Resources on Libraries and Homelessness
Jennifer Peterson
/
24 January 2017
NOTE: For a more recent resource, visit Resources for Helping Unhoused Patrons.
Resource Collections
- IFLA Checklist and Guidelines for Library Services to People Experiencing Homelessness
- Library Anchor Models for Bridging Diversity Achievements (LAMBDA) IMLS-funded project to provide continuing education and improve the knowledge, skills and abilities of library staff who are interested in creating programs that develop and improve services to homeless LGBTQA+ youth.
- Resources for Public Libraries Serving Persons Experiencing Homelessness (PLA)
- Hunger, Homelessness & Poverty Task Force Resources (ALA)
- ALA Outreach Resources for Services to Poor and Homeless People including Extending Our Reach: Reducing Homelessness Through Library Engagement
- Annual Homeless Assessment Report, HUD
- See also WebJunction and PLA project, Public Libraries Respond to the Opioid Crisis with Their Communities
- Program Model: Coffee & Conversation, from Dallas Public Library on the Programming Librarian
Webinars and Courses
From WebJunction
- Homelessness in Small and Rural Communities: Libraries Can Help!, 2/21/18
- Whole Person Librarianship: Fostering Empathy in Challenging Times, 3/28/17
- The Community Connector: Referring Social Services at the Library, 4/21/15 webinar (see also many articles on social workers in libraries)
- Putting the Public Back in Public Libraries: Community-Led Libraries, 9/26/11 webinar on how to involve your communities in library planning so that your library provides services relevant to underserved communities.
From Infopeople
- WHAT DO I DO NOW? Handling Challenging Situations with Mentally Ill and Homeless Library Users, Part 1, 5/14/13 webinar
- WHAT DO I DO NOW? Handling Challenging Situations with Mentally Ill and Homeless Library Users, Part 2, 5/21/13 webinar
- Public Libraries and the Homeless: Legal Issues, 9/17/13 webinar
From Niche Academy
- Effective Library Responses to Homelessness, 9/8/16 webinar
- Addressing Homeless Issues, free course
Other Webinars
- Understanding and Serving People Experiencing Homelessness: A Trauma-Informed Approach to Library Service, PLA 2-part webinar from 2015
- Serving At-Risk Patrons: Lessons from Library Social Workers, 7/19/16 ALA webinar
- The Inclusive Library – Best Practices for Serving Patrons Experiencing Homelessness, 3/21/17 Texas State Library webinar
Film, Video and Audio
- The Public, a film by Emilio Estevez
- A Librarian's Guide to Homelessness (See also homelesslibrary.com and on Facebook, Libraries and Homeless Patrons, and Ryan Dowd's new book, The Librarian's Guide to Homelessness)
- The Street Librarian, Laura Moulton created a library on wheels to make sure people living outside had access to good books, Portland, OR
- Homeless Engagement Initiative - Dallas Public Library KERA - NPR radio story
- For Bronx Librarian, Bringing Books to Homeless Children Inspires Hope, NBC Nightly News, 12/19/16
Libraries and Homelessness in the News
- Volunteers at the East Baton Rouge Parish Library make sleeping mats for the homeless out of recycled plastic bags, ongoing.
- An open-doors policy, The Daily Sentinel, 2/11/18
- What’s a Library to Do? On Homelessness and Public Spaces, Ryan Krull, The Millions, 10/16/17
- 'Homelessness is not a disease': living library offers stories from the streets, CBC News, 10/11/17
- WebJunction's Social Library Homelessness Edition, 1/24/17
- 'It’s Warm...You've Got Your Own Space': Dallas Library Strives To Be Haven For Homeless, KERA, 1/10/17
- Helping Homeless Students Step Out of the Shadows, Education Week, 9/16/16
- Enlisting Public Libraries to Help Fight Homelessness, Stateline, Pew Charitable Trusts, 4/4/16
- Library Offers Homeless People Mental Health Services, And It's Working, Huffington Post, 3/31/16
- Almost Home: How Public Libraries Serve Homeless Teenagers, School Library Journal, 2/11/16
- Serving Youth Experiencing Homelessness, WebJunction, 1/6/16
- Homeless to home: A story of homelessness and the transition out of it, Anythink Libraries, 11/2015
- Linking the Needy to the Needed, Library Journal, 10/15/15
- How Libraries Are Adapting To Help Homeless Find Jobs, Health Services, Huffington Post, 2/24/15
- Public Libraries: A Haven to the Homeless, WebJunction, 7/28/14
- Library Service to the Homeless, Public Libraries Online, 4/26/13
Groups
- Trauma Informed Services in Libraries on Facebook
- Libraries and Homeless Patrons on Facebook
On Social Workers and Libraries
- Helping Homeless New Yorkers by the Books - CityLab
- How Libraries Are Adapting To Help Homeless Find Jobs, Health Services - Huffington Post
- From nurses to social workers, see how public libraries are serving the homeless - PBS Newshour
- Edmonton Public Library Adds Homeless Outreach to Five New Branches - Library Journal
- A Little Extra Help – Why Public Libraries Need Social Workers - Public Libraries Online
- D.C. adds a social worker to library system to work with homeless patrons - Washington Post
- Public Libraries Add Social Workers and Social Programs - The New Social Worker
- Deschutes library intern seeks funding for social work program - The Bulletin
- Social Work in Public Libraries: Helping the Homeless in Yellowknife in 3 Parts
- Johnson, S. C. (2019). Partnering for social justice: Social work students’ placement at public libraries. Book chapter in S. Epstein & V. Gubnitskaia (Eds.), Social Justice and Activism in Libraries: Essays on Diversity and Change (pp. 45–52)
- Johnson, S. C. (2019). MSW Interns and Public Libraries: Enhancing services through interdisciplinary collaboration. Public Services Quarterly, 15(1).