IST 560: Library Advocacy Group

Libraries in the United States serve countless numbers of people within their community. These people look to the library for information, research, and recreational resources. However, library policy may not be equipped to cover subjects that some people need in their daily lives. Things like food stamps, tax aid, unemployment, homelessness, mental health services, are generally not something a librarian may know immediately. They may not have the staffing necessary to deal with people seeking aid. This is where the social worker comes in, a social worker in the library can provide another pillar to service the community. 

Current librarianship is an broad approach, in which libraries emphasize meeting the diverse needs of library users beyond just providing access to information. It acknowledges that patrons come to libraries with a variety of needs, including social, emotional, and physical needs. Whole Person Librarianship provides a hub for the libraries for social work collaboration.

Things to consider:

• Does providing social services meet current library policy?
• Does a Community Needs Assessment indicate that these services are valued by the community and relevant stakeholders?
• Define expectations of program .The library workers and patrons’ rights, the mission and vision, the library community duties are normally defined in the policy, but temporary volunteers and social service for the specific demand in the community, external or internal government funding related issues and subjects may not well defined.
• Funding opportunities community partnerships, sourcing and using government funding for the social work.
• Professional Competencies of the Service Provider see Model Social Work Practice Act below for more details on best practices for Social Workers,