La Crosse Public Library: Community Resource Specialist
La Crosse Public Library hired a full-time social worker in Spring 2022 as part of their CLC ARPA Grant Local Project. This is the information they shared with us about their position and experience as a library social worker. Response dated June 2022.
What is your library?
La Crosse Public Library
What is your title?
Community Resource Specialist
How long have you been in your current position?
5 weeks
Please describe your educational background or training
Bachelors of Science in Social Work
Is your position full or part-time? If part-time, how many hours/week are you scheduled?
Full time – 40 hours
Please describe your main responsibilities.
Provide resources, support to Library patrons
What are you hoping your role will do in your library and your community?
Connect patrons with community resources, collaborate with local agencies that serve them as well.
How do you make decisions when interacting with a patron exhibiting psycho-social needs in the library?
It’s based on their needs they are expressing and learning about their needs by building rapport
What resources do you rely on to support your work?
Local agencies, library staff
Were there pre-existing protocols or documentation the library had in practice for handling psycho-social community needs prior to your hire?
Yes
Do you staff a public service desk? If yes, how many hours on average per week?
At this time, I have staffed the reference desk for two hours with a trainer.
Have you established protocols for other librarians on duty to follow, particularly when you are not on the desk?
This is a new position and I am working on building this
Do you assist with staff training, if so how often?
Not at this time.
Please describe the reporting or documentation protocols you follow when handling a patron interaction. What pieces of information are you tracking (demographics, referral sources, etc)?
We use a generic tracking tool with no identifying information at our desks. I do not have one at this time.
Please estimate the percentage of interactions you have with patrons that are first-time, and what percentage are repeat customers?
70% and 30%
What are you measuring to indicate success?
If the person was provided the resources/information they were seeking help with
What community partnerships are most valuable to you as a library social worker? How do cultivate those partnerships?
The local housing shelter, a resource center for homeless individuals, our Aging and Disability Resource Center. We share information, do site visits, collaborate when opportunities arise.
On a scale of 1 through 5, where 1 is Disagree Strongly and 5 is Agree Strongly, please indicate your level of agreement with this sentence: “Our community has adequate resources for community members with psycho-social or other social service needs.”
3 – Neither Agree nor Disagree
From the following list, what are the top 3-5 needs or populations you are seeing presented in the library?
List: Unhoused or unsheltered needs; Food insecurity; Mental health needs; Job seekers; Aging population; Drug/substance abuse; Other
Unhoused or unsheltered needs, Food insecurity, Mental health needs, Job seekers, Aging population
If you would like, you can expand on your responses to the previous two questions here.
What advice might you give a library that is considering hiring a social worker?
If a library is unable to hire a social worker, what are the top skills or qualities you would recommend a library staff member possess in order to handle psycho-social needs in the library?
Ability to meet people where they are. Be informed about trauma, cultural competency.
Is there anything we didn’t ask that you’d like to share?