Denver, Colorado

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April 2024

Learning Outcomes:

1. Recognize barriers to public library staff experiencing self-efficacy in responding to and advocating for the health and social needs of patrons and the community.

2. Identify several strategies to support public library staff in responding to the health and social needs of patrons and experience decreased stress in the workplace.

3. Discuss systems- and policy-level strategies to improve the health and wellbeing of staff and patrons in the public library setting and surrounding communities.

 

Purpose: Libraries are places of refuge for vulnerable populations. Library staff report assisting those with unmet needs related to social determinants of health (SDOH), feeling unsupported in advocating for those patrons, and are experiencing increased workplace stress. Concerns of library staff include inadequate training in working with individuals with socioeconomic needs and resource constraints. An urban public library in the southeastern United States experienced a 250 percent (%) increase in incidents in 2022 compared to pre-pandemic peak. A survey of staff associated with the above library system (n=102) found that 76% don't feel prepared to meet the needs of patrons. In response, this quality improvement (QI) project aimed to support public library staff in responding to the health and social needs of patrons and decrease workplace stress.

 

Methods: The six-week project involved a graduate student available daily to assist staff and patrons in utilizing resources related to SDOH and support staff related to workplace stress. Training and resources reflected common challenges encountered in an urban public library servicing a diverse, high-needs population and priority needs identified by site staff. Outcome measures included self-efficacy, resilience, and qualitative measures.

 

Results: Self-efficacy increased by 2.26% while resilience remained stable. 100% of staff (n=19) reported that staff morale increased by week 4, and all staff (n=9) reported an overall positive experience in the program.

 

Relevance: Library staff are community advocates who, without adequate support, face burnout, leaving vulnerable populations without access to necessary care. This work guides organization leadership, public health and government professionals, and policymakers in understanding the needs of public library staff to feel confident in responding to the health and social needs of patrons and the community. The lessons learned through ongoing collaboration guides the development of a program aimed to address health disparities throughout the local county public library system.