The start of summer also kicks off the annual challenge of keeping learning afloat and avoiding summer learning loss. Here’s how public libraries can help.

In a recent webcast, LearningExpress and Library Journal brought together librarians from a variety of institutions to talk about success skills and library resources. The panel outlines six top success skills, the barriers to building those skills and how libraries can help support skill development.

Let’s face it, college isn’t easy and even the best of students can be overwhelmed by the challenges. While there’s no magic wand for success, take a look at some of the skills every student needs to succeed.

A high school diploma is a great indicator that your students are ready for the next part of their college or career journeys, right? Not quite.

How parents and educators can avoid the "summer slide" and keep children learning all year long.

Today’s public libraries are a key source of job and career support for their communities, with librarians helping to transform the lives of job seekers. The data confirms that job seekers are using the help offered through their libraries extensively. In the 2011-2012 Public Library Funding and Technology Access Survey conducted by the Information Policy & Access Center (iPAC), it was reported that 92.2 percent of libraries help people access online job databases and resources, 77.5 percent help them create resumes, and 76.0 percent assist with online job applications (1).

EBSCO is expanding its services to address education requirements and job skills with the acquisition of LearningExpress. EBSCO’s Senior Vice President of Product Management Michael Laddin answers the “why” behind this acquisition, which brings the education technology company LearningExpress into the EBSCO family.

As the digital revolution has swept through higher education, it has opened up new ways for economically disadvantaged or otherwise underserved students to learn and thrive academically. Perhaps nowhere is this more acutely felt than in the community college sector. LearningExpress recently hosted the “Recipe for Academic Triumph: Steps to Empower Students” webinar with two staffers from Pueblo Community College (PCC), which serves about 7,500 students across four campuses in southern Colorado. Ross Barnhart is the Director of PCC’s Learning Center on the main campus in Pueblo, Colo., a multi-use space offering a variety of student services. Christina McGrath is PCC’s Library Director, working to deliver digital and physical resources to all students. What follow are some highlights from our conversation:

There’s no single path to success in college and beyond. Each individual must pursue personal goals, negotiate unique academic challenges, and make difficult professional decisions, all on his or her own unique timeline. To demonstrate a typical student’s pathway to earning an Associate degree, we’ve created a scenario with a fictitious student, Amy.

In a tough job market with flat wages, few job opportunities for high school graduates, and ever-increasing tuition costs, colleges are expected to maximize students’ time and money, as well as keep their graduation rates competitive and their programs attractive. See some steps that can help accomplish these challenging goals.