San Francisco Public Library Hires Social Worker To Help with Homeless
Partnership with health department has directed more than 150 people to social services
-- Library Journal, 01/11/2010
- May be first full-time psychiatric social worker at a library
- Comments on article critical
- Reviews of library mostly positive, however
The San Francisco Public Library, like other urban libraries facing challenges posed by people using the building as drop-in center, has hired a social worker.
As LJ contributor Charles London reports, in a January 2010 feature headlined When Service Matters:
In San Francisco, the library has taken a one-of-a-kind step to address the needs of patrons in crisis. SFPL is not facing as severe a financial collapse as other city agencies, thanks to a forward-thinking ballot initiative that guarantees a portion of property tax revenue to the library and was renewed for 15 years in 2007, right before the economic downturn. The San Francisco Department of Public Health, however, does not have such budget protection, and its services have been dramatically reduced. As the economic crisis worsened, the two agencies collaborated to place a professional social worker in the main library downtown. Leah Esguerra is on the payroll of the public library and handles referrals to social services for the chronically homeless, mentally ill, and those struggling with substance abuse who find their way to the library. She has also worked with a number of the “newly homeless, who have never dealt with the shelter system before.” She sees herself as a resource for librarians to consult when library users are in need.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports:
In many ways, its popularity as a homeless hangout is no surprise because the library is centrally located, free, open to anyone, doesn't have security checks and has plenty of bathrooms. But the library has, well, begun to turn the page on the problem by hiring what is believed to be the country's first full-time psychiatric social worker stationed in a public library.The comments on the newspaper article, however, are notably scathing. One critic of the library said to check out the reviews of the library on Yelp.com.
In a partnership with the San Francisco Department of Public Health, the library hired Leah Esguerra a year ago this month, and she now has directed into social services more than 150 homeless people and others living on the edge in low-cost residential hotels who frequent the library.
Actually. the reviews there are mostly positive, averaging four stars, though one two-star review stated, for example, "A wonderful resource marred by San Francisco's shameful and shocking homeless problem."
