Creating a Person-Centered Library

Elizabeth A. Wahler is Professor and Director of the School of Social Work at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA.Sarah C. Johnson is adjunct lecturer at the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA.

• AcknowledgementsPrefaceIntroduction1. Understanding Your Library’s Unique Needs2. Transforming Library Culture3. Person-Centered Programming and Services for Patrons’ Needs4. Addressing the Needs of Specific Patron Populations5. Library Collaborations for Addressing Patrons’ Needs6. Organizational Approaches for Best Supporting Staff7. Anticipating Challenges to ChangeAfterwordSuggested ReadingAppendix A. Sample Needs Assessment: PatronsAppendix B. Sample Needs Assessment: StaffAppendix C. Sample Needs Assessment: CommunityAppendix D. Referral Sheet TemplateAppendix E. Sample Behavior Response GuideIndex

What would it take for libraries to truly become places that support everyone who steps into them, including library workers themselves? Creating a Person-Centered Library answers this question in a clear, timely, and usable way. Drawing upon social work principles and practices, Wahler and Johnson guide us through the process of transforming relationships among library staff, with our patrons, and with our potential partners, including social workers themselves. Along the way, they deploy their extensive experience to guide us through challenges that may stand in the way of change, preparing us to clear those hurdles. I recommend this treasure trove of useful information to anyone striving to transform how libraries support both communities and themselves in the trying times in which we find ourselves.