting understanding there is nothing better than face-to-face dialog.  For some Readers, a Human Library event presents a unique opportunity to talk to people they may not otherwise have had an opportunity to meet.  Everyone has a story, and we all benefit by learning more about each other and our community. This is also a chance for librarians to bring together our communities and promote the library as a location of community engagement, enrichment, and transformation.

• Financial Resources Continuing Education for Library Staff (a partnership with OLIS)
• How to Avoid Scams, Frauds and Identity Theft
• Money Matters for College Students: Tips for Saving, Spending, and Budgeting
• Honey, Where's the Money?
• Extreme Couponing 101
• Kids Can Save Money Too
• Money Smarts: Retirement Planning in a Challenging Economy

Lisa Kenyon has been appointed to the position of Special Programs Librarian.  Lisa received her M.L.I.S. from URI in 2005 and has served as Curriculum Support Librarian at Mitchell College in New London since 2007.  She will begin work on Monday, February 11.

Allen Antone, Special Programs Librarian, retired at the end of September. Allen provided over thirteen years of dedicated service to the McKillop Library.

Grants and other awards