Library Services for People Experiencing Homelessness

This video explains some of the actions taken by the Seattle Public Library to meet the needs of communites without homes, including those living in 'encampments'. There are some parallels with the work being done by Yarra in the programs that take mobile internet hubs out to communities so they can use the internet for free.  My favourite line in this video is toward to start where the presenter says: "The libraray is an engine room for equality". I like this as as it recognises libraries ashaving a capacity to not only be places for everyone, but also as a place that can generate ideas, actions and processes that can support equality. I like the ideas of building, generating, creating and activating change that focus on equality. 

https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/blogs/the-scoop/letter-from-public-library-directors-and-social-workers/ This letter was written and signed by 12 American library directors and social workers and identifies some highlights of how they are working with their communities. These highlights are: Trauma-informed care Homelessness A focus on behaviour Creating welcoming spaces Person-first language It provides a great list of like-minded people in American libraries.

    Wahler EA, Provence MA, Helling J, Williams MA. The Changing Role of Libraries: How Social Workers Can Help. Families in Society. 2020;101(1):34-43. doi: 10.1177/1044389419850707 This is an interesting study of social workers in libraries. It studies: How library staff think about theor roles as supporters of the psychosocial eneds of patrons What they believe are the library's responsibilities in this area  What are some program and policy recommendations for other libraries.  It provides a good lit review including some references to writers who state quite strongly that there is no place in libraries for supporting the psychosocial needs of users - that this is not the job of libraries at all. In particular a published 'commentary' by Ken Bikoff from Indiana University Bloomington who was of the strong belief that there was no role at all for libraries in moving beyond libraries as "a place in which literary, musical, artistics, or reference materials are kept...