“Libraries from California to Colorado, Pennsylvania to Missouri, are finding themselves on the front lines of a battle they never anticipated fighting.”
Saving Lives in the Stacks: How Libraries are Handling the Opioid Crisis
Category: library-services-for-poor-people
How Denver Public Library Balances Books And Being A Homeless Shelter
Denver Public Library says its central location is somewhat of a homeless
shelter.
“That is a role that we have not asked to play, but are playing,” says Michelle Jeske, the city librarian for Denver.
Kansas City Public Library Embraces the Homeless
Libraries Struggle With A New Role: Social Services Center
“We don’t judge anyone as they come in,” said Hawaii State Librarian Stacey Aldrich. “That’s the beauty of a library. That’s the way it should be. We’re one of the most democratic spaces.”
The Hawaii State Public Library System is seeking $146,556 over fiscal years 2018 and 2019 to hire a manager who would be responsible for training library staff statewide and creating partnerships with social service agencies.
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Dallas Library Strives To Be Haven For Homeless
“A big city library has turned around the way it deals with some of its most marginalized visitors. The Dallas Public Library has committed to not just tolerating—but welcoming—every homeless person who walks through the door.”
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COURTNEY COLLINS / KERA NEWS
Joliet Library Helps Provide Winter Supplies to Local Homeless Population
“Being in the downtown area, the Joliet Public Library is uniquely positioned to be able to partner with other organizations to provide assistance to the unsheltered here in Joliet,” said Megan Millen, Executive Director of the Joliet Public Library, in a news release. “Thanks to the generosity of the Joliet community, events like this are able to provide those winter essentials to the less fortunate residents of Will County.”
A Bronx Librarian Keen on Teaching Homeless Children a Lasting Love of Books
“For the past eight years, [librarian] Mr. Nembhard has turned the shelter’s day care room or its dimly lighted office into an intimate library, tapping into the imaginations of transient children with the hope of making reading books a constant in their lives.”
Librarians Learn Mental Health First Aid In San Diego
“Libraries attract a fair share of homeless and mentally ill,” said Wendy Hopkins, bureau chief for the California State Library’s Development Services Bureau. “We’re here to serve communities and many people come looking for answers to their problems.”
Loussac Library in Midtown Anchorage Gets Social Worker
Loussac Library in Midtown Anchorage will station a social worker inside the library to help some of the Anchorage’s most vulnerable patrons.
Literacy Initiative Puts Child Libraries in NYC Homeless Shelters
“Brooklyn Public Library is proud to serve the diverse needs of a diverse borough—and when families cannot reach us, we will bring our collections and programs to them,” said Nick Higgins, Director of Outreach Services for Brooklyn Public Library. “By partnering with agencies like DHS, we are able to serve the community beyond our 60 branches, ensuring that families from every walk of life can access our free, life-transforming resources.”