Date: 19/10/2023
Format: Webinar
Time: 1.5 hours
Organiser: Social work in Libraries (SWIL) Simulation Hub project, facilitated by CSU
Presenter: Dr Beth Wahler, research faculty affiliate and previous director of the School of Social Work at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and founder of Beth Wahler Consulting.
Level: library staff
Subject area: patron needs assessment, trauma-informed library programmes, practice and care of community.
Objective: Understanding of social work potential in public libraries. trauma-informed librarianship
Reason for attending: To understand the psychosocial, sociological, environmental, behavioural and emotional effects of trauma on library customers, particularly the homeless, so as to provide positive service for them and support for other staff during confrontation and crisis.
What was learnt?
Wahler provided comprehensive research on various psychosocial needs of library visitors and staff and provided strategies to manage those needs based on best practice frameworks. She discussed the potential role of social work (SW) collaboration within the public library as an asset based on extensive understanding of transient members of the community. Comprehension and experience of poverty-related needs, homelessness, substance use, unemployment, mental health and trauma provides insight into the difficulties continually faced by this sector, thereby effecting increased perception and empathy within customer service.
Wahler articulated the changing needs of public library patrons and the expectation on library staff to fulfil those requirements through multifarious programmes, procedures and communal spaces. Supplementary to ongoing issues within Australian public libraries such as funding and relevance, Wahler cited examples of information adversity within the United States including censure of intellectual freedoms, opposition to diverse collections, questioning of policy suitability and division within community sectors. Consequence of these difficulties include increased stress on the populace, a reduced “safety net” for the underprivileged and conflict of need for undertrained LIS staff. The latter face verbal abuse, physical aggression, harassment and destruction of library property as they are not instructed in conflict prevention, management or resolution. Repercussions of staff pressure include psychological distress, exacerbation of pre-existing health conditions and long-term PTSD requiring work absence, counselling and withdrawal from employment.
Wahler then addressed the introduction of social work professionals into the public library sphere, based on several frameworks. In North America fulltime welfare officers aid in library environments to concentrate on enhancement of well-being and human needs, particularly within the homeless-“ the empowerment of (those) who are vulnerable, oppressed and living in poverty”. This practice utilises a three-tiered approach:
- “Micro”: involving individual/ family units with information and referral assessments, care management and advocacy.
- “Mezzo”: group facilitation programmes, workshops and support.
- “Macro”: community services, advisory groups and collaborations with other sectors, including library staff.
Social work initiatives featuring qualified and student representatives have been established within 27 US and Canadian libraries for several years. I was not aware that the City of Melbourne Library has employed a SW professional (the first and only in Australia) since 2019, and that further, similar enterprises are in consideration (Mitchell, n.d.).
Inclusion of social work principles is beneficial for LIS environments as their additional education provides insight and assessment into the causes and potential resolution of individual and community issues. Additionally, patrons in crisis are availed assistance in an accessible and welcoming locale beyond a clinic.
There are challenges within SW incorporation however, including funding, legal and liability implications, record keeping and the investment of these programmes within the parameters of the facility. Nevertheless, comprehension of community issues from a SW perspective is a valuable resource that benefits both LIS staff and transient patrons.
Relationship to work or study
I have recently begun instruction on Homeless De-Escalation Core Training through Connected Libraries. Presented by Ryan Dowd, Executive Director of a Hessed House, a large homeless shelter in Illinois, USA, the tutorials and workshops feature social work-based comprehension of the trauma, exclusion, mental and emotional health, and behavioral characteristics that emanate from challenging environmental experience.
So far I have received education concerning the origins of trauma, preparation for confrontation, proven escalators and de-escalators of conflict, the importance of using empathy, respect and active listening, verbal and non-verbal tools of communication, and management of self in difficult situations. Dowd has incorporated neuroscientific research revealing the two brain sectors involved in conflict: the amygdala, the emotional centre that detects danger and reacts through aggression, fear and confrontation, and the frontal cortex, in control of emotion, expression and regulation. Comprehension of the different brain elements and their effects on individuals dependent on circumstance and living conditions has been extremely enlightening in comprehension of need and provision of service for patrons living with trauma experience. Simple gestures of introduction, hand shaking, non-provocative eye contact and respectful communication create a path toward conflict prevention. Recognition and self-regulation of amygdala reaction are beneficial in all facets of customer service.
Education of trauma-based library service reinforces the relevance of social work potential and validity expressed by Wahler, increases staff confidence in encounters of visitors with complex needs and augments confidence and well-being within LIS professionals.
References
Mitchell, (n.d). The caring city: re-imagining the role of city institutions. https://citiespeoplelove.co/article/reimagining-the-role-of-city-institutions
Niche Academy. (2024). Learning management blogs and webinars. https://www.nicheacademy.com/blog/topic/homelessness