Early Step in Applying Social Work Concepts – Knowing your Community

Before hiring, before investing in tools or resources, a library should perform a thorough environmental scan to better understand its community makeup, potential needs, and where services, resources, and partnerships exist in order to reduce duplication of effort and identify gaps. Below are resources that can a library build their community awareness:

• Demographics for Libraries Report – There are many different ways that libraries might find value in utilizing demographic data to inform decision-making, including what services or resources to invest in to best meet their community’s psycho-social needs. This report includes different ways libraries can use demographics, where to find data, and how to determine what information might be valuable.
• Community Capacity Inventory from the Community Toolbox that can help a library develop a preliminary inventory of community capacities.