Resources for Social Work and Library Collaboration

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two seated women having a conversation
Social worker and woman talking, stefamerpik on Freepik

Library staff are known for their resourcefulness and commitment to adapting to help community members in need. But as the scope of library services has expanded to address complex social needs that aren’t being met elsewhere, it can feel overwhelming. Increasing natural disasters, social program budget cutbacks, the COVID-19 pandemic, the opioid crisis, housing and food insecurity—these are all issues that have deeply affected our community members and brought them through the doors of our libraries in search of resources.

To address these changing needs, many libraries are seeking the help of social work and are partnering with social workers in different ways. Social workers can contribute by developing programs to help patrons as well as training to support staff. Some libraries even embed social workers within their branches, to meet patrons where they are.

Explore these resources to learn how partnering with social workers can benefit library staff and the people they serve.

Examples of library-social work collaborations

Explore these resources for library-social work collaboration

Learn more with these webinars and presentations

Crunched for time? Listen and learn on the go with these podcasts

Explore more reading on libraries and social work

Resources for helping unhoused patrons

For more information and resources on meeting the needs of community members who are experiencing homelessness, check out this article