« Ind. Gov't. - State archives still waiting for new roof | Main | Courts - "U.S. attorney vacancy no laughing matter: Lawyer’s cartoons don’t help him" »

Sunday, October 04, 2009

Ind. Gov't. - "Indiana plan would pull WorkOne staff from Elkhart libraries"

Back in January of this year the ILB had a number of entries under the heading "Libraries are overwhelmed by unemployed filing for help." How is that working out? Here is an AP report in the South Bend Tribune that begins:

ELKHART (AP) — A state Workforce Development plan to stop staffing Elkhart libraries on Sundays and Mondays to help jobless workers with unemployment claims has angered library and public officials, who say the state should be doing more to help workers in the county with the state's highest unemployment rate.

The library branches have become a key resource for laid-off workers, especially on Sundays, when many workers use library computers to file claims.

Marc Lotter, a spokesman for the Department of Workforce Development, said the agency was reviewing its resources and shifting them to where demand was the highest.

He said the state urges laid-off workers to go to WorkOne offices to get help with resume writing, interviewing skills and basic computer training.

"WorkOne Centers are not unemployment offices," Lotter said. "They are employment offices."

But state Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Elkhart, said the resources need to be available where the laid-off workers are instead of trying to "railroad people" into the WorkOne offices.

Connie Jo Ozinga, director of the Elkhart Public Library, said the Pierre Moran branch has recorded heavy traffic on Sundays since July 2008. The branch has been opening an hour earlier and has switched all its computers to the DWD system to accommodate the workers, she said.

"We're trying really hard to provide the best library service that we can," Ozinga said. "These people are part of our clientele. We're doing our best but feel like we're failing because we have so little space and computers."

The state has agreed to keep a WorkOne employee at the Pierre Moran branch on Sundays but will pull its employees from the Dunlap and downtown branches.

From a side-bar:
Libraries are feeling the effect of high unemployment rates in Elkhart County. To avoid the crowds at WorkOne locations, more people are heading to the library to file for unemployment. As a result, smaller library branches like Pierre Moran have set up special workstations and waiting areas just for those seeking to access the Workforce Development Web site. But the state of Indiana is looking at stopping the practice in Elkhart libraries.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on October 4, 2009 09:16 AM
Posted to Indiana Government