Exploring Social Work and Library Partnerships: Identifying Staff Needs and Supports for Managing Increasing Psychosocial Needs of Patrons

Background: In response to the changing needs of patrons and communities, libraries are continuing to innovate ways to meet the varied psychosocial needs of patrons. Even while programs emerge across the country, most library systems still lack the presence of social work leading to increased safety concerns by library staff. The complexity of patrons’ needs (e.g. housing, mental health/substance use disorder) paired with untrained staff attempting to mitigate patron problems create challenges within library systems. Few studies explore the experiences of front-line library workers, but existing studies report high rates of trauma and violence in their jobs. Given the existing studies documenting library staff trauma, it is important to better understand the various challenges experienced by staff and their own suggestions for intervention. This study sought to explore and describe the experiences of library staff, while also determining potential pathways forward to enhance social work and library partnerships within LFPL moving forward.

Methods: Surveys were created in Qualtrics and disseminated to library staff via an email distribution list by the LFPL assistant director. Surveys were also sent out to library staff through email distribution from the local library union representatives. Questions explored perceptions of greatest psychosocial needs for patrons, as well as personal experiences with challenging patrons and potential consequences of difficult patron interactions. Two researchers used thematic analysis to explore staff responses. Coders independently engaged in initial coding, meeting to adjudicate areas of disagreement and create the final code book. Codes were applied to all remaining responses.

Results: A total of 58 staff completed the survey, with a range of .5 to 29 years working in the library. Staff described a complex relationship between the unmet needs of patrons and their own mental health. Staff described experiencing psychological and physical symptoms of burnout and compassion fatigue from job. Staff described the need for greater support from administration, as well as a lack of understanding about what their job entailed in real life. When they experienced psychological and physical symptoms of burnout, they experienced an inability to seek the desired mental health supports or access to processing the situation due to financial restraints and low-pay, combined with a limited EAF.

Conclusion/Discussion: The testimonies reveal the emotional toll of engaging with patrons' complex psychosocial needs without adequate training or support, emphasizing the urgent need for systemic changes within library systems. The data further underscores the importance of fostering trauma-informed environments where library staff feel valued, supported, and equipped to meet the demands of their roles. The integration of social work services within libraries offers a promising pathway forward. Social workers' expertise in trauma-informed care, cultural humility, and equity-centered practices positions them to provide both direct support to patrons and critical resources for library staff.