It’s Meaningful Work, but It’s “Really, Really Hard”: Librarians’ Understanding of Their Work with Families Experiencing Homelessness

Abstract

Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, this study explored how five public librarians in the United States experience and understand their library work with children and families experiencing homelessness. The participants described their deep commitment to providing services for families in homeless situations but also shared that they experience conflicting emotions about this work and feel unsupported by the profession and their individual libraries and coworkers. Even with their dedication and commitment, many of the participants expressed self-censoring judgments about their peers, the families they work with, and shelter staff members. This study situates the participants’ experiences within a context of ambivalence around homelessness in library services and cultural narratives that render the homelessness of children and families invisible.

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