Episode 2: Dr. Beth Wahler
Supporting library staff
Dr. Beth Wahler is the Owner of Beth Wahler Consulting and an Affiliated Research Faculty member at the UNC Charlotte School of Social Work. Her expertise as a social work consultant to public libraries has taken her around the globe, including Australia, where she began collaborating with academic librarian Dr. Jane Garner. Together, they recently launched the new Surviving the Stacks podcast.
Topics with timestamps
3:34 Dr. Wahler’s background
7:13 Supporting library staff & focus of new podcast Surviving the Stacks
13:40 Necessary changes for transforming public library culture
27:53 Research gap on clear guidance for tailoring library collaborations
31:33 Not every library needs a social worker
34:19 Misconceptions about library social work
40:21 Necessary changes to higher and continuing education
49:30 Links to Dr. Wahler’s work
51:00 Alternatives to SW partnerships
53:40 What she is enjoying outside of work
55:36 Outro
Links
Book: Creating a Person-Centered Library: Best Practices for Supporting High-Needs Patrons by Dr. Beth Wahler and Sarah Johnson
Surviving the Stacks podcast
For a list of additional resources and to view links to Dr. Wahler’s research and publications, head over to the Bibliography.
Great episode. One thought I have is whether libraries can/do rethink job descriptions which can cover the services needed. For instance, one of my MLIS students said their position as a reference librarian is often taken up with tasks such as resumes, job finding, etc. "Traditional" reference does not exist much, but the need for information assistance: housing, food, employment etc are ongoing concerns. "Community Resources" is just another way to describe reference, as does "outreach." It seems we need to look at outdated job titles because people, like this student, are often doing things outside of the traditional librarian role. But these are at the heart of what a librarian has always been.