Episode 13: Dr. Jane Garner
Supporting library workers
Dr. Jane Garner is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Information & Communication Studies at Charles Sturt University in New South Wales, Australia. She also co-hosts the Surviving the Stacks podcast alongside Dr. Beth Wahler. I'm thrilled to have Jane on the show to share a non-U.S. perspective on library-social work collaborations. In our conversation, we explore her current research interests and the mission of her podcast: supporting public library staff by reminding them they are not alone in navigating the challenges of their work.
Topics
0:00 Intro and Jane’s background
3:20 Jane’s introduction to library social work
5:36 The aim of her podcast, Surviving the Stacks
10:27 Supports for academic librarians as well
14:24 Library social work is young and we’re still learning
19:01 Preparing librarians: LIS curricula and on the job training
23:15 Research: Need for more case studies
32:03 Clarifying misunderstandings among librarians and social workers
35:38 Find Jane on LinkedIn
36:25 Knitting and reading
Links
Garner, J. (2024). Public library partnerships: Using collaborative governance to support vulnerable users. Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/24750158.2024.2397940
Garner, J. (2023). Public libraries and people experiencing homelessness: The experiences and attitudes of library workers. Journal of Library Administration, 63(5), 662–681. https://doi.org/10.1080/01930826.2023.2219600
Garner, J., Shephard, M., Garrison, K., Bell, K., & Wardle, S. (2023). Social work in libraries special issue. Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association, 72(4), 333–339. https://doi.org/10.1080/24750158.2023.2272337
Gross, M., & Latham, D. (2024). “O brave new world” : A case study of a social worker in the public library. Library & Information Science Research, 46(3), 101313. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lisr.2024.101313
Project: Public Libraries in the Lives of People Experiencing Homelessness
Shephard, M., Garner, J., Bell, K., & Wardle, S. (2023). Social work in public libraries: An international scoping review. Journal of the Australian Library and Information Association, 72(4), 340–361. https://doi.org/10.1080/24750158.2023.2255940
More of Dr. Garner’s publications can be found here
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For a list of additional resources, check out the Bibliography page