Welcome to our 60-minute training on Social workers in libraries: A Conversation with Beth Wahler & Sarah Johnson. This webinar was originally presented in August 2023 as part of our ongoing monthly trainings.
Ryan will be interviewing Beth Wahler and Sarah Johnson, authors of the upcoming book “Creating a Person-Centered Library: Best Practices for Supporting High-Needs Patrons.” During the interview, they will discuss:
- How libraries can partner for social services.
- Should your library have a social worker?
- How can libraries best use social work interns.
Upon completion of the training, your certificate will be available to save or print.
At the Homeless Training Institute, our mission is to train library staff members on how to compassionately and confidently manage problematic behavior from homeless, addicted, and mentally ill individuals.
If your library does not currently have a subscription to our Homeless Training Academy, you can request a free trial (one per organization please) by sending an email to krissie@homelesstraining.com.
To find out more about our trainings, visit http://www.homelesstraining.com/
About the Authors:
Elizabeth A. Wahler is professor and director of the School of Social Work at the University of North Carolina and founder of Beth Wahler Consulting. She has collaborated with libraries and library systems across the United States to conduct assessments of their patrons’ psychosocial needs and staff challenges with these types of patron needs; provided training to library staff about trauma-informed librarianship and other approaches to addressing their patrons’ needs; and created and piloted various interventions to address patron needs and support library staff. She is recognized internationally for her work on library and social work collaborations.
Sarah C. Johnson is an adjunct lecturer at the School of Information Studies at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, USA. where she teaches a course on library social work and is helping to develop a dual LIS/MSW degree. She is also the adjunct reference and instruction librarian at Cincinnati State. She is a licensed social worker, and her research focuses on the impact of social work students conducting their field placements at public libraries.
