In this enlightening conversation, we grapple with the complex social issues librarians now have to confront, from aggressive patrons to reversing opiate overdoses. We discuss the balancing act these public service professionals face, attempting to provide access to resources while maintaining safety. Despite these profound challenges, the importance of these institutions in bridging the gap for basic amenities can’t be overstated. We navigate this intriguing intersection of public space and social service, offering a fresh perspective into how our public libraries are stepping up to the plate and making a difference in people's lives. Tune in, as we delve into the ins and outs of this unexpected development in our public libraries.
This podcast does not provide medical advice. It is intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never ignore professional medical advice in seeking treatment because of something you have heard in this podcast. If you think you may have a medical emergency, immediately call your doctor or dial 911. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own and not the views of any organization, entity, or company we may be affiliated with. Follow us on instagram @2020Psychpodcast for more updates and to reach out with any questions.
In this enlightening conversation, we grapple with the complex social issues librarians now have to confront, from aggressive patrons to reversing opiate overdoses. We discuss the balancing act these public service professionals face, attempting to provide access to resources while maintaining safety. Despite these profound challenges, the importance of these institutions in bridging the gap for basic amenities can’t be overstated. We navigate this intriguing intersection of public space and social service, offering a fresh perspective into how our public libraries are stepping up to the plate and making a difference in people's lives. Tune in, as we delve into the ins and outs of this unexpected development in our public libraries.
This podcast does not provide medical advice. It is intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never ignore professional medical advice in seeking treatment because of something you have heard in this podcast. If you think you may have a medical emergency, immediately call your doctor or dial 911. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own and not the views of any organization, entity, or company we may be affiliated with. Follow us on instagram @2020Psychpodcast for more updates and to reach out with any questions.
Thank you guys, so much for tuning in to last week's episode. This week we want to talk about libraries becoming a safe haven for those that are mentally ill, suffering or dealing with mental illness and also being houseless. My dad recently read a very interesting article. This is the week of October 24th and something came out on the paper about library staff having to be trained and kind of prepared to deal with mentally ill people, and so today we just want to kind of dive into this very unsuspecting place that has turned into a resource for those that are mentally ill. So I'm going to hand it off to my dad and get his perspective and his take on it.
Speaker 2:That article did come out in the Wall Street Journal and for some of us, libraries are always a place where you go and study, maybe have a group study with some friends, but it was a place always where you would go and do some reading again, a little research, things related to school and academics, right. But now libraries are completely different and it was sort of interesting not too surprising to learn that libraries have always been welcome to everyone and many people with issues in regards to mental health and substance abuse are walking in to libraries and all of a sudden, librarians are faced with issues that they're not entirely prepared to handle.
Speaker 1:And where again in the article that you read, where was it? Because I know like I've been to a library recently that didn't have that problem Very small well, not very small, but very new, lots of resources, very clean, and I didn't see anyone in any regard that came off as mentally ill or houseless. It felt like it was just a place for your average college student to go do their homework. Kids were there, that sort of thing.
Speaker 2:Well, libraries in general.
Speaker 2:This article was coming from Calabasso, michigan, but they were making references to libraries on the east coast of the United States.
Speaker 2:But your mother tells me that even as a young lady as a young girl even she'd go to libraries and there were guys that were exposing themselves, and so libraries have always been places that you always have to sort of approach cautiously.
Speaker 2:But now I think it underscores the fact that you're having to deal with an underserved population in regards to mental illness and the resources that they have are limited. And libraries are places that they're air conditioned in the summer and they're heated in the winter, they have bathrooms there, and librarians are now confronting issues where they have to reverse opiate overdoses with an arcane in the bathrooms and having to deal with a survey of 600 librarians. Two thirds of those have had to deal with aggressive patrons. So of course they've had to adjust to this, and now many libraries are staffed with social workers and counselors, and so you can see that being a place sort of as you pointed earlier safe haven for many people. That during the day, where do you go? Well, let's go to check into a library and see what we can do there and at least hang out and have shelter.
Speaker 1:Just thinking about this, though, it kind of feels like this is, yeah, I think it's like one of the smarter things to do.
Speaker 1:I would imagine that if I were in similar situation, I would probably seek help out over there or just like be over there, because be or be in a library, I should say because, like you said, like it's air conditioned in the summer, heated in the winter, there's bathrooms, wi-fi, you can get in communication with people that you need to be in contact with. If you don't have a cell phone, it kind of feels like granted, like you said, it's, it is unfortunate that library workers are, you know, having to deal with aggressive patrons, and that's something that they're not necessarily signing up for when they are taking a job such as a librarian. But at the same time, libraries are public places. So you kind of in any service industry, you kind of are subjecting yourself to a wide variety of who can walk in, whether you're a librarian, a server at a restaurant, something along those lines. If you're in, like the public service field, it's kind you're kind of taking a gamble already well, that's exactly right.
