Those looking to find a job who don't know where to begin can now receive help at the Catonsville Library.
The branch, at 1100 Frederick Road, began offering its new Jobs Academy Series on Dec. 1.
The series, which will last through Feb. 23, will offer separate sessions on resume help, job search assistance, and resume critique and interview skills on Mondays at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.
"The reasoning behind why we started it was people were coming in each day and they were asking for help starting with the resume, starting with a job search, so we figured it made sense to offer a session that they could come to," said Laura George, a librarian at the branch who has facilitated the sessions.
"Instead of us doing it on the fly, we're doing a more standard presentation," said George, who has worked at the Catonsville branch of Baltimore County Public Library for nearly three years.
The presentation covers the basics of how to create a resume, how to fill out a job application, where to find job listings online and how to interview for a job.
George said the program began in October 2014, when it was offered to groups at the Westside Men's Emergency Shelter, on the grounds of the Spring Grove Hospital Campus in Catonsville.
"We have a lot of the guys from the Westside Shelter in here frequently," George said. "We did the same basic things, like how to write a resume, how to look for a job and how to set up an email address."
Librarians worked with one or two people in monthly sessions at the library, so that those seeking help received one-on-one attention, George said.
The library decided to expand the program and open it up to everyone who needs assistance with the job application process.
It is the only library in the southwest area to offer such a service, although the Mobile Career Center, which offers job help services, travels to the Lansdowne branch, George said.
The program is not offered at the Arbutus branch on Sulphur Spring Road.
"There is a lot of crossover between the two branches," George said. "People use the branches pretty interchangeably."
Tom Schley, one of 11 librarians at the branch, offered help at the first session to the only person in attendance.
"We tailored his resume toward the job he was looking to acquire. He was super appreciative of the help that we offered him and he seemed really excited about applying," Schley said.
George said five people normally attend the morning session and two people are usually present in the evening.
"Over the course of the months we've been offering it, we've seen a steady increase in the amount of people showing up, which is always a good thing," Schley said.
George said the library hopes to offer more specialized attention to those seeking help, which is why they only accept 10 people for each session.
Although the majority of those taking advantage of the service are middle-aged, the program is open to those of all ages, George said.
"A lot of people may not have had official computer training and they may not be able to afford that and we can provide it for free," George said.
"It's something that we all feel strongly about and we see how grateful they are after that service.," she said.
Those who need additional help after a session can get it by signing up for a "My Librarian" appointment, George said.
"They can meet with us one-on-one for an hour," George said. "On our website there is a form that gives people options for what they need help with."
Those interested in doing so can register at http://www.bcpl.info/mylibrarian.
The program will continue this spring with a few changes.
For example, the resume help sessions will be combined with the resume critique and interview skills session, George said.
The next job search workshops are scheduled for Monday, Feb. 9, at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.