“No One Told Me”

A Dialog on Preparing Public Librarians to Provide Social Services in Public Libraries

Authors

  • Melissa Gross Florida State University School of Information
  • Don Latham Florida State University, School of Information https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3966-7983
  • Brittany Baum Florida State University, School of Information https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5684-5219
  • Lauren Crabtree Florida State University, School of Information

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21900/j.alise.2022.997

Keywords:

social services, public libraries, interviews, education for librarianship, social justice

Abstract

Libraries are being called upon to assist with a variety of social problems including everything from housing and food insecurity to disaster recovery. In response, some public libraries have called on social workers to help. These developments beg the question of whether information professionals are being prepared for the realities of public library careers. This presentation reports findings from a series of 28 interviews with public librarians and branch managers to explore their views on how library and information science programs can ensure that students are prepared to respond to their community’s social service needs. Findings reveal that the inclusion of social work interview skills, de-escalation training, knowledge of social service resources, and instruction on how to collaborate with and supervise social workers would better prepare students for the realities of working in public libraries.

References

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.

Jaeger, P. T., Gorham, U, Taylor, N. G., Kettnicj, K., Sarin, L. C., & Peterson, K. J. (2014). Library research and what libraries actually do now: Education, inclusion, social services, public spaces, digital literacy, social justice, human rights, and other community needs. Library Quarterly: Information, Community, Policy, 84(4), 491-493.

Knight, H. (2010, Jan. 11/2012, Feb. 11). Library adds social worker to assist homeless. San Francisco Chronicle. https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Libraary-adds-social-worker-to-assist-homeless-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.

Maack, M. N. (1998). Gender, culture, and the transformation of American librarianship, 1890-1920. Libraries & Culture, 33(1), 51-61

Westbrook, L. (2015). “I’m not a social worker”: An information service model for working with patrons in crisis. Library Quarterly: Information, Community, Policy, 85(1), 6-25.

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Published

2022-10-20

Issue

Section

Juried Papers