The Librarian's Guide to Homelessness

 

Homeless. [Photograph]. Retrieved from Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest.
https://quest.eb.com/search/300_1172706/1/300_1172706/cite

DiBello, Amy

Librarian's Guide to Homelessness. (2018). Librarian's Guide to Homelessness. Retrieved 2 March 2018, from http://www.homelesslibrary.com/

Although this topic has little to do with collection management, those of us who work in public libraries serve patrons from all walks of life. Our homeless patrons deserve respectful, compassionate service, even in the most challenging instances. 

One of my colleagues at a neighboring library sent me a link to Ryan Dowd's Website: Librarian's Guide to Homelessness.  Dowd has also written a book The Librarian's Guide to Homelessness: An Empathy Driven Approach to Solving Problems, Preventing Conflict & Serving Everyone which is available through the American Library Association's publication page. 

Dowd offers online training in dealing with homelessness in public libraries. Dowd's Website also offers helpful tips on how to respectfully, but assertively handle sensitive conversations about sleeping, snoring, hygiene, panhandling, and patrons burdened with delusions. You can subscribe to his email list for tips and advice on serving your homeless patrons with empathy, respect, and better outcomes. 

A Librarian's Guide to Homelessness

Clifford, Simon
Info266, Fall 2016

Dowd, R. (2013, May 20). A librarian’s guide to homelessness [video file]. Retrieved from 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYiEEhhrFh4&feature=youtu.be

Summary: 

In this video aimed at librarians, Ryan Dowd, the director of a homeless shelter discusses the characteristics and needs common to those homeless individuals who visit libraries, and explores some of the challenges to serving them. The first part of the video is focused on the lived experience of the homeless. The second part, starting about 23:00 minutes in, shifts to focus on effective ways for library staff to interact with homeless patrons. 

Evaluation:

"A librarian's guide to homelessness" is part training, part advocacy. Dowd devotes a lot of time to conveying what it is like to be homeless and why a homeless person might behave in certain ways. In the latter part of the video, he gives a few concrete tips for avoiding escalation or deescalating tense situations. This video does not really cover how to handle major conflicts or other critical situations. It's a bit lengthy at 38:00 minutes, but I personally found it to be very insightful. 

Embedded Social Workers in the San Francisco Public Library

Jonathan P. Bell
INFO 266
May 9, 2016

Fraga, J. (2016). Humanizing homelessness at the San Francisco Public Library. CityLAB. http://www.citylab.com/navigator/2016/03/humanizing-homelessness-at-the-san-francisco-public-library/475740/

Fraga spotlights San Francisco Public Library’s groundbreaking program that brought in a psychiatric social worker as a full-time staff member at the library. Social worker Leah Esguerra has served alongside the information services staff since 2009 connecting homeless library patrons with services and programs. She is the first ever library social worker in the U.S.

As Fraga notes, 67% of San Francisco’s 7000+ homeless suffer from chronic health conditions including physical disabilities and mental health issues. Many of them need treatment, medicine, shelter, and food. The public library is one of the few places homeless people feel safe and comfortable. Esguerra approaches homeless in the library after observing signs of need. As a trained social worker, Esguerra knows how to establish trust. She connects them with core services such as housing and mental health counseling.

An outgrowth of this program was the creation of Health and Safety Associate (HASA) workers who assist Esguerra in connecting homeless to services. The five HASA staff members working under Esguerra are all formerly homeless individuals. They have a rapport with homeless patrons because they’ve been there. Esguerra and HASA workers are the bridge between an at-risk homeless population and much-needed programs and services.

Results are clear. Over 1,000 people have benefitted from the program at SFPL. At the time of publication, 24 U.S. public libraries had developed a similar model of embedded assistance in the library.

Evaluation
Public libraries are situated to help the homeless, and local governments must embrace that fact. SFPL’s trailblazing program placing social workers  in the library is effective precisely because it brings social services to homeless persons in-need, rather than placing the burden on the homeless to find these services. This is a an efficient and compassionate public service innovation. It’s caught on nationwide. My local public library system in Pasadena, CA will soon add social workers in Central Library and selected branches frequented by homeless as part of the city’s robust response plan to the homelessness affecting our community. The staff report to city council cites the success of this SFPL program. Of course it takes commitment and political will to convince elected officials to fund such a bold plan. There will always be detractors calling this government waste. They’re usually the same people complaining that city hall isn’t “doing enough” about homeless! Investment in targeted resources, like embedded library social workers, offers a pathway out of homeless.
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