Dr. Beth Wahler is the Owner of Beth Wahler Consulting and an Affiliated Research Faculty member at the UNC Charlotte School of Social Work. Her expertise as a social work consultant to public libraries has taken her around the globe, including Australia, where she began collaborating with academic librarian Dr. Jane Garner. Together, they recently launched their Surviving the Stacks podcast.
Dr. Wahler and I discuss the importance of transforming library culture to better support library staff, gaps in the research about library/social work partnerships, and clarify that not every library needs a social worker. She addresses common misconceptions about these interdisciplinary collaborations and suggests types of training and continuing education for both librarians and social workers.
