Prince George’s County residents now have a free resource to aid them in a job search — the Library2Go: Career Connector.
The initiative from the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System (PGCMLS) comes in the form of a 38-foot coach bus staffed with a coordinator, library associates and a technology assistant who are available to help residents. The bus has laptops; a printer and scanner; free Wi-Fi; a collection of books about résumé writing, finding jobs and earning certifications; and other job-related information.
“This is definitely one of a kind in terms of the combination of the focus on workforce development and job seeker resources,” said Amanda Ashley, Library2Go’s coordinator.
The mobile library is available to all county residents for free. Residents do not need a library card to use the mobile library’s services, but they will need one to borrow books or materials. Conveniently, residents may also register for a library card at the mobile library.
The mobile library’s mission is geared especially towards underserved residents, Ashley said. Its targeted destinations include municipalities with smaller library branches, those that do not have a library branch nearby, places with high unemployment rates and places with lower-than-average household income, including Hyattsville.
Ashley explained that the mobile library will be used in a variety of ways: Some events, like an April 8 career connector outreach at the Hyattsville Branch Library, are designed to provide tailored, one-on-one assistance. Other events are workshop-style, focused on a specific skill like résumé building, career readiness, using LinkedIn, writing cover letters or honing interview skills.
Some Hyattsville residents are already using the mobile library’s services. Dowahking Bestman was at the April 8 event, where he said the staff was pleasant and patient, and “went slow with me so that I could keep up.” Bestman also recommended the mobile library for people who have trouble using computers.
The Library2Go has not held its official launch celebration yet; Ashley said the county may hold such an event this summer. Regardless, the mobile library is already on the move, including 14 events in April, two in the first week of May — and more to come.
LIbrary2Go’s funding is courtesy of a $2.2 million grant for workforce development from the U.S. Department of Labor. “It was sought specifically to address issues of equity and accessibility across the county, especially in people’s ability to access library programs and services related to job readiness and career development,” said PGCMLS Communications Specialist Alexis Gunderson. The grant runs through 2027.
The mobile library schedule and event locations can be found at pgcmls.info/library2go.
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Michael Murphy is an undergraduate journalism student at the University of Maryland.