People go to Libraries for More than Books – That’s Why Some are Hiring Social Workers
by: Darian Benson, WFYI Indianapolis
Beth Wahler, director of the School of Social Work at University of North Carolina at Charlotte, works with public libraries across the country to understand their needs and suggests ways social workers may be able to help.
Wahler said she has consistently found libraries to be central to their communities. For that reason, library staff are often more keenly aware of their community’s emerging needs than other public entities may be.
“Sometimes they’re the first ones to know what gaps [in social services] exist, because those are the issues that are coming in the door with the patron population there,” Wahler said.