Megan Mahon is the Social Worker at Merribek Libraries in Northern Melbourne. In this video, Megan explains the work she does at Merribek and her pathway to taking on this role. Megan’s experience is a great example of direct care provided to library visitors by a social worker.

Kriz is the Community Support Worker at the Fremantle Library in Western Australia. Her role is a successful example of a productive partnership formed between a library and an external social service provider as a way of supporting communities.

Denis is the Community Wellbeing Officer based at the Darwin libraries. Denis’s role is an interesting example of community care provision through libraries, but without the inclusion of a social worker.

Hosted by Charles Sturt University’s School of Information and Communication Studies and the School of Social Work and Arts, SWiL2022 is an international symposium bringing together academics, professionals and students in the disciplines of social work and librarianship to share information and research about supporting social justice through bringing social workers into the increasingly community-centred environments of all types of libraries. 

Participants will hear from international and Australian speakers who have on-the-ground experience working in this environment as well as researchers and postgraduate students. Presenters will discuss their research and practice and provide opportunities for discussion, questions, and contributions that will inform a successful framework for embedding social workers and social work knowledge within libraries. 

SWiL2022 will be presented live online from 9:00 – 16:30 on December 1, 2022 (AEDT). There is no registration fee, and a recorded collection of presentations will be made available to registered participants.  

Organising Committee

Associate Professor Karen Bell – School of Social Work and Arts, CSU
Dr Jane Garner – School of Information and Communication Studies, CSU
Dr Kasey Garrison – School of Information and Communication Studies, CSU
Dr Monique Shephard – Future of the Professions Postdoctoral Research Fellow, CSU
Dr Sabine Wardle – School of Social Work and Arts, CSU

Click here to Register