F. Amanda Tugade, Des Moines Register; Des Moines library's first social worker is helping make it a center of community resources
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"Allee is one of the dozens of patrons who have found refuge in Lippert at the library, which sits just blocks away from Central Iowa Shelter and Services, the city's largest emergency shelter. Lippert joined the staff in late August, part of an effort to expand the library's role as a center of community resources, helping connect people to agencies across the city and metro area...
Sue Woody, the library's director, said she and other librarians have seen the needs of their patrons go beyond book titles and literacy issues. Visitors want referrals for housing, mental health and substance abuse programs — services that exceed her librarians' expertise.
"We are not social workers," Woody said. "We don't have doctorates and master's in social work and social sciences."...
Even Lippert said she didn't know libraries had social workers until she came across Central Library's job post. But the more she thought about it, the more the post reminded her of social work's true mission."
