Social Workers in the Stacks: Public librarians’ Perceptions and Experiences

Don Latham · Melissa R. Gross · Brittany Baum · Karen A. Randolph

17 citations0/0 files storedPublic Library Quarterly

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Library Science and Administration Library Science and Information Literacy Web and Library Services

Abstract

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 librarians in order to explore their perceptions of and experiences with social workers in public libraries. All participants, regardless of the availability of social workers in libraries, reported encountering patron information needs related to social services, such as homelessness, food insecurity, unemployment, and mental and physical health needs. The majority of participants expressed the opinion that a social worker could benefit patrons by supplementing and complementing the services offered by librarians. Participants also identified potential challenges to having a social worker, including the blurring of professional boundaries, space, and scheduling issues, privacy, and confidentiality for patrons, and liability issues for the library.

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References

1988The System of Professions 2019The Changing Role of Libraries: How Social Workers Can Help 2014“I’m Not a Social Worker”: An Information Service Model for Working with Patrons in Crisis 2019Whole Person Librarianship 2020Social Work in Australian Public Libraries: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Social Justice 2020Library-Based Field Placements: Meeting the Diverse Needs of Patrons, Including Those Experiencing Homelessness 2019The Public Library as a Protective Factor: An Introduction to Library Social Work 2020What knowledge and attitudes inform public librarians’ interactions with library patrons in crisis?

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2025Success or Failure: Applying Role Theory to Social Work Integration into Public Libraries 2026A systematic review of the LIS research on homelessness and libraries 2025Public Library Social Work: Reading the Literature as Discursive Resources at the Intersection of Two Professions 2025Public Library Patrons in Crisis: Interprofessional Perceptions and Responses 2025“Forced Out of Our Box:” Public Youth Services Librarians’ Perceptions and Experiences Responding to Social Services Needs

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