Public Library Association

Offering practical guidance and support, this workbook will spark curiosity and reflection on how everyday library interactions intersect with trauma and adversity. Whether it's navigating a crisis or witnessing a community member struggling with tough times, coming face to face with trauma and adversity can be uncomfortable. But in striving to learn more about challenging behaviors, and how we can better interact with library patrons and our coworkers, we can come to see that people are complex and not simply "problems." This workbook from the PLA Social Worker Task Force (SWTF) provides a collection of powerful tools to add to your customer service toolbox. It's filled with prompts, exercises, and best practices that shed light on how trauma can affect people, helping you build confidence in your ability to support your library's patrons. You willdelve into what trauma is and how it impacts library work; be introduced to a framework for utilizing a trauma-informed lens in your interactions; practice exercises to spur personal reflection on common concerns bound up with library work and the policies relating to these issues; and gain hand-on tools and techniques, including strategies for de-escalation and guidance on the impacts of involving law-enforcement and banning patrons.

Stop putting it off! Let the experts show you the simple way to resume success. All of your educational, professional, and personal accomplishments will not help you get a job if you cannot condense that information into a concise, polished resume. And while you may think resume writing is not one of your strengths, it's the skill that will do the most to get you to the next step - the job interview. With so much riding on the resume, you need help from the experts. Just follow the simple steps in the PLA's revised "Guide to Basic Resume Writing" and in no time you'll produce a document that skillfully summarizes your qualifications and separates you from the rest of the pack.Whether you're changing careers, re-entering the job market, or looking for your first job, this comprehensive guide will show you how to: present your educational and work experience in a way that highlights your specific job qualifications; use direct, active language to showcase your communication skills; prevent potential pitfalls that could land your resume in the circular file; draw from dozens of sample resumes - including Spanish-language examples - to construct a template that works for your needs; impress your potential employer at first glance with professional quality proofreading, formatting, and printing; keep your name on the short hiring list with effective cover letters and follow-up correspondence; create a scannable resume for electronic submission. In today's tight job market, a well-written resume can mean the difference between professional success and the unemployment line. Give yourself a competitive edge with "The Guide to Basic Resume Writing."

Job search tip number 1: Make your cover letter count! While you may spend days perfecting your resume, remember it's the cover letter that gets read first, and it has the potential to put you either over the top or in the discard pile. Don't sell yourself short with a hurried, generic letter that makes your resume do the brunt of the work of impressing your future employer. Follow the advice in the PLA's revised "Guide to Basic Cover Letter Writing" to devise a document that skillfully complements your resume and, in the space of 8-1/2 x 11 inches, establishes you as a must-see interviewee.Whether you're changing careers, re-entering the job market, or looking for your first job, this comprehensive, easy-to-follow guide will show you how to: create a cover letter that highlights the experience and training that make you the ideal job candidate; draw from dozens of sample letters for all types of positions to construct a template that works for your needs; showcase your style and personality in a way the strict format of a resume doesn't allow for; grab the reader at first glance with professional quality proofreading, formatting, and printing; keep your name on the short hiring list with polished post-interview follow-up correspondence; take advantage of technology with electronic submissions and online job search strategies.In today's competitive job market, the importance of a clear, concise, carefully crafted cover letter is more important than ever before. Get it right and get the job with the help of "The Guide to Basic Cover Letter Writing."