Beyond Books

By Duane St. Clair

Grandview, Upper Arlington libraries offer more than you might think

Need to know more about computers? Job hunting? Tri-Village area libraries are here to help.

The Grandview Heights and Upper Arlington public libraries offer numerous services beyond the typical lending of reading, listening and watching materials, designed to help patrons successfully wade through the latest technology.

As technology advances, so do the libraries’ offerings, which now include, for example, books that can be downloaded to e-readers at no charge to patrons.

E-book popularity took off last year, says Shahin Shoar, media services manager at the Upper Arlington Public Library. It’s expected to soar for the holiday giving season, when e-book readers are expected to be popular gifts, Shoar says.

“When the e-books explosion happened last year, we offered one-hour classes” to use the readers, she says, adding that the staff is familiar with all the brands on the market, such as the Kindle, Nook and iPad.

Canaan Faulkner, adult programs and web content coordinator for the Grandview Heights Public Library, says the library is gearing up to offer reader classes before and after the holidays this year in anticipation of the surge of new owners who need guidance to use them.

Grandview and Upper Arlington libraries offer a growing list of titles that can be downloaded for free. They are automatically removed from your reader when the borrowing period is over, but can, of course, be renewed – just like physical books.

The libraries provide instruction in other computer uses, too, some of which is to help new users understand basics and some of which is to assist others who want to learn more advanced uses of their equipment.

While large numbers of people own and operate computers, there still are those who do not, and the lessons are provided to those who have been reluctant to venture into today’s vastly expanding world of technology.

At Grandview, instructors from Columbus State Community College regularly conduct computer classes for those who wonder, “How does this thing work?”

In Upper Arlington, Shoar says, the staff will assist those who walk in, if there’s time, or schedule them for a onehour, one-on-one class.

Computer literacy also plays a vital role in the job search – for both job seekers and job posters. Shoar and her staff at UAPL help job seekers use computers to look for jobs or to create resumes, for example, in one-on-one sessions.

How best to look or apply for a job is a long-standing special service at Grandview, where Fred Points, a career consultant with Jewish Family Services, conducts four 30-minute classes twice a month.

A career consultant in the employment field, Points provides practical advice to those who come to see him. Most, he says, are professionals who have lost their jobs or are seeking to change positions.

He deals in resume writing, interviews and how to apply for a job. He notes that resume content, interviews and, indeed, the entire hiring process have changed drastically in the past decade.

“Finding a job is more than just sitting in front of a computer and sending out resumes,” Points says.

Using friends or relatives to seek a job is the wrong approach, he says, because they may not be in a position to evaluate an applicant for their company or hire one. He suggests looking for a specific job and pursuing it, especially if changing careers.

Points has a long list of things about which he can advise his unemployed or job-seeking one-time students to help them get started or to continue successfully their job search. He talks about business practices, how interviews have become tougher, why a company’s hiring process can take weeks, steps that might get a response and possibly an interview, and so on. curated by Dominique H. Vasseur, Columbus Museum of Art

“It’s not simple today. That’s why people want to give up. The world of work has changed on them,” Points says.

For more information about technical equipment training or job seeking assistance, see www.ghpl.org or www. ualibrary.org.

Duane St. Clair is a contributing writer. Comments and feedback welcome at gmartineau@pubgroupltd.com.

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