Over the past several years, The Seattle Public Library has created an in-house Social Services team. Consisting of two community resource specialists and a Social Services librarian, the team is guided by trauma-informed care principles and the knowledge that you can’t enjoy full access to library services if your basic needs are not met.
If you’re curious about this work, take some time to listen to a recent episode of the “You Know Me Know” podcast. Host Rex Hohlbein interviewed Community Resource Specialist Laura Harrington about the team’s work to build community, help patrons and staff learn from each other and connect people to lifeline resources. Laura also shared thoughts on how this work fits in with the Library’s overall mission and information services.
>>Listen: “You Know Me Now,” featuring community resource specialist Laura Harrington
“You Know Me Now” is a volunteer-driven, listener-supported podcast that amplifies the unheard voices in our community. It is part of Facing Homelessness, a nonprofit that works to inspire deliberate relationship building, engagement, and community mobilization toward ending homelessness. To see photos and stories please visit Facing Homelessness on Facebook.
Excerpts from the “You Know Me Now” interview
“I come here every day and do this. And I’m still astounded daily at just how complicated things really are and how the view that you might have when you look at something initially is probably wrong. …
“You might see somebody and be like, Why don’t they go to a shelter, right? And then if you dig a little bit deeper, it’s because, oh, maybe there’s not a shelter that’s available, or maybe that person has an animal with them that they love, and they can’t take that animal into shelter with them, so you’re asking them to choose between being sheltered and being with their companion.
“Anytime you find yourself thinking of an easy answer to a question, to pause and be like, I bet it’s more complicated than I’m giving it credit for. What is it that would make somebody not accept shelter if it were offered to them? And then how does that then point you towards actions that we could be doing as a society, as an institution, as a city, as a government, whatever it is, what could we be doing differently to make options that are more reflective of what people are actually facing and the complexities of their life and the nuances of their needs so that we can collectively do what it is that we want to do, which is care for each other better, right?”
More about the Library’s Social Services team
The Seattle Public Library’s Social Services team helps patrons connect to organizations that provide lifeline services such as housing, transportation, food and internet service.
They organize community gatherings such as a regular “Coffee and Conversations” in the Central Library and “crafternoons” that are open to everyone but especially designed for patrons experiencing homelessness that connect people to each other and resources. In 2024, they also held three resource fairs in partnership with dozens of community organizations.
They also serve as a resource for the entire library system, answering questions, providing training, and developing resource guides.
More information
The “You Know Me Now” podcast features in-depth life stories of those marginalized in our society as well as the individuals and organizations that are in service to those in need. Find more episodes on your favorite podcasting platform or at www.youknowmenow.com.
The Library’s Social Services team and programs are supported by funding from the 2019 levy and The Seattle Public Library Foundation. Find upcoming programs on our Civic and Social Services calendar.
– Elisa M., Communications
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