People in need are encouraged to speak up at Beaver County libraries

By Karen Kadilak / For the Post-Gazette

As community hubs, libraries are a key point of contact to help people access information and resources.

The government services that the most libraries report offering formally or informally are referrals to social services, according to a 2022 Public Library Services for Strong Communities Report from the American Library Association. 

To respond to that trend, the Beaver County Library System recently hired social worker Michael Moore, 44, of Cranberry, to help patrons of member libraries with housing, employment and other needs. A Duquesne University graduate, Moore has extensive experience in case management, crisis intervention and program development.

Program costs including Moore's salary and benefits are covered by a two-year Environmental Mitigation Community Fund Grant from The Pittsburgh Foundation.

The fund was created as part of the consent order and agreement signed between the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and Shell Chemical Appalachia LLC, in which the company formally acknowledged it exceeded total emission limitations for air contaminants at its ethane cracker plant in Potter. As part of the settlement, it agreed to pay nearly $10 million to DEP and the local community, including $5 million for environmental projects to benefit the local communities.

It is one of the largest funds in Pennsylvania history to be created from an environmental regulation enforcement settlement. To dole it out, an advisory board composed of representatives of organizations serving Beaver County and those spearheading environmental justice within the DEP recommend community project applications for selection and award funding.

“This project has been a long time coming,” said Kristen Janci, library director and district administrator at the B.F. Jones Memorial Library in Aliquippa. “I originally discussed the possibility of a library social worker program seven years ago with my friend, Jennifer Honess, who has a graduate degree in social work.

“Jennifer has worked with our library and district center for the past year, establishing parameters for this project and testing our program models. Her work has given us a clearer vision for the larger-scale program.”

Moore laid the groundwork by making community assessments at each location after meeting with library directors, managers and their staff.

"Michael has taken a genuine interest in each library and the communities they serve, which is helping the program to have a natural flow and progression," Janci said. "We have received an incredible amount of positive feedback about the implementation of this program, which is encouraging as we move forward."

Cases trickled in over the first few weeks, with Ambridge and Baden being the busiest libraries.

“I've been surprised by the high level of engagement and the diverse needs of the community,” said Moore, who was raised in Los Angeles. “It's heartening to see the potential for impact, even though not a lot of people have taken advantage of the resources yet.”

Pennsylvania Department of Education spokeswoman Erin James said libraries have been connectors for people looking for guidance and referrals to a complex web of social services and government agencies for decades.

“As a result, we see more libraries hiring social workers to serve communities seeking guidance,” she said. "Those social workers can also train fellow library staff to understand and respond to the needs their communities bring to the library.

“It takes much more than a love of books and reading to work in a modern public library. Training and expertise in the field of social work is a growing need for many libraries and librarians.”