The Perceptions of Supervisors of Library Social Work Interns: Challenges and Recommendations

Abstract

ABSTRACTThough the number of public libraries that host student interns is increasing around the world, there is a paucity of research about the experience of supervisors in these placements. This study addresses that absence through qualitative interviews with fourteen individuals with experience supervising library-based social work students. An iterative data analysis elucidated four challenges connected to their roles: (1) philosophical differences between libraries and social work; (2) navigating structural/bureaucracy issues in the library system; (3) managing ethical considerations in students’ work; and (4) negotiating the lack of precedence of the library/social work collaborative. Participants further identified specific tactics they took and/or recommended in response to these challenges. The study concludes with recommendations made by the authors based on the study and the research literature.KEYWORDS: Social work supervisionlibrary internslibrary-social work collaboration Disclosure StatementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Additional informationNotes on contributorsMark GieslerMark Giesler, PhD, LMSW, is Professor of Social Work at Saginaw Valley State University. His research agenda includes qualitative studies of marginalized groups, including LGBT individuals and homeless populations, and most recently, studies of the intersection of public libraries and social work. He currently is an Associate Editor for the Journal of Ethnographic and Qualitative Research.Sarah JohnsonSarah Johnson, MLIS, LMSW, is an Adjunct Lecturer at the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois where she teaches a graduate course on Library Social Work. She is a licensed social worker and her research focuses on the impact of social work students conducting their field placements at public libraries. Her aim is to foster quality internships by building alliances among students, public librarians, and social work educators, with the goal of enhancing services to library patrons and their wider community.Margaret Ann PaauwMargaret Ann Paauw, is an assistant professor at Eastern Michigan University and licensed clinical social worker. Paauw has been practicing social work since 2012, working mainly with people experiencing homelessness/housing insecurity and serious mental illness. Dr. Paauw's research background includes social work practice in libraries and multidisciplinary treatment for youth with first episode psychosis.