“Every Patron Has a Story”: Social Work Interns’ Roles and Professional Learning In Public Libraries

Background and Purpose: Public libraries are increasingly serving as spaces where people seek support with housing, food access, mental health, employment, and other basic needs in addition to books and information. As libraries respond to these realities, social work interns have become part of library settings as accessible, relationship-based supports. Prior research has documented the growing integration of social work in public libraries and has noted challenges related to role clarity, supervision, and confidentiality. Less attention has been given to the everyday interactions involved in patron support and to the professional learning that develops in these placements. This study examines social work interns’ roles, support, and professional learning in public libraries.

Methods:This qualitative study drew on field visits, participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and reflexive journaling across three public library branches in Pittsburgh. Fieldwork took place from October to early December 2024 in the Homewood, Downtown, and Oakland branches of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. Data collection began with site visits intended to observe interns’ daily work, interactions with patrons, and the character of library space. Due to limited access for observation, interviews became the primary data source. In December 2024, one-on-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with five social work interns and one field instructor. Four interns were senior Bachelor of Social Work students, and one was a first-year Master of Social Work student. Reflexive memos and fieldnotes documented observations, ethical tensions, and emerging interpretations. Data analysis followed a thematic approach.

Findings: Interns understood their role less as a formal clinical intervention and more as listening, emotional support, information sharing, and connection to resources in a low-barrier public setting. A central theme in the data was that “every patron has a story,” and interns described their work as being present to listen and support even when they could not fully address a patron’s needs in the moment. One intern noted that patrons were often grateful for the chance to share what was happening in their lives, while another emphasized that many people simply needed someone willing to listen. Interns described libraries as accessible spaces where patrons of different ages could seek support without the stigma often associated with formal service systems. They adjusted their approach across branches depending on layout, visibility, privacy, and patterns of patron need. Despite challenges related to role ambiguity, confidentiality in open spaces, emotional demands, and boundaries, interns described the placement as a meaningful learning experience in public institutions.

Conclusion: Public libraries are valuable field settings for preparing social work students for community-based practice. The findings show that these placements help students develop skills in listening, trust-building, ethical awareness, flexibility, community outreach and assessment, information and referral, brief case support, and program activities that respond to community needs. Public libraries place students in direct contact with patrons seeking support, including those who may benefit from brief case management but do not qualify for formal services. Further research is needed to examine the longer-term implications of library-based placements for student learning, patron outcomes, and social work workforce development.