{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,3]],"date-time":"2026-09-03T11:48:24Z","timestamp":1788436104314,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":38,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"14","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,11]],"date-time":"2022-07-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1657497600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"San Diego State University\u2019s Social and Economic Vulnerabilities Initiative (SEVI)","award":["K01DA036439"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["K01DA036439"]}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100000026","name":"National Institute on Drug Abuse","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["K01DA036439"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["K01DA036439"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100000026","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Nationwide, public libraries are experiencing an increase in \u201con-premise\u201d opioid overdoses and other issues (e.g., suicide attempts) affecting unstably housed library users. The public library presents a unique opportunity to access an otherwise hidden population. In partnership with the San Diego Central Library, researchers led focus groups, in-depth interviews, and surveys with 63 library patrons experiencing homelessness or housing instability (n = 49) and library staff (n = 14) (January\u2013June 2019). Using a consensus organizing framework and mixed methods approach, the researchers conducted in-depth interviews exploring the library\u2019s strengths and opportunities for patrons experiencing homelessness, the barriers to meeting their aspirations, and whether having a social worker at the library or other policy changes in government or the library could help. Specifically, participants answered inquiries about the opportunities for the library to address substance use and human trafficking. In brief surveys, library patrons and staff provided views on the patrons\u2019 educational needs, library staff\u2019s training needs, and changes needed in government or library policies. Results revealed the desire of the library patrons (69%) and staff (93%) to have a library social worker who could link patrons to housing services, substance use harm reduction or treatment, and address food-insecure youth\/families and human trafficking\/sexual exploitation. Participants also valued peer advocates with lived homelessness experiences. Over 70% of the unstably housed patrons said they would like library patrons to participate in peer leadership training. Other significant themes were the need for crisis prevention and intervention, connecting patrons to resources and each other, and creating consistent assistance. Libraries urgently need more on-premise support to address patrons\u2019 pressing housing, health, and mental health needs.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph19148449","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,11]],"date-time":"2022-07-11T21:57:53Z","timestamp":1657576673000},"page":"8449","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":15,"title":["Homelessness at the San Diego Central Library: Assessing the Potential Role of Social Workers"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"19","author":[{"given":"Lianne","family":"Urada","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Social Work, San Diego State University (SDSU), San Diego, CA 92182, USA"},{"name":"Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA 92093, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Melanie","family":"Nicholls","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Social Work, San Diego State University (SDSU), San Diego, CA 92182, USA"},{"name":"Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA 92093, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Stephen","family":"Faille","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Social Work, San Diego State University (SDSU), San Diego, CA 92182, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"192","DOI":"10.1007\/s10900-018-0547-4","article-title":"Public Libraries: A Community-Level Resource to Advance Population Health","volume":"44","author":"Philbin","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. 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