Stephen Cummings

During Social Work Month, let’s celebrate a special facet of our practice: social workers are team members. We are found in hospital units, community planning organizations, and in many other formal or informal groups. While not as pronounced, social workers have become more active in the environment of the public library.  Examples of this growth in social work presence include Denver, Colorado, where a library social worker addresses needs of people who are homeless; an Anchorage, Alaska library social worker addressing homeless needs there; a social worker addressing mental health needs of community members at the St. Paul Public Libraries; and social workers aligned with the Richland, South Carolina library system, where patrons can schedule appointments via a web portal.

What factors are behind this increased social work presence? It’s worth observing that librarians, educators, and other civil servants have led the change to adapt library environments to community…