Mental Health Issues in Library Services

About the Program

Category: Libraries (Best in Category)

Year: 2009

Waukesha County Federated Library System is comprised of 16 independent public libraries. Located on Milwaukee County’s western border, Waukesha County is the state’s third most populous county and in a period of growth. Serving difficult customers and those with mental illnesses was identified as a priority for 2008 by special needs representatives of member libraries. In response to the needs identified by the group, the project was comprised of three components: staff development, collection development, and marketing—to raise awareness about libraries offering information resources on mental health issues. The Mental Health Association of Waukesha County was involved in the planning and execution of this project. The project included a workshop on serving individuals with mental health issues as well as serving difficult patrons. The workshop was designed for staffs of public libraries and 79 participants from libraries in municipalities throughout southeast Wisconsin. Another 30 library staff members took advantage of the “on-the-road” version of the workshop. In addition, over 425 titles were added to the collections of member libraries, totaling $8,000. A promotional piece was developed to distribute to agencies serving individuals with mental illness, their families, co-workers, friends, and neighbors.