Librarians downtown enlist UB social work students to help serve homeless patrons

The Buffalo News highlights a program through the UB School of Social Work and School of Public Health and Health Professions, in collaboration with local libraries, which leverages the spaces as support systems for those experiencing homelessness.

“We asked them: What are the most common unmet needs in the library that also cause strain or stress on the staff? They pointed to patrons who were experiencing homelessness, who were navigating health challenges or needing shelter or needing access to internet,” said D. Michael Applegarth, assistant professor in the School of Social Work.

The report also features comments from Applegarth’s collaborators, Linda Kahn, research professor of family medicine, and Jessica Kruger, a clinical associate professor of community health and health behavior.