Saint Paul Public Library - Dayton's Bluff/Rondo Libraries

Partner Agency:  Saint Paul Public Library
Location(s):  Dayton’s Bluff Library, 645 7th St. E., Saint Paul & Rondo Community Library, 461 N Dale St, Saint Paul
Name of Site Supervisor and Title:  Leslie Spring, Branch Manager              

CTEP Program Description

The AmeriCorps Community Technology Empowerment Project (CTEP) bridges the “digital divide” for new Immigrants and low-income communities in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Join AmeriCorps CTEP and help make the information age accessible to all.  CTEP is a project of Saint Paul Neighborhood Network (SPNN).

Site History and Mission

Saint Paul Public Library (SPPL) serves a diverse urban population of immigrants, refugees, and native-born residents, who come to public libraries for computer classes, resume writing assistance, job-search skill building, assistive technology, English Language classes, homework help, literacy resources, information searches, and media training.

Residents visit SPPL to work on career plans, create resumes, search for jobs, work towards educational goals, and gain technology skills. Since the pandemic, these same goals have brought learners to virtual learning circles and one-to-one sessions hosted by the Library.

One CTEP position is open at SPPL, and onsite work would take place at Dayton’s Bluff Library and/or Rondo Community Library. These locations provide Career Lab services to residents as they seek employment, build career skills, and navigate career transitions. Dayton’s Bluff is located in the Metropolitan State University Library and Learning Center building, which creates a unique opportunity for collaboration with faculty and students. Rondo serves a diverse and resilient community of adults and families in the Rondo/Frogtown area. 

The member will coordinate the work of urban library spaces to meet the needs of diverse customers by providing technology-based learning circles, educational and workforce support, and information literacy skill-building. This will include one-to-one sessions with community members. The Library’s mission is to welcome all people to connect, learn, discover and grow. The work of the CTEP member supports this overall mission.

Preferred Site Schedule for Member

Member will normally work four days onsite at Dayton’s Bluff or Rondo Library. A sample schedule would be Monday-Thursday 9-5pm. In addition, the schedule may include other evenings, weekdays or weekends as arranged.

In addition, members attend professional development days with their fellow CTEP members to enhance service-readiness skills, personal attributes in the workplace, and citizenship skills. These Corps days take place twice a month on the 1st and 3rdFridays from 9 AM to 4 PM, and these trainings are mandatory.  Members also attend statewide AmeriCorps events, such as the Martin Luther King Day celebration, and/or serve on the statewide InterCorps Council.

Site Specific Responsibilities

  • Raise community awareness of the power of information that can be accessed for free at the public library.

  • Provide one-to-one tutorial assistance with electronic and print resources encouraging workforce skills development and word processing skills acquisition

  • Develop and teach classes and learning circles focusing on technology needs and literacy, based on community need in varying locations with new and existing technology.

  • Extend technology training and classes to job searchers, English language learners, new immigrants, and diverse communities.

  • Create partnerships with community and cultural organizations, and strengthen existing collaborations with community partners.

  • Encourage a variety of age groups to consider the library as a partner for lifelong academic and technology learning.

  • Build meaningful mentoring opportunities for talented volunteers.

  • Recruit and train new volunteers.

  • Foster peer support and new opportunities for young people.

  • Create and implement technology classes for older adults, youth and teens.

  • Contribute to branch and systemwide committee work as appropriate.

How to Apply

Apply online at http://my.americorps.gov/ and click on “Apply to Serve”. Be sure to search for the “Community Technology Empowerment Project” or “CTEP” when asked to indicate what program you would like to send your application to. Contact: ctepmn@spnn.org, 651.298.8919 for more information about CTEP Member requirements.

CTEP AmeriCorps values an equitable work environment and strongly encourages Black, Indigenous and people of color, speakers of many languages, disabled individuals, LGBTQIA+ identified, and people from other underrepresented communities to apply.

Reasonable accommodations will be made upon request.