Gadsden Public Library Honored for Innovative Social Work Internship

Craig Scott and LaShunda Williams at the School of Social Work’s 46th Annual Social Work Conference.

By Craig Scott, Director, Gadsden Public Library

The Gadsden Public Library was honored March 20 by Jacksonville State University’s School of Social Work with its “Innovative Social Work Internship Site Award” recognizing the library’s creative and effective internship partnership with Jax State social work students.

The award was presented before approximately 400 attendees at the School of Social Work’s 46th Annual Social Work Conference, held at the Anniston City Center. It was a proud moment for our library and an affirmation of a program that has quietly made a real difference for the people we serve.

For the past three years, Gadsden Public Library has partnered with Jacksonville State University to host either a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) or Master of Social Work (MSW) student intern each semester. The internship requires 450 hours of service and places the student in a highly visible and meaningful role within the daily life of the library.

Our current intern, Lydia Avery-Tucker, began her work with the library on January 9 and is expected to complete her internship at the end of April or in early May. Lydia serves at the Information Desk on the first floor of the library, where she is supervised by LaShunda Williams, Manager of Public Services; Gelaine Kelley, Library Assistant; and me, as Library Director.

This internship is unique because it reflects a simple truth about today’s public libraries: not everyone who walks through our doors is looking for a book.

Many visitors come to the library for programs, clubs, internet access, or a quiet place to study. Others come because they need something deeper — help with a job application, a résumé, access to services, or guidance during a difficult moment in life. Some need to be connected with local nonprofits or agencies in Gadsden and Etowah County. Others may be facing housing insecurity, utility problems, or mental health challenges.

Library staff work hard every day to serve the public well, but librarians are not trained social workers. That is what makes this partnership so valuable.

As I often say, “The idea behind the internship is that not everyone entering the library is looking for a book. Some are looking for creative children’s or teen programs, some are looking to attend book or chess clubs, while others are looking for hope.”

At Gadsden Public Library, everyone is welcome through our doors as long as they behave appropriately. This internship helps us better meet people where they are. When patrons arrive with difficult personal challenges or complex needs, they can be directed to someone with training to listen, assist, and connect them with the right resources.

The presence of a social work intern also helps relieve pressure on front desk staff, allowing library employees to focus on traditional library services while ensuring that patrons in crisis or distress are met with compassion and informed support.

We are grateful to Jacksonville State University’s School of Social Work for recognizing this partnership and for trusting the Gadsden Public Library as a learning site for future social workers. We are especially thankful for the dedicated work of our interns, including Lydia, and for the leadership of LaShunda and Gelaine in making this program successful. In addition, we’d like to thank Julie Nix, Francesca Guida-Hall, Jonathan Adams, Dominique Maywald, and Robyn Snider at the School of Social Work at Jax State.

Public libraries have always been places of learning, connection, and community. Increasingly, they are also places where people come seeking stability, direction, and hope. This award reminds us that creative partnerships can help libraries respond to those needs in meaningful and lasting ways.