I was reminded this weekend that Little Free Libraries are still growing in popularity, when (not for the first time) someone suggested to me that I might build one at some point. They seem to be especially numerous here in the Twin Cities--not surprising, given that they're based in the Upper Midwest. In just one… Continue reading Little Free Libraries and Collaborative Engagement
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Whole Person Librarianship: The Start of a Manifesto
I had the good fortune to spend much of the last week in the company of other smart, enthusiastic librarians on the upswing in their careers at MILE, Minnesota’s local version of ALA’s Emerging Leaders program. Among many other positive aspects of the experience was that it brought together librarians from all types of librarianship… Continue reading Whole Person Librarianship: The Start of a Manifesto
Social Services, Health Information, and Librarianship
The Saint Catherine University MLIS program, organized by the student chapter of the Progressive Librarians Guild, is walking as a team in the Minnesota AIDS Walk next week. As we’ve been doing some fundraising, I’ve been thinking about the connections between AIDS activism and librarianship. From the early work of the Gay Men’s Health Crisis… Continue reading Social Services, Health Information, and Librarianship
A Brief History of the Social Workers in the Library Program
This post offers a brief history of the Social Workers in the Library program at San José Public Library, started by Deborah Estreicher, Peter Lee, Glenn Thomas, and Cyndy Thomas. The program brings volunteer social workers into the library for free 20-minute referrals. Members of the National Association of Social Workers, California Chapter staff the program.… Continue reading A Brief History of the Social Workers in the Library Program
The Pursuit of Social Work as a Previous Librarian
By Julie Row, MILS, MSW An article from the blog post on March 31, 2013 has stated that a social worker must carefully consider their audience when they share information online. Not only is this important in regards to ethics, but it is also my personal motive for this post. I always receive a different… Continue reading The Pursuit of Social Work as a Previous Librarian
Questions for the Co-Location of Library and Social Work Services
By Mary Wagner, MLS, PhD Mary Nienow in her blog post, “Why Social Workers Need Librarians,” on April 7, 2013, offers challenging and exciting ideas for intersection of Social Work and Library/Information Science. Two recent newspaper articles, “How Public Libraries Have Become Spare Homeless Shelters” (AlterNet, March 6, 2013) and “Security Getting Tougher at Downtown… Continue reading Questions for the Co-Location of Library and Social Work Services
Recentering the Public Good
Happy National Library Week (April 14-20, 2013)! Check out your local library for ways to support and celebrate libraries in your community. In my introduction to library and information science class, I learned about the values enshrined in the Library Bill of Rights. The document was drafted by the professional organization for the field, the… Continue reading Recentering the Public Good
Why Social Workers Need Librarians: A Social Work Perspective
By Mary C. Nienow, MSW The field of social work is a broad one. Social workers can be found in schools, hospitals, state agencies, nonprofits, for-profits, and everywhere in-between. One important but missing venue is libraries. I have been in the field of social work for fifteen years and I have never heard of libraries… Continue reading Why Social Workers Need Librarians: A Social Work Perspective
Using Social Media in Social Work: A Possible LIS/SW Intersection
Ericka Kimball and JaeRan Kim Virtual Boundaries: Ethical Considerations for Use of Social Media in Social Work Social Work 2013 : swt005v1-swt005. Thanks to Prof. Sarah Park Dahlen for the tip!
Getting Started
Did you come here from my post in the SRRT Newsletter? If so, yay! If not, yay, too! We're looking for contributions and assistance. Here are some ideas: Write a piece on your experience as a librarian working with social workers or, vice versa, your experience as a social worker working with librarians. Refer your… Continue reading Getting Started
Whole Person Librarianship 