The Central Rappahannock Regional Library System continues to expand its online offerings to help customers with a wide array of needs.
Library Director Martha Hutzel delivered the news covering September and November to the Stafford County Board of Supervisors on December 14. The report outlines the efforts made by the library system to offer online assistance in areas such as workforce, tutoring, and business and entrepreneurial development.
Beginning September 1, the system launched a new online service called Help Now, a live tutoring and study resource by the Library of Virginia, through the Brainfuse platform.
According to the report, 249 customers have used the service since its launch and used many of its services for test preparation, homework help, writing, and skills building. The service continues to build on previous efforts by the library system, which recently digitized its resources allowing for easy access and offering a more comprehensive range of subjects in different languages.
CRRL has also launched many workforce development programs designed to help veterans and civilians improve their skills to find employment. Offered by the Brainfuse platform, the library has established VetNow and JobNow to help former members of the military and civilians by providing several online job-search resources.
These resources include online job coaching, interview tips, live training and tutoring, access to community resources, and assistance with benefits.
CRRL also offers similar resources through LinkedIn’s learning program, which offers open online business, software, and creative skills courses. The library intends the classes to help prospective employees develop their skills to advance in the workforce.
CRRL can also allow customers to access business and entrepreneurial development resources with platforms such as Data Axel, The Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative, and Gale.
Date Axel is a platform that helps to build and manage marketing and analytic databases for budding entrepreneurs. The platform offers online support to maintain and advise those databases.
The Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative and Gale offer online courses and content to learn how to run a business and other aspects such as filing taxes, human resources, marketing, and management.
All these resources are available for customers with a current library card with CRRL.
