Interns bring social work to the Carbondale library
At the Carbondale Public Library, each member of the staff serves every person who walks through those big glass doors. They all come in with questions, and if the library doesn't have the answers, a staff member will commit to finding them so that patrons leave satisfied and better for having visited.
It's as simple as that, really. Just ask Director Diana Brawley Sussman, but don't be surprised if she launches into a description of the two newest members of the library team, Shyenda Jacobs and Joy Greer-Medley, social work interns from the SIU School of Social Work masters program.
"I'm really excited about these two," she said. "They make a great team!"
Jacobs and Greer-Medley are serving nine-month internships as community social work interns at the library, which may be one of the smallest public libraries in America to provide social work services to patrons. However, the program is not unique. In fact, social workers joining forces with public libraries is officially a trend. Nationally, there are about 30 libraries that have added social workers. In Illinois there are at least three that have full-time social workers on staff.
"At the public library, when we see a community need, we work to find a way to fill it," Sussman said. "This is a natural extension of that effort. We've had social work interns here at the library since 2015."
The social work interns are available to assist all community members in providing essential information, including emergency resource referrals, employment assistance, medical service assistance, food and clothing bank information, GED assistance, career counseling assistance, child care referrals and housing referral support. They can help complete forms, college applications and federal financial aid applications. They also plan to provide self-empowerment tools, advocacy and informational workshops throughout the school year.
This internship is a result of the library networking with several key stakeholders in Carbondale, including the Sparrow Coalition, a community partnership addressing issues of homelessness and poverty in southern Illinois, to develop a cost-effective solution for providing practical support for the underserved populations in the local area. The library was a perfect partner for the effort, having always provided open access to its services.
"Social work interns help connect patrons to community resources such as housing, mental health and employment services, and there are no patrons more in need of those services than the homeless," Sussman said.
Jacobs and Greer-Medley are familiar with and invested in the challenges facing the disadvantaged populations in southern Illinois. They were selected because of their personal interest in serving Carbondale and their passion for providing advocacy and support for individuals in need.
Each brings a unique perspective to the task.
Jacobs graduated from SIU with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice with a minor in sociology. She is interested in understanding human behavior and how the criminal justice system treats individuals. Upon completing the MSW program, she hopes to become a counselor for a juvenile detention center.
Greer-Medley is a retired corporate executive starting a second career in social work. She has years of experience volunteering with vulnerable communities and acting as an advocate for community resources. She plans to start a community mental health and wellness center after finishing her MSW program.
"The library has always been a free, safe place for everyone without discrimination. It's exciting to see the library embracing that role," Greer-Medley said. "We are on the front lines of the homeless issue, and we're working to make a difference, so that patrons leave better for having come to the library."
Jacobs and Greer-Medley are at the library from 2 to 8 p.m. Mondays, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays, from 2 to 8 p.m. Thursdays, and from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays. Call 618-457-0354 ext. 308, or send an email to socialwork@carbondale.lib.il.us.</group><group id="565E2D26-E64E-4ED7-BF18-B8C7D1179A3C" type="seoLabels"><seoLabels></seoLabels></group></idf></inlineXML></co