Social work services come to Carnegie Carnegie

Here at the Carnegie Carnegie, we like to pay close attention to trends and new ideas in library land.

Not only does it helps us stay relevant and responsive to our community’s needs, it also keeps things fresh and interesting around here.

It’s always a treat for me to present a new library service or staff member in these pages … and today, it’s my pleasure to introduce Jessie Neal, our social work intern!

A social worker in a public library? It’s becoming more common than you might realize. Public libraries are often the most accessible resource for people looking for help with a wide range of issues, and as a result, librarians often end up acting as de facto social workers. We help people connect with job resources, housing, unemployment benefits, food access and countless other needs.

But while librarians are often experts at finding information, we lack the training that is so vital for true social workers: skills like conflict resolution, de-escalation, crisis management and trauma-informed care. If people in need were already coming to the library for help, why not place real social workers where they can connect with these library patrons?

The first social worker to be embedded with public library staff was in 2009 in San Francisco. Soon, the success of this program captured the attention of other librarians around the country. By 2019, the idea had reached Allegheny County. Through a partnership with the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work, a small cohort of master’s students in social work were placed at three libraries throughout the county.

Despite – or perhaps because of – its inauspicious timing (starting just a few months before the pandemic reared its head and complicated everything), the first year of this program was a rousing success, and the following years saw expansions of the program: first to five locations in 2020, and then eight in 2021. This year, we had an opportunity to participate, and we jumped at it!

Jessie started here in September, and she fit right in at once. Friendly, open and nonjudgmental, she brings care and expertise to her meetings with our users. She’s helped people in housing crisis, connected people with resources for survivors of trauma, and created resource guides for sensitive topics like addiction, mental health and domestic violence. All meetings and communications with Jessie are completely confidential, and any information you share will only be used in assisting you.

If you’d like to meet with Jessie, don’t hesitate to reach out! You can email her at jessie.neal@pitt.edu, or call the library at 412-276-3456. Jessie is available on Tuesdays from 12:30-2:30 p.m.; Thursdays from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.; and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Please feel free to share this information with anyone you know who could benefit from it.

On a completely different note, I’m also excited to share that our annual holiday program, “Carnegie Celebrates the Season,” will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 3. Since its inception, this program has been a collaboration with Carnegie Borough’s Carol Covi Children’s Events Committee.

In 2020 and 2021, the pandemic forced us outside for a festive but much-reduced drive-through event. But this year, we’re back to our beloved tradition: a wintry craft extravaganza for the whole family in our downstairs Studio space, cider and cookies, and a chance for every kid to visit with Santa around our fireplace and receive a gift of their own.

If you’ve missed this event, please come back to celebrate with us! And if you’ve never taken part, this is the perfect year to join in. You don’t need to pre-register. Just show up on Saturday. Hope to see you there!