Librarians for Social Change

This week a group from the Public Library Association (PLA) Leadership Academy visited our Maywood office as a stop on their “Day in the Community” tour. The 5-day conference is designed to empower public library professionals to become innovative leaders of change in shifting their libraries from an internal approach—to an external approach—focused on community needs. After a presentation about the agency's work, attendees had many insightful questions for our Street Outreach Specialist Ebony Martin, and Director or Operations & Client Services Armando Smith, about the shifting influences library staff, social service agencies and patrons have in both the housed and unhoused communities. This is exactly the kind of collaboration and deeper understanding that makes a difference.