Allegheny County public libraries offer unique social work services

The Allegheny County Library Association has partnered with the University of Pittsburgh to create a Library Social Work Fellowship program that brings social services right to the library.

Fellows were placed in three libraries in Allegheny County during the program’s first year. Currently, student fellows are placed in 11 libraries around the county.

The program was initiated in 2019 as part of an ongoing development of libraries and the services and resources they provide. Pitt students in the master’s program for social work were placed in libraries to identify and address areas of need specific to the communities they serve. The students tailor their efforts to each individual community, no two fellowships look the same.

“It’s based on a concept called Whole Person Librarianship,” said Katrina Mink, Social Work in Libraries Program Coordinator. “We’ve got folks coming to the libraries that have a lot of needs for various resources, and we’re trying to take all aspects of their lives and needs into account.”

Mink said that fellows provide referrals and arrange and organize programs, including community health and wellness, education, mental health support and connecting people with social service agencies. During their fellowships, students have also provided counseling.

“All of our students have a different area of focus depending on their community’s needs,” Mink said. “For the most part, all of our students have set hours that folks can either show up on a walk-in basis or make an appointment to sit down and go over their various needs.”

Students can write their own curriculum and their own goals while meeting with Mink and their respective academic advisors throughout their time in the program.

Calvin Ecker, 23, a fellow placed at Sharpsburg Community Library, said that the services he provides have changed significantly in his second year of the program. He initially applied in 2022 when applications opened to undergraduates in the social work program at Pitt.

“I decided to stay with it for this school year because it’s typically a two-year program and I just love it so much I wanted to keep doing it,” Ecker said.

He said that he took time outside of the program to volunteer with the library’s summer camps because he “couldn’t stay away.”

Ecker’s approach was to establish office hours where people could come if they needed help. He’s assisted residents in completing applications for jobs and government programs. He’s helped them fill out government paperwork and even translated mail.

As he got more comfortable in the role, he organized and promoted programs that the library offers, such as youth art programs. He said that a more hands-on approach has drawn people from the community to him and has allowed him to establish rapport and build relationships.

“This fellowship has completely reignited my passion for social work,” Ecker said. “At the end of my undergrad years, I didn’t see social work like I had pictured it in my head. Now, being at a place I love with people I love, I’m doing the kind of social work I love to do.”

Morgan Bryson, 24, a fellow placed at Baldwin Borough Public Library, said that she jumped at the fellowship because of how unique it is. Social work in libraries is a fairly new concept, but a community library is never just a library. It is a building that offers free or reduced cost programming for residents, and offers a space for people to learn and create.

“My aunt is a library director,” Bryson said. “I have a lot of fond memories of public libraries and what they did for me growing up.”

She said that her main focus has been to turn the library into a more diverse and culturally inclusive space. Bryson said that she’s been doing a lot of environmental planning including translating signage and materials for residents who don’t speak English, and looking for better materials for learning how to read and speak English. She has also been working on improving community outreach by speaking with high school students and staff, and speaking with police.

“I’m really interested in placing social work in non-traditional places like libraries, schools, hospitals– areas that touch a wider scope in the community.” Bryson said.

Mink said that the fellowship is offered through the University of Pittsburgh, but fellowship organizers are hoping to expand the program in 2024 by opening applications to other colleges in the area.