Library Social Work

About Library Social Work

Welcome to the Library Social Work podcast. I’m Sarah Johnson, a librarian and social worker, here to explore the fascinating intersection of public libraries and social services. While this combination might seem unusual to some, a growing network of individuals and libraries are discovering the significance of these partnerships. In each episode, I’ll be joined by a diverse group of experts—social workers, librarians, social work students, educators, researchers, and administrators—who are actively involved in these cross-disciplinary collaborations. But don’t let the title of this podcast fool you: I’ll explore connections beyond social work that include public health experts, mental health advocates, and peer navigators. With years of experience researching and teaching about Library Social Work, my goal is to illuminate the factors that contribute to the success of these partnerships and identify areas for improvement. With over 300 collaborations emerging across North America and the South Pacific in the past 15 years, there's a wealth of insights and lessons to share. Join me as we explore these groundbreaking collaborations and their far-reaching impact.

Publisher

Sarah Johnson, LMSW, MLIS

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

18 Jun 2024

Latest episode

24 Jun 2025

Latest episodes

19 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   24 Jun 2025

   Dr. Kaitlin Montague

   Dr. Kaitlin Montague discusses the access challenges faced by vehicle residents, drawing parallels to the experiences of library workers assisting patrons, in this interview.

2. 

   5 Jun 2025

   Dr. Peggy Morton

   Dr. Peggy Morton LCSW discusses the expansion of NYU's social work field placements within the New York Public Library system and the ethical challenges students face in this interview.

3. 

   2 Apr 2025

   Dr. Mary A. Provence

   Dr. Mary A. Provence, an assistant professor of social work at Ball State University, brings 32 years of experience across micro and macro practice. She began her career as a street outreach worker for youth experiencing homelessness and has since focused her research on library social work, particularly its connection to homelessness. In this episode, we explore her findings on how employing social workers in public libraries helps reduce reliance on law enforcement. Substack @librarysocialw...

4. 

   5 Mar 2025

   Dr. Margaret Ann Paauw, LCSW

   Dr. Margaret Ann Paauw is a leading voice in library social work, bringing a wealth of experience as an Assistant Professor at Eastern Michigan University, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and an author. With a background as a library social worker for the Chicago Public Library, she has played a pivotal role in advancing the field. She was an active member of the Public Library Association’s Library Social Work Taskforce, facilitated the library social work direct service call, and co-auth...

5. 

   4 Feb 2025

   Dr. Rachel D. Williams

   Dr. Rachel D. Williams is a former public librarian and current LIS educator at the University of South Carolina's School of Information Science. We explore USC’s new library social work certificate program, integrating social work components into LIS education, boundary management, and the necessary components to support library workers. Substack @librarysocialwork

6. 

   7 Jan 2025

   Dr. Jane Garner

   Dr. Jane Garner is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Information & Communication Studies at Charles Sturt University in New South Wales, Australia. She also co-hosts the Surviving the Stacks podcast alongside Dr. Beth Wahler. I'm thrilled to have Jane on the show to share a non-U.S. perspective on library-social work collaborations. In our conversation, we explore her current research interests and the mission of her podcast: supporting public library staff by reminding them they ar...

7. 

   17 Dec 2024

   Dr. Caroline N. Sharkey

   Dr. Caroline Sharkey shares her expertise on helping to implement trauma-informed approaches in public libraries alongside social work students from the University of Georgia. As a social worker, clinical supervisor, and trauma-informed trainer, Dr. Sharkey speaks to the centrality of social inclusion, how social workers can amplify the expertise and empathy that libraries already exhibit, and what trauma informed approaches looks like in public libraries. Substack@librarysocialwork

8. 

   5 Dec 2024

   Sharita Sims, MSW

   Sharita Sims, MSW, describes her innovative approach to social work integration in libraries, empowering community partnerships and student success through thorough vetting and orientation processes.

9. 

