Library Social Work

While this episode isn’t solely focused on library social work, there’s definitely some overlap. The vehicle residents Dr. Montague studies face many of the same access challenges that library workers encounter with patrons. And although living in a vehicle isn’t identical to being unhoused, the two experiences are connected—especially as more people turn to their cars for shelter in the face of r...

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Peggy Morton, LCSW, to explore the expansion of NYU’s Silver School of Social Work field placements in branches of the New York Public Library. We discuss the alignment between the core values of social work and librarianship, along with the unique ethical challenges students encounter in public library environments. Dr. Morton highlights the practical skills stu...

Dr. Mary A. Provence , an assistant professor of social work at Ball State University, brings 32 years of experience across micro and macro practice. She began her career as a street outreach worker for youth experiencing homelessness and has since focused her research on library social work, particularly its connection to homelessness. In this episode, we explore her findings on how employing soc...

Dr. Margaret Ann Paauw is a leading voice in library social work, bringing a wealth of experience as an Assistant Professor at Eastern Michigan University, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and an author. With a background as a library social worker for the Chicago Public Library, she has played a pivotal role in advancing the field. She was an active member of the Public Library Association’s Li...

Dr. Rachel D. Williams is a former public librarian and current LIS educator at the University of South Carolina's School of Information Science. We explore USC’s new library social work certificate program, integrating social work components into LIS education, boundary management, and the necessary components to support library workers.  Substack @librarysocialwork

Dr. Jane Garner is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Information & Communication Studies at Charles Sturt University in New South Wales, Australia. She also co-hosts the Surviving the Stacks  podcast alongside Dr. Beth Wahler . I'm thrilled to have Jane on the show to share a non-U.S. perspective on library-social work collaborations. In our conversation, we explore her current research...

Dr. Caroline Sharkey shares her expertise on helping to implement trauma-informed approaches in public libraries alongside social work students from the University of Georgia. As a social worker, clinical supervisor, and trauma-informed trainer, Dr. Sharkey speaks to the centrality of social inclusion, how social workers can amplify the expertise and empathy that libraries already exhibit, and wha...

As the Community Wellness Program Manager at the NYPL, Sharita Sims describes her two-fold responsibilities of overseeing her library's social work students program and outreach to community partners. She outlines the thorough steps taken to prepare and vet library branches who may host a social work student as well as how she orients the student to their assigned library branch. Sharita also...

Christina Connolly is the Community Resources Manager at Worcester Public Library (WPL). Her team is comprised of a social worker, New Americans Librarian, and two security officers. Christina describes the path that informed WPL's decision to hire a social worker, the services and programs she provides to both the community and library staff, and lessons learned so far about their partnershi...

Leah is a licensed clinical social worker and Clinical Assistant Professor at the Stony Brook School of Social Welfare . Along with a colleague, she provides group supervision to 20 students conducting their practicum placements at 30 public libraries throughout Long Island. Leah shares her insights about what makes Stony Brook’s library social work program successful as well as her current resear...

Jeff is the Head of Information and Adult Services at the Elizabeth Public Library (EPL) in New Jersey and president of New Jersey Library Association. Tune in to hear his perspective about EPL's collaboration with a professional social worker and how it benefits their patronage and library staff.  Substack @librarysocialwork

Leah T. Dudak , a former public librarian and current doctoral student at the Syracuse University iSchool, joins me for a timely discussion, despite Banned Books Week being a couple of weeks behind us. We explore how efforts to censor books and threats to library workers’ physical safety are affecting the profession. While much of the conversation focuses on urban libraries, the issues we discuss...

Ryan Dowd is Chief Empathy Officer at HomelessTraining.com . As someone with decades of experience working with people experiencing homelessness, Ryan brings a great deal of energy and passion for helping public libraries (and now corporate spaces) navigate the “problematic behaviors associated with human vulnerability.” In this episode Ryan outlines the similarities and differences between empath...

Ta’Kisha Moore is a Peer Support Specialist (also known as a “peer navigator”) and Project Coordinator of the Libraries For Health (L4H) program through Via Hope : a pilot project situating peers in nine public libraries in rural areas of Texas. Ta’Kisha (“Kisha”) explains the structure of this project including the training and supervision requirements of peers, the incredibly strong reception of...

Emily Dalton is a library social worker at the Hoboken Public Library (HPL). Coming full circle as a lifelong Hoboken resident and HPL patron since childhood, Emily was hired as one of the branch’s first social work interns when she was studying for her master’s degree at Rutgers University . Now as HPL’s social worker, Emily discusses library programming and community outreach she’s involved in,...

Kevin King is Director of the East Lansing Public Library and the President-Elect for ALA Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures. In today’s episode, Kevin shares how he co-developed the Peer Navigators program at Kalamazoo Public Library (KPL) to help ensure patrons have what they need to succeed in life. He is also a consultant to libraries across the US on organizational health, customer ser...

Dr. Beth Wahler is the Owner of Beth Wahler Consulting and an Affiliated Research Faculty member at the UNC Charlotte School of Social Work. Her expertise as a social work consultant to public libraries has taken her around the globe, including Australia, where she began collaborating with academic librarian Dr. Jane Garner . Together, they recently launched their Surviving the Stacks podcast.  Dr...

 The first episode of the Library Social Work podcast is here! See below for the list of topics David and I discussed including relevant links and attachments to learn more. I look forward to reading your feedback. Topics Introduction to podcast and this first episode David’s path to library social work at Long Branch “Typical” day and tasks His role and responsibilities Growth of library social w...

Hello, and welcome to Library Social Work. I’m Sarah Johnson, a librarian and social worker, here to explore the fascinating intersection of public libraries and social services. While this combination might seem unusual to some, a growing network of individuals and libraries are discovering the significance of these partnerships. In each episode, I’ll be joined by a diverse group of experts—socia...