Job seekers flocking to libraries

Libraries across the USA are filling up with people waiting to get online to fill out applications, write résumés or look for job openings, a national study by the American Library Association shows. "Libraries are really the first responder in this economic crisis, and particularly for job seekers," says Larra Clark, who managed the study due for release Sept. 15. Eight out of 10 libraries nationally have someone on a computer waiting list at some point during the day, Clark says. At the beginning of 2007, before the economy took a nosedive, 44% of libraries nationally said assisting job seekers was a "critical use" of their library, she says. Now, it's 67%. The increased demand comes in a year when 22 states have cut funding for libraries, Clark says. "There's a lot of people to serve and in some cases fewer hours to serve them," she says. More than seven out of 10 libraries say they're the only place that offers public access to the Internet in their community, Clark says. Nationally, 38% of households had no Internet connection in 2007, according to U.S. Census figures released in June.