A New Look for Our Social Worker in the Library Program

As Social Worker Appreciation Month, celebrated in March, comes to an end, we are thrilled to share that our Social Worker in the Library program is now available at our Randallstown and Woodlawn branches! As a community connector, we understand the importance of meeting our neighbors where they are—especially those facing hardships. That’s why we’re proud to offer free social work services to ensure that support is accessible to all. This program is available Tuesday through Friday with walk-in hours and appointments.

“Libraries are one of the few truly free public spaces available to everyone, making them a natural gathering place for people from all walks of life and a vital setting for social workers,” said Sonia Alcántara-Antoine, Baltimore County Public Library’s CEO. “From job seekers and students to individuals experiencing homelessness or struggling with mental health challenges, social workers serve as a bridge between people and essential services—all at no cost to the individual."

A Social Worker’s Role

Social workers are expertly trained in working with individuals, families and communities. They look at people’s strengths and the inner capacity that they have to address the issues they face, while also recognizing that people live and interact with systems that can create barriers and difficulties. The role of the social worker is to facilitate, guide and contextualize these issues, helping people look at what the issues mean for them and determine what to do next. 

Connect With Our Social Workers

Our social workers are available for in-person, one-on-one appointments, as well as virtual and phone consultations. They can offer assistance with filling out applications, highlighting eligible benefits and offering support in navigating systems. By offering this service, we can support communities in accessing benefits, programs and resources so that more people have what they need for healthy lives. 

The current hours for the social workers are:

• Randallstown
   Drop-in hours: Wednesday and Thursday, 9 to 11 a.m.
   Appointments: Thursday, 1:30 to 4 p.m.
   To make an appointment, call the branch at 410-887-0770.
   
• Woodlawn
   Drop-in hours: Tuesday and Friday, 9 to 11 a.m.
   Appointments: Tuesday and Friday, 1:30 to 4 p.m.
   To make an appointment, call the branch at 410-887-1336.

To make a virtual appointment, customers can either call their home branch for a referral or reach out to socialworker@bcpl.net. 

“We are excited to bring the Social Worker in the Library service back to Baltimore County Public Library. As a social worker myself, this is an opportunity to bring our skills and knowledge to an entire community,” said Ellie Camlin, social worker supervisor for the library system. “I cannot imagine a more welcoming place than the library, and we are looking forward to being part of this system that means so much and offers so much to the community.”

We encourage you to look at services the social workers provide, as well as those they cannot consult on, by visiting our social worker page.