Join us for our monthly Social Work Connections and Reflections session, led by New York State Library Excelsior Service Fellow, Antonia Bruno (LMSW). The February session will be an informational session about building new library social work collaborations. Antonia will describe the ins and outs of designing a library social work partnership with student interns, developing a needs assessment within the library, and the appropriate organizational structures to build an effective partnership.

The webinars in this series are guided conversations on various topics related to interactions with patrons and prioritizing safety and inclusion for all. Perspective sharing among participants is encouraged to foster rich conversations about the various circumstances library workers face.

Antonia will incorporate social work perspectives into the conversations to shape the manner that participants process their experiences and how it will impact their behaviors in the library moving forward. This space will be a collaborative environment where participants and the host will hear and learn from one another.

In order to foster a safe space where participants can freely share their experiences, only the presentation portion will be recorded. That recording will be shared with all registrants after the session.

This public program is made possible by federal Library Service and Technology Act funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which enable the New York State Library to champion lifelong learning.

Antonia Bruno is a social worker with previous employment as a social services advocate at a public library on Long Island. At the NYS Library, she aims to reach library staff across the state with a webinar series that supports libraries serving vulnerable and often marginalized populations. Stay in the loop by subscribing to her Social Work Perspectives blog or connect with her by emailing antonia.bruno@nysed.gov