   19 Nov 2024

   Christina Connolly

   Christina Connolly, Community Resources Manager at Worcester Public Library, discusses her team's innovative approach to providing social services and support to both the community and library staff, empowering a culture of empathy and inclusivity.

10. 

    6 Nov 2024

    Leah Topek-Walker, LCSW

    Leah Topek-Walker, LCSW, shares her expertise on successful library social work programs and her research on the experiences of library social workers, offering insights for effective community engagement and social support.

11. 

    24 Oct 2024

    Jeff Cupo

    Jeff is the Head of Information and Adult Services at the Elizabeth Public Library (EPL) in New Jersey and president of New Jersey Library Association. Tune in to hear his perspective about EPL's collaboration with a professional social worker and how it benefits their patronage and library staff. Substack@librarysocialwork

12. 

    8 Oct 2024

    Leah Dudak

    Leah T. Dudak, a former public librarian and current doctoral student at the Syracuse University iSchool, joins me for a timely discussion, despite Banned Books Week being a couple of weeks behind us. We explore how efforts to censor books and threats to library workers’ physical safety are affecting the profession. While much of the conversation focuses on urban libraries, the issues we discuss are equally relevant to academic and rural settings.Substack@librarysocialwork

13. 

    24 Sept 2024

    Ryan Dowd

    Ryan Dowd is Chief Empathy Officer at HomelessTraining.com. As someone with decades of experience working with people experiencing homelessness, Ryan brings a great deal of energy and passion for helping public libraries (and now corporate spaces) navigate the “problematic behaviors associated with human vulnerability.” In this episode Ryan outlines the similarities and differences between empathy-driven and trauma informed approaches, three subgroups of the unhoused, a quick guide to conflic...

14. 

    10 Sept 2024

    Ta'Kisha Moore

    Ta’Kisha Moore is a Peer Support Specialist (also known as a “peer navigator”) and Project Coordinator of the Libraries For Health (L4H) program through Via Hope: a pilot project situating peers in nine public libraries in rural areas of Texas. Ta’Kisha (“Kisha”) explains the structure of this project including the training and supervision requirements of peers, the incredibly strong reception of peers by the libraries, and what makes a non-traditional placement such as a library particularly...

15. 

    27 Aug 2024

    Emily Dalton, LMSW

    Emily Dalton is a library social worker at the Hoboken Public Library (HPL). Coming full circle as a lifelong Hoboken resident and HPL patron since childhood, Emily was hired as one of the branch’s first social work interns when she was studying for her master’s degree at Rutgers University. Now as HPL’s social worker, Emily discusses library programming and community outreach she’s involved in, including the supervision of social work practicum students. We also explore the importance of sup...

16. 

    14 Aug 2024

    Kevin King

    Kevin King is Director of the East Lansing Public Library and the President-Elect for ALA Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures. In today’s episode, Kevin shares how he co-developed the Peer Navigators program at Kalamazoo Public Library (KPL) to help ensure patrons have what they need to succeed in life. He is also a consultant to libraries across the US on organizational health, customer service, library programming, and more. He has also trained library security personnel to work along...

17. 

    2 Aug 2024

    Dr. Beth Wahler

    Dr. Beth Wahler is the Owner of Beth Wahler Consulting (https://www.swinthelibrary.com/) and an Affiliated Research Faculty member at the UNC Charlotte School of Social Work. Her expertise as a social work consultant to public libraries has taken her around the globe, including Australia, where she began collaborating with academic librarian Dr. Jane Garner (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jane-garner-32258430/). Together, they recently launched their Surviving the Stacks (http://www.survivingthestacks.com) podcast. Dr. Wahler and I discuss the importance of transforming library culture to better support library staff, gaps in the research about library/social work partnerships, and clarify that not every library needs a social worker. She addresses common misconceptions about these interdisciplinary collaborations and suggests types of training and continuing education for both librarians and social workers.

18. 

