Career Center

The Career Center at the Main Library at Goodwood is now offering expanded hours of service! Career Center staff are now available Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday-Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Career Center’s mission is to serve our community as a catalyst for the development of a career-resilient, self-reliant workforce.

The next program offered by the Career Center is a Sales Careers seminar:

Learn everything about sales careers! In sales one approach doesn’t fit all. Learn all about different approaches to sales and what sales jobs are really like. Master sales trainer Carl Herrick will share his tricks and answer all your questions.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014, from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Registration is required – call (225) 231-3733 or email anowak@ebrpl.com.

ReferenceUSA Training Seminars

Sign up for these free webinars that will help you get the most out of our powerful ReferenceUSA database. Attendees will need an internet connection and a phone line to participate. Below are the rest of the dates through September in the “Summertime and the Searchin’ Is Easy” series.

Search Essentials: The Basics of ReferenceUSA

Day/Date: Fridays (July 11 (today), 18; August 8, 15; September 5, 12, 19)

Time: 11:00 am (1 hour)

Designed for the patron new to using our database, this hour-long session will cover all the basics of getting started with ReferenceUSA. The training will cover the Four Essentials anyone, particularly anyone new to ReferenceUSA, would want to know in order to be successful using the resource. This is also a great opportunity for current users to learn some new tips, tricks, and techniques. Click here to register for any of the session dates.

Start, Manage, and Grow Your Business Using ReferenceUSA

Day/Date: Mondays (July 14, 28; August 11, 25; September 8, 15, 29)

Time: 2:00 pm (1 Hour)

Entrepreneurs and business owners will learn how to use ReferenceUSA to find the mission critical information necessary to start, manage and grow a business. Topics include: • name search for business • locate hard to find vendors, both locally and nationally • locate subject manager experts and professional services • find investors, venture capitalists and angels • network with other businesses in your area or in your industry • develop relationships with related business for co-branding opportunities • understand community demographics • survey locations for expansion • conduct competitive analysis • plan delivery routes and service areas • source new employees

Click here to register.

Uncovering the Hidden Job Market: Career Search Strategies Using ReferenceUSA

Day/Date: Wednesdays (July 30; August 13, 27; September 10, 17)

Time: 2:00 pm (1 Hour)

Attendees will learn how to use ReferenceUSA as part of their Career Searching Strategy. Included will be information on the importance of having accurate information for applications and resumes, creating engaging cover letters, assembling a network of references and referrers, finding key persons at a business to act as mentors, building datasets of potential employers based on skill set, work history, and preferences as well as how to prepare for interviews and interactions through thorough research. We will also explore the New! Jobs & Internship module which adds a new dimension to job searching. Click here to register.

ReferenceUSA Consumer & Lifestyle Data

Day/Date: Select Tuesdays (August 26, September 9)

Time: 2:00 pm (1 hour)

Ever wonder how marketers and advertisers ‘target’ specific messages to you? Find out how you access the same type of data for your neighborhood or city. Anyone who is interested in understanding the purchase preferences of a community will find this data both interesting and informative. Learn how to navigate this section of ReferenceUSA and then apply the data to your needs. Click here to register.

ReferenceUSA Big Data & Mapping

Day/Date: Alternating Tuesdays (July 29, August 26, September 30)

Time: 2:00pm (1 hour)

Data Visualization is the next BIG thing in data. Going beyond static lists of information, ReferenceUSA can help you ‘visualize’ data elements on a map. Great for understanding how locations relate to each other or seeing densities within a specific area, the ReferenceUSA mapping tools give you a new and powerful way to better understand the landscape. Learn how to build a map to display results and how to manipulate the mapping tools to your advantage. Click here to register.

ReferenceUSA Historical Business Data

Day/Date: Alternating Tuesdays (July 15, August 12, September 16)

Time: 2:00pm (1 hour)

One of the essential requirements for planning for the future is to understand the past. ReferenceUSA has been compiling Business and Consumer data for many years and this data has been available in file format for advanced research projects. In response to the increased interest in accessing historical business information, ReferenceUSA has developed an innovative online tool for librarians, research professionals and library patrons to connect to
powerful information that presents a vivid picture of what the business landscape looked like in a given area at a given point in time. Click here to register.

Kurzweil 3000 Firefly

We are thrilled to announce the arrival of a great new piece of assistive technology at East Baton Rouge Parish Library! It’s a software called Kurzweil 3000 Firefly and it will convert text to speech for webpages and documents on your computer. In the coming months, it will also be installed on library computers at all of our locations.

In order to get started at home, visit the Kurzweil InfoGuide and click on the Using Kurzweil at Home tab. Click the download link for your operating system: Windows or Mac. Follow the prompts to install on your computer. Remember you want to install the “Web License” version. You will need to call the Reference desk at 231-3750 or your local branch to have your account set up.

Not only can you download it to your computer, you can also use the Kurzweil Firefly iOS app for screen reading on the go. You can scan or save files to your account and access them from the Firefly app. There’s also a Firefly Web App which can be accessed by visiting www.fireflybykurzweil.com. Whenever you scan or upload a file, it is available to you to read on your Kurzweil account and you can access it either through the software or by using one of the apps.

For more information, please check out our Kurzweil InfoGuide to learn more about this amazing new technology, available now at your local library.

Gale Virtual Reference Library

Gale Virtual Reference Library is a great ebook database for your reference needs. We just added an extensive collection of titles from the “Complete Idiot’s Guide” series, including books on language learning, computer help, cooking, and more.

The books are available 24-7 and you don’t need to download them so they won’t take up any space on your computer or handheld device. All you need to access them is a library card and a connection to the Internet! You can even download specific chapters for later use as PDF files. Check out Gale Virtual Reference Library today!

Baton Rouge Room and Career Center Now at New Main

The Baton Rouge Room and the Career Center, both formerly at the River Center Branch Library downtown, are now at the Main Library at Goodwood.

The Career Center serves employees who are being terminated, those seeking new skills and responsibilities in the current workplace, those just entering or re-entering the work force, and those looking to change careers. Visit the Career Center website for details on the services offered, upcoming events, and more. The Career Center is located on the first floor of the new Main Library and is open on Mondays and Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and on Wednesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. but may be subject to change. Up-to-date schedules will be posted on the Career Center door and on the Career Center Facebook page. The career coach is also available by appointment so please see the website for contact information.

The Baton Rouge Room is located on the second floor (Adult Reference). Check out the Baton Rouge Room InfoGuide and its Digital Library for more on the collections offered in Baton Rouge’s very own city archives. The Baton Rouge Room is currently staffed Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. but the hours will be expanding soon. We are not a browsing collection so it is best to call ahead and discuss your research needs before you arrive to make sure we have what you are looking for. Check the reading room policy for further information.

We hope to see you soon!