Librarianship and social work have many shared values, including meeting the expanding and evolving needs of individuals and the community. Nearly 80 public libraries in the U.S. have collaborated with social work programs or schools of social work, to provide valuable learning opportunities for social work interns, and to connect community members with crucial services which exist beyond standard library offerings. Libraries or social work educators looking for ways to initiate collaborations with social work interns should join this webinar to understand the benefits, and a few challenges, to partnering with an institution or individual. Explore the types of intern assignments at the library that align with key social work competencies, from needs assessment to 1:1 patron referrals, and from staff training to outreach programs. And finally, discover how these internships can work for libraries of all types and sizes, including those in small and rural communities.

Presented by: Sarah C. Johnson, MLIS, LMSW, Assistant Professor, Social Sciences Librarian, Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY), and creator of Social Work Students & Public Libraries website

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Related Resources and Links

• Social Work Students & Public Libraries
• Map: Where and how is library-social work collaboration happening? maintained by Sara Zettervall, Whole Person Librarianship
• Statistics on Social Work Education in the United States, Summary of the CSWE Annual Survey of Social Work Programs
• A Brief History of the Social Workers in the Library Program, by Deborah Estreicher on Whole Person Librarianship blog
  
• Social Workers in the Library, Providing Free Social Service Information and Referrals to the Community Through the San José Public Library (presentation slides)
• Social Worker in the Library, services at Enoch Pratt Free Library
• South Carolina Office of Rural Health launched pilot program with the Union County Carnegie Library and the University of South Carolina School of Social Work, see announcement in local news, WSPA.com
• Edwardsville Public Library adds social work intern, The Intelligencer
• PLA Social Work Interest Group
• Help beyond books, Newsday
• N.C. A&T Students Take Social Work to Libraries through Joint Program
• National Association of Social Workers, Code of Ethics
• ALA's Core Values of Librarianship
• Provence, M. A., Wahler, E. A., Helling, J., & Williams, M. A. (2020). Self-reported psychosocial needs of public library patrons: Comparisons based on housing status. Public Library Quarterly, 1–14.
  
• Wahler, E. A., Provence, M. A., Helling, J., & Williams, M. A. (2020). The Changing Role of Libraries: How Social Workers Can Help. Families in Society, 101(1), 34–43.
  
• Toward a Trauma-Informed Model, American Libraries
• Johnson, S. C. (2019a). Partnering for social justice: Social work students’ placement at public libraries. In S. Epstein & V. Gubnitskaia (Eds.), Social Justice and Activism in Libraries: Essays on Diversity and Change. McFarland Publishing.
• Johnson, S. C. (2019b). MSW Interns and Public Libraries: Enhancing services through interdisciplinary collaboration. Public Services Quarterly, 15(1). 
• Johnson, S. C. (2018). MSW interns at public libraries: Fostering collaboration for change. Presented at the National Association of Social Workers annual conference, Washington, DC.
  
• Provence, M. (2018). From nuisance to neighbors. Advances in Social Work, 18(4), 1053-1067.
• Wahler, E.A., Provence, M., Helling, J., & Williams, M.A. (2019). The changing role of libraries: How social workers can help. Families in Society. Zettervall, S. (2019).
  
• Zettervall, S. K., & Nienow, M. C. (2019). Whole person librarianship: A social work approach to patron services. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited.
• See Infopeople webinars in the WebJunction Catalog to learn more about Trauma Informed Care
• Webinars from Idaho Commission for Libraries, Trauma-Informed Libraries: ACE's and Protective Factors AND Trauma-Informed Libraries: Building Positive Experiences

Participants requested suggestions for grant or funding opportunities to support social workers or interns in their libraries. Sarah has provided this list of examples to explore.

• A number of libraries, and their partners, have received funding through the Institute of Museum and Library Services:
  • Athens-Clarke County Library
  • New Jersey State Library
  • Hartford Public Library
• Edwardsville Public Library appears to receive funds from various sources, including the Edwardsville Junior Service Club and FCB Banks.