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Social Needs and the [city] Library
The Library’s Role and How We Meet Our
Responsibilities
[city] citizens in need
Almost everyone faces life crises or knows someone who has. People needs jobs, homes, education, health care, and personal safety.
These crises can be sudden – losing your job at 57 or losing your eye sight at 77.
They can be chronic – needing a high school diploma or a way out of domestic violence.
Facing the realities
It can be hard to recognize the fact that many people facing crises can be helped.
The “we don’t have that problem here” or “they could fix this if they really wanted to” response is understandable.
These crises affect families, friends, co-workers, and employers. In many cases, community budgets strain to meet the most basic needs caused by these crises.
We may not see the people who most need community
help
Some domestic violence survivors may be too afraid to ask for help
Some of the homeless sleep in shelters and those we see on our way to work couldn’t find a bed
Some of the unemployed wait in long lines for support services and we don’t see them inside those buildings
Some seniors who choose each month between electricity and medicine may be ashamed to ask for help
Children need nutritious food at school and at home.
Veterans need good civilian jobs
Women need personal safety
Unskilled workers need subsistence level full-time work
The recently and chronically homeless need housing
Teens need training in budgeting and other basic life skills
Everyone needs training in internet safety and security
Seniors need internet training to find useful health and retirement information
Immigrants need help on test preparation for their citizenship exams
Various people need literacy help
{city} helpseveryone• We have
government programs such as WIC and unemployment
• We have volunteers providing food banks and housing
• As a community we respect and support our neighbors in need.
So how can the [city] library help?
We can help people find the right community resources
We can teach and provide resources for community volunteer teachers
We can work on literacy, basic software use, and internet safety training
We can involve the community
Police officers teaching personal safety
Bankers teaching financial safety and planning
School staff giving presentations on student support for parents
Community service directors giving talks on volunteer opportunities
We can raise awareness
Traveling exhibits on library and community resources to meet special needs
Put useful internet resources on the library web site, blog, and Facebook page
Work with service agencies to help them be more aware of what we can do for them
We need your support
Spread the word on our work – when we put up an exhibit on a social need, such as domestic violence, tell your friends about it
Advocate for us – make sure the organizations to which you and your friends belong know that the library is actively helping our community’s most vulnerable populations
Get involved – teach a workshop on literacy, citizenship, resume writing, budgeting for minimum wage workers
The [city] library is a vital community partner
We look forward to working with you!