The St. Paul Library is getting $468,000 from the Otto Bremer Foundation to help unemployed people find work.
It will allow the library to “provide resources and assistance to unemployed people looking for work, especially those confronting barriers of culture and language,” city officials said.
The money will mean more computer classes in multiple languages, expanding a work/study program to enhance job search and digital literacy services, improving the capacity to handle materials expeditiously so staff can spend more time assisting patrons and supporting the collection budget.
The St. Paul grant was part of a wider Bremer Foundation package totaling $7 million designed to improve economic conditions for vulnerable people in poverty.
“Libraries are a crucial part of our Saint Paul community,” said St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman. “From free access to computers, books and online resources for individuals and families, to job and small business assistance that help support entrepreneurship and retraining, libraries impact every one of our residents. This grant is a testament to Otto Bremer’s commitment to Saint Paul.”
Kit Hadley, St. Paul Library director, said: “We’re absolutely honored to be named a grant recipient of the Otto Bremer Foundation. This is a significant award for the Saint Paul Public Library and allows us to provide critical services in high need. We are very grateful.”
The only employment this grant will provide will be for the librarians running the program.