Trauma-Informed Librarianship: Guidance for Libraries with and Without Social Workers

Abstract

Libraries are facing unprecedented challenges, from physical threats of library staff, budget cuts, and increased patrons’ psychosocial needs such as poverty, mental health problems, or substance use disorders. There is growing awareness of many library staff experiencing chronic stress and even trauma from their work. With many of these patron challenges related to trauma, as well as the frequent experiences of staff trauma, adopting a trauma-informed organisational approach can be helpful to many libraries. Trauma-informed librarianship requires integrating the six principles of trauma-informed care throughout the library and its policies, programs, and practices. Social workers are often able to help libraries adopt a trauma-informed approach, but may not be accessible for all libraries since many do not have on-staff social workers or existing social work collaborations. Thus, this manuscript describes strategies that can be used by both libraries with and without social workers to develop a trauma-informed organisation.