More than 70 volunteers were invited to the Science, Industry and Business Library on January 20, 2015 for a belated New Year's toast, so that SIBL's director and staff could thank them first hand for the time and talent that they contribute to SIBL. This much appreciated cohort of expert practitioners offer presentations in SIBL's lunch time and after-work seminar series. They also provide confidential one-on-one counseling/coaching to SIBL's patrons and New York's population at large.

These volunteers' dedication and drive account for the excellence of SIBL's public programming which complements and extends the hands-on information and instructional services that SIBL's professional librarians provide. In fact, it is the prominence of its advisory services and its expert educational presentations that have helped build SIBL's reputation as a unique, award-winning business research library. So this was an occasion to honor both individuals who volunteer on their own as well as the dedicated professionals who make possible the extraordinary pro bono initiatives of the Library's strategic partnerships such as the Financial Planning Association of New York, the Financial Women's Association of New York, the Community Services Society of New York, SCORE - New York City, the AARP, the HIICAP and the Five O'Clock Club, highlights of which include:

• Career Coaching is available to job seekers who wish to focus an existing job search strategy and/or to gain insight on how to craft an effective self-marketing plan. This Job Search Central service is by appointment for both onsite face-to-face coaching as well as coaching by Skype. SIBL's roster of volunteer career coaches and presenters include technology experts, executive recruiters, outplacement specialists, members of the Five O'Clock Club experts with academic experience, a staffing specialist who focuses on placing veterans, a former actor and an ordained minister. There are also coaches who target the 50+ job seeker.
• SCORE NYC provides free, in-depth business counseling for business owners and small businesses. A volunteer, non-profit association affiliated with the Small Business Administration, SCORE has a branch office onsite at SIBL. Appointments can be made any time that SIBL is open. For further information call 212-592-7033. SCORE mentors have a depth of experience in a wide range of industry sectors that include accounting, fashion, food and hospitality, financial services, international trade, law, public relations, real estate, and retail. Some have built corporate careers, others have run their own enterprises. Some are generalists, others specialize in operations or logistics and have used their technical know-how to help developing economies abroad. All share the same goal: to help launch startups and to help operating businesses expand and grow.
• Financial Counseling, provided largely by members of the Financial Planning Association of New York, helps to answer questions about personal financial affairs that range from saving for college and retirement to portfolio diversification. Again, please make an appointment—and keep it! SIBL's financial advisors represent diverse professional experience. Some work in large firms like Merrill Lynch and MetLife while others run their own wealth managment practices. What they share is a commitment to demystifying and clarifying personal finance options without making any product pitch.
• Credit Crisis Counseling helps its clients set financial goals, review credit reports, prioritize debt, open bank accounts and learn to budget and save. Please call 212-614-5413 for an appointment with a counselor from the Financial Coaching Corps of the Community Service Society of New York.
• MEDICARE Counseling. A representative from the NYC Department for the Aging's Health Insurance Information Counseling and Assistance Program (HIICAP) will answer your MEDICARE questions. Please call HIICAP at 212-602-4392 to request an appointment for counseling at SIBL.

Midway through the celebratory occasion the SIBL's director office was packed with volunteers who also include the Libary's welcome desk receptionists as well as members of the judges panel for the New York StartUP! Business Plan Competition. StartUP! judges hail from a range of sectors including business support services such as credit unions and business outreach centers, attorneys, bankers, angel investors, former StartUP! winners, and entrepreneurs. While the ever-networking guests enjoyed bubbly and hors-d'oeuvres, Kristin McDonough in her remarks underscored the value of their pro bono efforts, as a result of which SIBL in FY14 offered

• 339 expert practitioner presentations,
• 600 hours of financial counseling,
• 1,600 hours of career coaching,
• 1238 hours of small business advisory.

In a wonderful turn of events, a toast that was intended as a tribute to its volunteers ended up the occasion for high praise of the Library staff who diligently coordinate, orient, advise, and schedule all this pro bono talent. During a round robin of introductions, the career coaches could not say enough about the support they receive from Marzena Ermler, the Job Search Central Manager and librarian Magdalene Chan, blogger extraordinaire, who posts regularly about opportunities for job seekers. The financial advisors followed suit, expressing their gratitude to Kathleen Kalmes, SIBL's financial resources specialist, and librarian Weiben Wang who books the Money Matters advisors and presenters. SCORE mentors, many of whom have served SIBL since our inception in 1996, expressed deep appreciation for the effectiveness with which SIBL's administrative team—operations manager Anne Lehmann, and assistant director Madeleine Cohen—accommodates the SCORE office and the 30+ seminars it runs at SIBL annually.