Speaker 2:And when you think about homeless shelters, you're not allowed to spend 24-7 there. You have to leave during the day. You're there certain times in the late afternoon or early evening where you're allowed to return. So during the day you're out and about looking for things to do, a place to stay, and there's places like parks and museums and other places. But we have to remember libraries are free to walk into you. So again, that looks like a nice place to hang out for part of the day.
Speaker 2:And I found it interesting that there's some libraries that in the mornings that when they open at nine, they have coffee, juice, pastries, for there's a line of people waiting to to walk in. So they're adjusting and I find it sort of noble that they're not just telling people to go away but they're even sort of walking these people with these needs. So I just found it interesting and to me it's remarkable that they're able to do this and that they've been doing this. But it just means that we need, I think, more resources for some of our patient population. They need more mental health services some it's abuse services and housing.
Speaker 1:So it's reflected now that they're going to the libraries and using up the the resources there well, I'm thinking about a comment you've made a few times throughout some of our episodes while doing this, about how mentally ill people are very resilient, and I feel like this just showcases their resiliency once again, because they're going to one of the smartest places.
Speaker 1:I would say to like not shelter, but to like hang out, take a break from the outside and the chaos that can ensue on the streets, like they're and and they're and from my perspective, it's almost like they're doing the right thing in a sense, because they're going to a public place. It's funded by, you know, tax dollars and they're taking advantage of the resources that they have the very little resources that they have, um, so I think it's kind of just up to you know. I'm not saying that libraries should now become like the only resource at all, but I think, with proper staffing and I know you did say that they're adding social workers into the library Like I think, if there's just more resources available, I can see how this can actually be very useful or beneficial.
Speaker 2:This opens up, I think, an important topic for discussion. In my sense, throughout the years of treating patients in an inpatient psychiatric unit has always been that the majority of our patients would benefit from similar structured programs in an outpatient setting, that is, with groups and therapists and social workers, but instead of in a hospital as outpatients. My sense is that this would reduce recidivism of going back into inpatient settings and really just help patients have a place to go to get the treatment that they deserve and in a more professional, structured, inviting therapeutic milieu type of a setting. And for libraries to sort of make up this void isn't ideal, but that's all you have. So my hope is that more resources would be allocated to more specific, centered for the mentally ill in particular and as we know there's a tremendous comorbidity with substance abuse that they would benefit from, Again, programs that are welcoming, that are structured for and geared directly to them. I think that would be ideal.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it almost feels like the library right now is kind of a placeholder for a very key missing piece of the puzzle to help solve and address this mental health crisis. And if there could be a separate space implemented where these people can go and get that sort of help and group therapy and those resources similar to a library, I think that could only help the situation. So I think the library situation is just kind of showcasing what's missing, if it's just highlighting a very important piece of the puzzle.
Speaker 2:Well, libraries should be for studying. They should be for to go, and exactly what they were intended to be, not as a haven for the mentally ill. That's not what they were intended to be, but that's what they're turning out to be. So, again, it speaks a lot about a public health issue that's being addressed by the librarians, not by the powers that be. There should be directing resources to this special needs of patient population.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I agree. I think it's also similar to like school teachers. School teachers are on the front lines of dealing with public health crisis as well with their students, and not only do they teach and, you know, are educating the kids, our kids but they're also in charge of you know, kind of acting like social workers. Seeing, are there any signs of is everything okay at home or how are they performing? Like? I think it goes to show you that librarians, school workers, all of these people that are typically underpaid, are doing the most work on the front, are not the? They're doing a lot of the heavy lifting on the front lines of like. Like we said earlier, librarians aren't meant to deescalate aggressive patrons.
Speaker 2:And they shouldn't have to be reversing opioid overdoses either, but that's what they're doing. So hats off to them, props to them. I think they're the unsung heroes and there's a lot of people, like you mentioned school teachers and, you know, first responders that are really doing heroic things out in the community, and it's they need to be given credit for trying to hold their society together, and I think this is important to talk about so that, hopefully, more resources and are allocated to help us, as we said earlier, this special needs patient population.
Speaker 1:Thank you guys so much for listening to this week's episode. We hope that you found this conversation interesting. Thank you for listening and I hope you guys have a great day wherever you are mushroom music.