A Little Knowledge Goes a Long Way

During these tough economic times and job losses, it is extremely challenging to find ways in which to achieve success. But in your neighborhood, there is a cadre of professionals to give you hope, support, and the knowledge you'll need today. The secrets are in our public libraries staffed with professional librarians ready and willing to help you to find them.

In 1597, when Sir Francis Bacon uttered the words, "Knowledge is power," he may well have been referring to library usage. Our public libraries are a well-spring of information for finding jobs and contacts for jobs, doing marketing studies, writing business plans, incorporating, finding suppliers and buyers, selling, writing resumes, and so much more.

More than book lending and children's" reading groups, libraries are centers of expansive information. Unfortunately, most people are unaware of the value of libraries, including business people.

Pat Tumulty, Executive Director of the New Jersey Library Association recently testified before the New Jersey Assembly Labor Committee about her concerns about the economy and the services that a library can offer.

"To overcome a personal economic crisis and to prepare for the future, people need information resource and new skills as they focus on a new beginning. Finding a new job is a very personal passage. Many public libraries throughout New Jersey are offering important services to help people find success," She said.

Pat Tumulty is a quintessential librarian, energetic, vibrant, and wanting to serve. As she testified before the committee she outlined specific areas that libraries service the business community. Every public library offers job hunting on the Internet, resume development, job searching via workshops, career exploration, and small business and entrepreneurial success. Printed and Internet research includes marketing; sales; product research; manufacturers; franchises; and much more. The libraries also offer computer training and other business related seminars. All public libraries in Mercer offer Wi-Fi and plugs for laptops.

All libraries offer daily financial periodicals, and weekly and monthly publications.

"Business people are coming into our library by the truck loads" reports George Conwell, Library Director, Hamilton Library. "I've noted local contractors, they come and do research in product directories for material costs, grades of materials to use, and labor time costs as they prepare formal job bids."

Director Conwell also reported the Hamilton library like other public libraries, offers Internet access on 19 high-speed computers and office software. There is no limit to the free use of a computer.

Kimberly Bray, the newly appointed Library Director of the Trenton Free Public Library holds a Masters of Business Administration along with her library administration skills. A beautiful city landmark, the Trenton Free Public Library, needs increased funding while encountering severe budget cutbacks. The budget cuts are leading to closing two neighborhood branches of the library. Kimberly Bray has found herself between the city administration and irate citizens.

But it appears the library will eventually benefit as the new Director has initiated steps to create a foundation for the library and she is restructuring her budget.

Taking time from her busy schedule, she explained what Trenton Free Library has to offer the business community.

Along with the Internet service for business research, resumes can be prepared on the word processing software. There is no charge for the use of the 24 personal computers.

Trenton Free Library offers the same printed volumes about businesses.

Leslie Burger, director of the Princeton Library is proud of her new and artfully designed library. Financed with municipal funding for 80 percent of the operation, the rest was generated from their library foundation, other fundraisers, and grants.

Princeton Library provides 100 public use computers and a collection of resources that focus on small businesses. Catherine Harper leads a person to prominent research tools for business including the website, FACTIVA, a source of company and industry news and articles about the companies in newspapers and other publications. This is an expensive research source but Catherine will take a novice or pro to this source and guide them to the information they need at no cost.

Aside from researching on the Internet, Catherine correspondingly refers to print resources to find what you need.

Catherine also recommends a program called SCORE. If you are seeking help and advise from established business leaders, Princeton Library has SCORE counseling as a free service. SCORE is a 400-member strong core of volunteers of business experts; some of who worked for Fortune 500 companies. This is a private session at the Princeton library for any business, start-up or established, for one or more sessions at no costs. To arrange a session at the Princeton library call 609-393-0505. This service is open to any citizen in the county.

The Mercer County Library, Ellen Brown, Director, has 9 branches throughout Mercer County and the headquarters branch is at 2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrenceville, NJ. Similar to the local public libraries, the county library also has an impressive stock of research tools for the businessperson. In addition to the volumes of research, it should be noted the county library offers free notary service, and offers free computer classes throughout the branches with Hightstown branch offering a bilingual computer class.

Bruce Petronio, head of Reference Services in the county library system, directs businesspersons to the volumes of updated research books. The headquarters branch maintains a vertical file on every business in Mercer county dating years back. Anyone is allowed to research this file.

The New Jersey State Library at 185 West State Street, Trenton, NJ, 609-278-2640 offers business owners or hopeful entrepreneurs an additional research feature. Any person possessing a NJ library card can go on the web to www.njki.org and access a website Reference USA, a premier business research site. This is accessible 24 hours, 7 days a week. From the convenience of their home or office one can research 14 million businesses for sales leads, business opportunities, job searches, locate companies, make contacts and other valuable business moves.

Alka Bhatnagar, Analysis and Trends Specialist librarian, and Paula Vitakis, NJ Knowledge Initiative librarian of the New Jersey State Library are enthusiastic about the Internet programs and the value they offer businesspersons and students. Both recommend going to the library and asking the reference librarian to show them the sources available to help us find our goals to success.

Pat Tumulty thinks of the future of libraries for the economy and businesses. "As New Jersey retools for the new economic challenges, our public libraries can provide the resources to empower individuals and stimulate small business for renewed economic growth," Pat stated to the legislature.

She believes libraries will play a stronger role in communities.

Every public library needs citizen support to continue their vital programs and service. The New Jersey Library Association represents the public libraries as they see reduced budgets, in that regard, they have asked for any financial considerations from members of the community. As libraries give us something to work with in these troubled times, we should give them our support.

© 2008 Mercer County Chamber of Commerce Provided by ProQuest LLC. All Rights Reserved.