Anticipating and Overcoming Common Challenges for Library and Social Work Collaborations

Abstract

The growing popularity of interdisciplinary partnerships among social workers and public libraries on a global level has resulted in the need to clarify common challenges that team members frequently encounter. Currently, many new library/social work collaborations are ‘reinventing the wheel’ as they design a new partnership, unaware of and unable to anticipate barriers. Based on the emerging research primarily stemming from the United States, information is presented in this article to guide public libraries and social workers across the globe to understand and navigate these common challenges. Authors of this manuscript note the benefits of cross-disciplinary partnerships and outline five prevalent obstacles both public librarians and social workers face when joining forces. Recommendations for anticipating and responding to these challenges are presented to libraries interested in social work partnerships and to branches that already collaborate with social service professionals. To prepare emerging professionals for such collaborations, guidance is also offered for modifying existing curricula to both social work and library and information sciences graduate education.

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