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January 17, 2009

Plainfield library a haven for those hit by job loss, economic downturn

Courier-News

By MARK SPIVEY • Staff Writer • January 16, 2009

PLAINFIELD —It was only when the economy kicked city residents down that Joe Da Rold realized to what degree he and his staff were capable of lifting them back up.

The director of the Plainfield Public Library says the facility has become a haven for job seekers and people otherwise affected by the harsh financial climate, with many of its free services being used at higher rates than ever.

"From the minute we open," Da Rold said when asked when daily crowds start arriving. "And almost every night, all of our rooms are busy."

Likely the most useful tool the library offers to job seekers, Da Rold said, is the free use of 19 library computers, 17 of which also have Internet access. Open chairs found here and there in the past, he added, are all but nonexistent of late, with terminals packed and job searches representing the No. 1 Web destination.

"It's amazing," he said. "There's almost no break, from nine in the morning until nine at night."

POPULAR PROGRAMS

Nearly as popular as computer access, Da Rold said, are English classes taking place almost every weeknight. About 75-80 tutors use the library's downstairs classrooms to teach approximately 150 students, according to Da Rold, with many on hand simply to develop language skills that will allow them to find work. Classes range from 1-on-1 sessions for beginners to groups of 2-20, he said, with the city's growing Hispanic population representing a large percentage of students.

Patrons' concerns about employment have become so strongly voiced that the library is putting together plans to devote an entire section of the building to the matter. Assistant Director Bob Golon is developing plans for a "Job Center," to bring together hard-to-find resources, databases and Web sites that will make job searching less frustrating for those who are out of work, seeking their first job, or seeking a job change.

"(Job) information is available everywhere, but we want to put it in one place," Da Rold said. "We want users to be able to find who the human relations resource manager or corporation head of a company is online."

Plans for the center are on hold for the moment, Da Rold said, until the city passes its 2009 fiscal year budget, a process that has seen multiple delays. Between 2.2 percent and 2.5 percent of the budget traditionally has gone to the library, he added, a figure he hopes remains unchanged despite the financial squeeze.

Da Rold said he sees the recession as a challenge to legislators to understand that modern libraries are no longer simply book depositories.

"We are community centers, and we are deeply entrenched in our communities," he said. "We will do everything we can to tighten our belts, but the reality is that we need to be allowed to do even more for the public."

For more information on programs run through the library, call 908-757-1111.

Mark Spivey: 908-707-3144; mspivey@MyCentralJersey.com

Posted by tumulty at January 17, 2009 2:21 PM

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