Library staff members representing 45 US states and the District of Columbia recently met in Washington, DC for the Project Compass National Convening. The event reportedly provided an opportunity for 215 participants in the project to share ideas in support of public libraries’ efforts to meet the urgent and growing needs of communities impacted by the economic downturn.
Attendees shared stories of patron impact, and worked together to learn about common challenges and find new, 21st century solutions to support their local economies. The convening featured guest speakers Mary Chute and Susan Hildreth from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS); futurist Garry Golden; Assistant Secretary Jane Oates of the Employment and Training Administration of the Department of Labor; Terri Bergman from the National Association of Workforce Boards; author Marilyn Johnson; and Ron Carlee, from the International City/County Management Association.
Funded by a grant from IMLS, WebJunction and the State Library of North Carolina had launched Project Compass in October 2009 to investigate job seekers’ specific demands on public libraries. Since then, the programme has supported workforce recovery efforts in US libraries through state library summits, face-to-face and online training, and a Workforce Services community of practice that includes the Project Compass Workshop Materials.
