Your local librarian can help find a shelter bed, de-escalate a patron in distress, or administer emergency Narcan. But what if they didn’t have to?
. In 2022, despite a nationwide drop in gun crime, Kansas City suffered its second-deadliest year since records have been kept. Welower still. I see the city’s vital signs up close every day, not because I work in a hospital or health clinic, but because I work in a public library.Setting aside warm memories from childhood trips to the library, chances are you’ve seen similar things. If you are like most, you still go to your neighborhood branch library — a lot.
This labor is worthy of hearty applause, except that librarians should not be doing any of it. The most qualified librarian should never replace medical providers and social service experts. Yet necessity has transformed many library staff members into front line health workers.
Partnerships with local health systems could also lead to expanded health programming for library patrons as well as much-needed specialized public health training for staff. Just as significant could be sponsorship of mental health intervention and support groups, improved access to government health benefit programs and urban housing resources.
Issues that were decades in the making are not solved quickly, so libraries and health networks must look toward a distant horizon. Our patrons know and trust their local librarians. Our nation’s public libraries are a valuable asset in tackling some of America’s thorniest problems. But we can’t do it alone.The Washington Post accepts opinion articles on any topic. We welcome submissions on local, national and international issues.
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