    24 Jul 2024

    David Perez, MSW

    First episode! The first episode of the Library Social Work podcast is here! (https://www.buzzsprout.com/2376136/15467344-david-perez-msw.mp3?download=true)See below for the list of topics David and I discussed including relevant links and attachments to learn more. I look forward to reading your feedback. Topics Introduction to podcast and this first episode David’s path to library social work at Long Branch (https://longbranchlib.org/services/social-services/) “Typical” day and tasks His role and responsibilities Growth of library social work in New Jersey 2024 American Library Association presentation about the Social Work Informed Library Services in New Jersey (SWILIBS-NJ) (https://www.njstatelib.org/services_for_libraries/consulting_services/diversity_and_literacy/swilibs-nj/#:~:text=Garnering%20the%20vital%20movement%20in,essential%20social%20services%20for%20their) pilot program Library-based social work student internships Community Outreach Programs: Fade to Books: Barbershop Literacy Initiative (https://longbranchlib.org/services/social-services/fade-to-books-barbershop-literacy-initiative/) Fresh Start (https://longbranchlib.org/services/social-services/fresh-start-re-entry-services/) re-entry Ingredients for successful library social work partnerships Librarians’ reception of David’s role What librarians need to understand about hosting social work students Preferred track and characteristics of social work student Student tasks Work space, confidentiality, and safety On and off-site social work supervision What social work students need to know about interning at a library Scope of library social work What isn’t working about these partnerships Quality orientation and planning Tailoring social work programs at the branch level The importance of self-care for social workers and what this looks like for David. Links Head over to my Substack (https://librarysocialwork.substack.com/p/episode-1-david-perez-msw) for more links and downloads Whole Person Librarianship Map (https://wholepersonlibrarianship.com/map/): Please comment if you know of partnerships not represented on the WPL map or any outdated pins. Leave a comment (https://librarysocialwork.substack.com/p/episode-1-david-perez-msw/comments) Orientation tools: Two handbooks developed by Beth Wahler and I for the Social Work Informed Library Services in NJ (https://www.njstatelib.org/services_for_libraries/consulting_services/diversity_and_literacy/swilibs-nj/#:~:text=Garnering%20the%20vital%20movement%20in,essential%20social%20services%20for%20their)program For librarian task supervisors of library-based social work student interns For social work students David’s presentation with Beth Wahler at ALA ‘24 Social work students involvement with Long Branch’s Fresh Start program: Johnson, S.C., & Paauw, M.A. (2022). Partners in libraries: Social work students and the justice-involved. Public Libraries, 61(3), 28–36. Wahler, E. A., Ressler, J. D., Johnson, S. C., Rortvedt, C., Saecker, T., Helling, J., Williams, M. A., & Hoover, D. (2022). Public library-based social work field placements: Guidance for public libraries planning to become a social work practicum site. Public Library Quarterly, 42(2), 141–154. https://doi.org/10.1080/01616846.2022.2044264 (https://doi.org/10.1080/01616846.2022.2044264)

19. 

    18 Jun 2024

    Introduction

    Hello, and welcome to Library Social Work. I’m Sarah Johnson, a librarian and social worker, here to explore the fascinating intersection of public libraries and social services. While this combination might seem unusual to some, a growing network of individuals and libraries are discovering the significance of these partnerships. In each episode, I’ll be joined by a diverse group of experts—social workers, librarians, social work students, educators, researchers, and administrators—who are actively involved in these cross-disciplinary collaborations. But don’t let the title of this podcast fool you: I’ll explore connections beyond social work that include public health experts, mental health advocates, and peer navigators. With years of experience researching and teaching about Library Social Work, my goal is to illuminate the factors that contribute to the success of these partnerships and identify areas for improvement. With over 300 collaborations emerging across North America and the South Pacific in the past 15 years, there's a wealth of insights and lessons to share. Join me as we explore these groundbreaking collaborations and their far-reaching impact.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 34 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

55

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.