There's a new tab on the WPL menu: Guest Lecture Mary Nienow and I have already given guest lectures in person and online to graduate courses in librarianship and in social work. We've talked about Whole Person Librarianship and about library-social work collaboration more broadly. We're always happy to talk to classes and wanted to… Continue reading Invite us to guest lecture
Author: Sara Z
Librarian. Poet. Quiet rioter. Opinions expressed are my own.
Buschman, libraries, and the public sphere
Little known fact: before Paul Lai and I started this blog, we very briefly had another one. Though the blog itself had a very narrow focus (reorganization of our MLIS program), this particular post still resonates today.
Social Work MOOC Module 1: What Is Social Work?
This is the first post in a series of reflections on the University of Michigan edX course "Social Work Practice: Advocating Social Justice and Change." I was struck very early on in this module by the International Federation of Social Work's global definition of social work: Social work is a practice-based profession and an academic… Continue reading Social Work MOOC Module 1: What Is Social Work?
WPL at IFLA: Homelessness, Refugees, and Person-in-Context
Last month, I attended the IFLA World Library and Information Congress in Columbus, OH as a U.S. National Fellow. It was a remarkable experience and an opportunity to start thinking about Whole Person Librarianship from a global perspective. Last year, the IFLA Section for Library Services to People with Special Needs formed a working group to… Continue reading WPL at IFLA: Homelessness, Refugees, and Person-in-Context
WPL @ ALA 2016 Wrap-up
This was a great year for Whole Person Librarianship at ALA. The panel on "Connecting Individuals with Social Services: The Academic Library's Role," convened by Samantha Hines from Missoula College Library, brought the concept of WPL to an academic audience. One of the panelists said he was glad to hear that librarians are talking about… Continue reading WPL @ ALA 2016 Wrap-up
Volunteers Needed this Friday! ALA Orlando
We need you! This is an opportunity to put Whole Person Librarianship into action while supporting at-risk kids. Librarians Build Communities and the ALA Task Force on Diversity & Inclusion are supporting Orlando Public Libraries during the upcoming conference. There are 2 opportunities to help: Summer BreakSpot! Friday, June 24, and Monday, June 27, 11:30am-12:30pm (pickup at… Continue reading Volunteers Needed this Friday! ALA Orlando
WPL at ALA 2016
This year, I'll be representing Whole Person Librarianship as a panelist at this ALA-ACRL session: Connecting Individuals with Social Services: The Academic Library's Role Saturday, June 25 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Orange County Convention Center, Room W108 Add it to your conference scheduler As public libraries earn attention and kudos for connecting their users… Continue reading WPL at ALA 2016
Five Core Beliefs to Sustain Librarianship
These core beliefs are strongly influenced by Whole Person Librarianship. They were developed in response to the deprofessionalization of library tasks. They present an alternative to the neoliberalist ("retail") model of librarianship. Librarians are professionals with a unique skill set. Librarianship is grounded in and motivated by equity and social justice. Librarianship as a profession… Continue reading Five Core Beliefs to Sustain Librarianship
Patrons Experiencing Homelessness
Amy Mars and I recently presented a series of two webinars that include some principles of WPL in action. Check them out for free: Public Library Services to Patrons Experiencing Homelessness and Housing Insecurity: Part One Part One: Population and Partnering What does homelessness look like in Minnesota? How can we connect patrons with community resources?… Continue reading Patrons Experiencing Homelessness
Libraries and Social Services: An International Perspective
Check out this paper published by IFLA earlier this year: Connecting Individuals with Social Services: The Library's Role Author Samantha Hines is Head of the Missoula College Library at the University of Montana and brings a much-needed perspective on the role of academic libraries in connecting patrons with social services. She also undertook an effort to… Continue reading Libraries and Social Services: An International Perspective
Whole Person Librarianship 