Webinar: Whole Person Librarianship: Partnerships to Prepare Libraries

Originally presented August 26, 2020

In normal times, a library’s relationship-based reference collection empowers librarians to direct patrons with the greatest needs to the resources that best help them—which sometimes includes an in-house social worker. In our current state of crisis, the relationship-based reference collection can be the foundation for ensuring library patrons continue to receive the information they need.

The first book on library-social work collaboration, Whole Person Librarianship: A Social Work Approach to Patron Services, was published last year by a practicing librarian, Sara Zettervall, and a social work professor, Mary Nienow. It provides research-based guidance on establishing relationship-based reference collections through library-social service partnerships, while also providing helpful information on maintaining professional boundaries so those partnerships are complementary, not burdensome.

In this webinar, Sara Zettervall covers the basics of library-social work collaboration to help you determine if this approach may help your community stay safe together.

Click below to experience this webinar as a tutorial. When you continue past the introduction to the webinar, you'll be prompted to log in. We require login to view the whole tutorial so we can provide certificates of completion for your records and for professional development credit. No purchase is required and you can create a Niche Academy account if you don't already have one. The certificate will be available for download when you have completed all sections of the tutorial. 

Click the link below to download the presentation slides:
Whole Person Librarianship.pdf

Click the link below to visit the Whole Person Librarianship website: 
Whole Person Librarianship