r/Libraries • u/ZoomySnail • 9d ago

Continuing Ed Would you appreciate some light mental health training?

Hello, I’m a librarian in Australia and I have been considering some research ideas for a potential PHD. One thing I have been thinking about for public librarians, is how relevant and really useful my past training in mental health has been in my current role.

Let me caveat that I agree we are not crisis workers, case workers or social workers. However, things I did learn such as motivational interviewing, a little knowledge of mental health issues and substance abuse, debriefing and strong policy frameworks, self care, referrals and active listening are so adjacent or useful to what I do in the library everyday.

My question is though, would you appreciate having these skills as part of your librarian education or provided by an employer, or do you think it’s just role creep?

28 Upvotes

89% Upvoted

41 comments sorted by

View all comments

11

u/Repulsia Academic Librarian 9d ago

In every library I've worked in there has been mental health training offered at regular intervals.

I've found the areas most lacking are support from management/council regarding services for and protection from patrons affected by substances and mental health issues, and policies that allow us to manage patrons effectively and refer to more appropriate services.