Census recruiters are hard at work on the Island getting the word out to Islanders that jobs are still available for 2010 census takers. They set up a booth at the Portuguese American Club for the Big Chili Contest in late January, had a table near the finish line at last week’s road race, and have visited a handful of weekly community suppers to explain the process. And next week they will host their own event and information session at the Oak Bluffs Public Library to give Islanders one more chance to pick up some temporary work for the spring.

The job fair at the library will be held on Saturday, March 6 from 1 to 4 p.m. There will be time for 12 people to take the employment test necessary to qualify for the job; the test will be held in a separate room of the library at 2 p.m. But anyone interested can go to the job fair to pick up a practice test to take home, or simply to find answers to any of their questions relating to the job.

“We’re doing whatever we can to spread the word,” said recruiting assistant Steve Auerbach this week.

Every 10 years, the U.S. Census Bureau collects information to help tally population numbers to determine the needs for congressional representation. The last time a census count was done on the Vineyard, many of the workers were brought over from off-Island to give questionnaires. But this year, census officials hope to hire some 200 Islanders for the jobs. With new employee training sessions starting in mid-March, the recruiters are using the job fair to step up their search to hit that number.

Mr. Auerbach said he hopes the $16-per-hour salary will help to entice people to sign on, especially because times have been so tough this winter. “I personally have looked at it as a kind of short-term economic stimulus for the Island, where there are a lot of people out of work,” he said. The jobs are expected to last between six and 10 weeks, depending on how quickly census takers are able to get results. Workers can expect between 20 and 40 hours of work per week, and flexible schedules.

During the job fair, the recruiters will also hold a testing session that will be open to the first 12 people to sign up. No identification is necessary for the informational portion of the job fair, but valid IDs are required for people taking the test. People can use either a current passport, or a combination of a valid photo ID and a social security number or birth certificate.

Census employment tests are being held regularly at different locations around the Island, including the Chilmark Community Center, the Vineyard Haven Public Library and the West Tisbury public safety building. Mr. Auerbach recommended calling ahead to the local census office in Hyannis to verify sites and times and to reserve a testing spot. The toll free number is 1-866-861-2010. For more information, people can also visit the Web site at 2010censusjobs.gov.