The connection between libraries and the issue of homelessness may not be immediately apparent. “There’s already a lot of research about homeless people,” says social work Senior Erik Rebain, “but there is little data on their use of public libraries and the services they provide.” Rebain, working alongside fellow social work Senior Marianna Cuevas, is using grant-funded research to study the relationship between homeless individuals and public libraries in order to determine whether a social agency within a library would prove beneficial for the community in which they operate.
The team has spent most of its time in the field, within any of the nine focal libraries in which they collect data and transcripts – these include major libraries in Marquette, Detroit, Lansing, Saginaw, and Flint, among others. They hope that this will show this issue is not isolated to a single type of locale. “It’s interesting that a lot of libraries say they don’t deal with many homeless individuals,” says Cuevas, “But once you get them talking, the problem is actually bigger than they let on.”
The duo has determined that many libraries and the social services they offer render them functional as social service agencies – but without a social worker on staff. “The policy [on homeless assistance] generally says one thing and the library will do something else,” says Cuevas. “They sort of work around the policy to help.” Several libraries involved in the project have requested copies of the final report in order to adjust their own policies accordingly.
The experience has allowed the duo to take on the bulk of the responsibility while delving into the real-world applications of their areas of study. “I wrote a majority of the interview questions,” says Rebain, “and [faculty advisor] Mark Giesler lets us conduct some of the interviews.”
After graduation, Marianna Cuevas will continue towards a Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work at Michigan State University. Erik Rebain will pursue his Master’s in Library Science.
