There is a growing trend of combining social services and library science to meet the ever increasing demand of patrons.
In a recent Reddit discussion board for Librarians, I caught a thread that has lived rent-free in my head for weeks. They stated that their library was a "run-off ramp for an overtaxed social service system." As a library worker in a city that is nearly three times the Virginia poverty rate and twice the national average, I have seen first hand the same growing need for social service related support in our patrons.
The Library is the run-off ramp for an overtaxed
social service system.
I was not surprised to find that in 2018, the Public Library Association (PLA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA) developed a task force to study ways that public libraries and social services could be better combined to create a more robust system of support for patrons, and they found at that time that there were over 30 public libraries who hired at least a part-time social worker to assist the needs of their population. (ALA, 2018 and Lambert, 2020) Additionally, studies are occurring across the country to help understand how great the needs are.
In Texas, at one of these libraries, Patrick Lloyd (LMSW), was profiled at Social Work Today. (Lambert, 2020) Mr. Lloyd is a member of the PLA task force, and he discussed how it's important in library social work to make yourself available to the patrons without assuming they need help, maintaining enough distance to keep the library as a safe haven for people who might only be seeking shelter, but having resources on the ready should needs arise.
Patrons who are dealing with food insufficiency, homelessness, mental illness, decreased access to medical care and addiction issues often come to the library "because they are seeking compassion, and they know the library is the place to get it. They are hoping for answers that cut through bureaucratic hurdles, where they don’t feel like a number." (Schofield, ND) These individuals seek out a library because "they can access resources such as the internet and a bathroom with no requirement to buy a coffee or join a club/membership." (Lambert, 2020) This make a team of librarian and social worker a very powerful combination.
Barth, A. (2008) Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)
It's clear this type of combined public services is just in its infancy, but the interest is growing, as evidenced by an increase of social worker positions listed in libraries, or MLIS programs that are considering a combination of LIS work and Social Services. As these program develop, they will be at the forefront of the new brand of librarian, one equipped to handle the changing tide of library services. In the meantime, looking for easily implemented changes, like stocking NARCAN (an opioid overdose rescue drug) and Resume/Application services are easy ways to start making a difference.
References:
ALA.org. (2018). Social Worker Task Force. ALA.org. https://www.ala.org/pla/about/people/committees/pla-tfsocwork
Barth, A (2008, January) Martin Luther King Library [Online Image]. Flicker.com. https://www.flickr.com/photos/a-barth/2411806398/
Lambert, C.P. (2020, March/April). Libraries and Social Workers — Perfect Partners. Social Work Today 20(2), p. 20. https://www.socialworktoday.com/archive/MA20p20.shtml
Schofield, A. (N.D.) Social Workers and Librarians— A Case for Why We are BFFs. ALA.org. https://www.ala.org/advocacy/diversity/odlos-blog/social-workers