In hard times more and more people are using libraries as job and business research center and librarians are responding by recasting their roles.

One example is Jennifer Keohane, who in a Hartford Courant report on the trend, described herself as a "personal information shopper" at the Simsbury Public Library.

Keohane's actual title is business outreach librarian, a position she's held for a decade. Demand for her services, mainly as an employment consultant, has grown heavily.

She will review resumes and even show people how to create a PowerPoint presentation.

Other libraries noted by the Courant for their enhanced workshops and guidance were in Hartford, Fairfield, Middletown, Greenwich and Westport.

In Westport, two librarians who often work with jobseekers call themselves "information aggregators," according to a separate Westport News report .

The library even encourages people to make one-on-one appointments with the staff counselors.

It also conducts seminars for job seekers that are funded by a local man and emphasize the practical, such as preparing for a telephone interview or using social network sites to develop job leads.