Aviva Bechky, American Libraries; No Questions Asked: Public libraries build no-return collections for addiction and mental health support
[Kip Currier: Kudos to the service-forward information professionals and public library systems that envisioned and brought to life these collections of barrier-free materials.]
[Excerpt]
"These patrons are participants in Read to Recovery, an SFPL program that has been providing free addiction recovery materials since spring 2023. The initiative is a way to quietly get thousands of books into the hands of people who need them, ensuring that barriers such as a lack of a library card or hold times don’t get in the way.
San Francisco isn’t the only city with a program like this. Other public libraries across the US are designating shelves with titles that address mental illness, addiction recovery, and other stigmatized topics—materials they intend to give away or don’t expect to see returned.
Brianne Anderson, youth services manager at Ames (Iowa) Public Library (APL), says she views these programs as an extension of libraries’ fundamental mission: making information accessible.
“Nobody has to ask questions, you don’t have to identify yourself in any way, and you can still get the information that you need,” Anderson says. “That’s how you build a welcome space.”
Stocking the shelves
At SFPL, staff members are trained to use Narcan to reverse opioid overdoses. But Horstin says, with the city in the throes of an addiction crisis, this isn’t enough.
“We can’t just administer Narcan and not do anything else,” [Doreen] Horstin [manager of San Francisco Public Library’s (SFPL) Park branch] says. “We’re all about books. That’s what we do. It’s still the number one service that we offer.”...
Anderson, Horstin, and Pickett agree that getting started doesn’t have to be complicated: Libraries can start a program just by adding more workbooks or setting aside a shelf. All say they hope other libraries follow their lead.
“It’s about helping people get the information they want,” Pickett says. “But it’s also about letting people know this is what we’re here for.”"
