Innovative collaborations: Social work student interns at public libraries.

Sarah C. Johnson, CUNY Hunter College

Johnson, S.C. (2019, October 26). Innovative collaborations: Social work student interns at public libraries. Hot Topic presentation. Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting. Denver, CO.

Abstract

While the collaborative trend among professional social workers and librarians is garnering much-deserved attention, literature about social work students partnering with public libraries is virtually non-existent. In fact, there are at least 73 partnerships yet a scarcity of academic literature addresses social work interns within public libraries. While there are students at Canadian libraries, this research focuses on the bulk of known partnerships based in the United States. Emerging from a mix of interviews and public resources, the author’s inquiry fosters this call to action: Social work educators must initiate interagency collaboration with libraries in order for students to expand community outreach, enhance librarians’ professional development, and ultimately connect patrons with community resources.