Vulnerability and meeting the needs of people experiencing homelessness in public libraries

This study examines how public library workers navigate professional boundaries when providing information services to people experiencing homelessness. Relying on interviews with twenty-four library staff at three public library systems in the Midwest United States and Gieryn's (1983) boundary work theory, this project focuses on the information public librarians provide to people experiencing homelessness. It also argues that public librarians navigate tensions in professional and personal boundaries, and that some of these tensions can be attributed to perceptions of vulnerability in both themselves and in the patrons they assist. The paper concludes by making arguments to consider the importance of self-care and building resilience in the profession of public librarianship. It also suggests the value of partnerships that enable public library staff to re-conceptualize what their professional roles entail. Author(s) retain copyright, but ASIS&T receives an exclusive publication license