Drawing the Line between Social Work and Librarianship: Public Library Administrators Talk

Authors

  • Melissa Gross Florida State University School of Information https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0771-0350
  • Don Latham Florida State University School of Information
  • Brittany Baum Florida State University School of Information

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21900/j.alise.2024.1664

Keywords:

Public libraries, social services, focus groups, administrators

Abstract

As part of a larger, IMLS-funded project,  focus groups were undertaken with public library administrators to discuss the professional scope of librarianship in the face of a growing practice of placing social workers in public libraries to help respond to communities’ social services-related needs. Findings from these focus groups and focus groups held with adult services and youth services librarians are being used to inform the development of a national survey of public librarians on this topic. The survey will be distributed fall 2024. Preliminary findings from focus groups with public library administrators indicate that librarians want to help, but are stretched beyond their training, and that the placement of social workers in libraries to help serve social services-related needs is a more complex solution than it may sound.

Author Biographies

  • Melissa Gross, Florida State University School of Information

    Melissa Gross is a professor in the School of Information at Florida State University and past president of the Association for Library and Information Science Education. Dr. Gross has published extensively on information-seeking behavior, information literacy, library program and service evaluation, and information resources for youth.

  • Don Latham, Florida State University School of Information

    Don Latham is a professor in the School of Information at Florida State University.  His research focuses on social services in public libraries, information literacy, and information behavior of youth. In collaboration with Melissa Gross, he has conducted research projects funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, OCLC/ALISE, the ALAN Foundation, and Florida State University’s Council on Research and Creativity. He has published in such journals as Library Quarterly, Library & Information Science Research, Public Library Quarterly, Journal of Library Administration, Journal of Education for Library & Information Science, College & Research Libraries, Communications in Information Literacy, Child & Family Social Work, Advances in Social Work, and Children and Youth Services Review.

  • Brittany Baum, Florida State University School of Information

    Brittany Baum is a PhD candidate in the School of Information at Florida State University and currently works as a research assistant on an IMLS-funded grant exploring social services in public libraries. Her research interests revolve around the role librarians play in promoting community well-being, particularly public librarians and adolescent mental health.

References

Baum, B., Gross, M., Latham, D., Crabtree, L., & Randolph, K. (2023). Bridging the service gap: Branch managers talk about social workers in public libraries. Public Library Quarterly, 42(4), 398-423. https://doi.org/10.1080/01616846.2022.2113696

Crabtree, Lauren, Latham, Don, Gross, Melissa, Baum, Brittany, & Randolph, Karen. (2024). Social workers in the stacks: Public librarians’ perceptions and experiences. Public Library Quarterly, 43(1), 109-134. https://doi.org/10.1080/01616846.2023.2188873

Gross, M., & Latham, D. (2021). Social work in public libraries: A survey of heads of public library administrative units. Journal of Library Administration, 61(7), 758-775. https://doi.org/10.1080/01930826.2021.1972727

Gross, Melissa, & Latham, Don. (2024). “O brave new world”; A case study of a social worker in the public library. Library and Information Science Research, 45(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lisr.2024.101313

Gross, Melissa, Latham, Don, Baum, Brittany, Crabtree, Lauren, & Randolph, Karen. (2024). “I didn’t know it would be like this:” Professional preparation for social service work in public libraries. Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, 65(1), 40-54. https://doi.org/10.3138/jelis-2022-0067

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Hall, K., & McAlister, S. (2021). Library services and resources in support of mental health: A survey of initiative in public and academic libraries. Journal of Library Administration, 61(8), 936-946. https://doi.org/10.1080/01930826,2021.1984137

Knight, H. (2010, January 11). Library adds social worker to assist homeless. San Francisco Chronicle. https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Libraary-adds-social-worker-to-assisthomeless-3275950.php

Kosmicki, L. R. (2019–2020). Equal access as social equity: A literature review of programming and services in public libraries. Progressive Librarian, 47, 51–80.

Lee, S., Bae, J., Sharkey, C. N., Bakare, O. H., Embrey, J., & Ager, M. (2022). Professional social work and public libraries in the United States: A scoping review. Social Work, 67(3), 249-265.

Shephard, M., Garner, J., Bell, K., & Wardle, S. (2023). Social work in public libraries: An international scoping review. Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association, 72(4), 340-361. https://doi.org/10.1080/24750158.2023.2255940

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Published

2024-10-16

Issue

2024: ALISE Proceedings

Section

Juried Papers

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Copyright (c) 2024 Melissa Gross, Dr. Don Latham, Brittany Baum

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.