Bendigo Community Health Services has based a community connections project worker among the books of the Bendigo Library, with the dual purpose of assisting staff and patrons.
The new position has been filled by Karl Quast, who will help some of the city’s vulnerable people to connect to support services. The initial 12-month appointment is a first for Bendigo.
Karl said libraries were one of the few places where all people felt they belonged.
“Libraries are seen as comforting places that provide a warm, welcoming, safe environment, that’s also supervised, not to mention with access to books and wonderful programs such as pre-school storytimes,” he said.
“There are toilets and nice, relaxing places to sit, and so the library is utilised, as it should be, by all members of society.”
Karl said with rising costs of living, homelessness and mental health challenges, it’s more and more common for people who are vulnerable to seek out the comforts and services of libraries, such as free wi-fi and computer time.
“It’s wonderful to be based in such a nice place where I can offer support to people who may not know of the support services that already exist,” he said.
Karl will be linking people with mental health care and other health services, with food relief, job training and more.
He will also support, train and mentor library staff in the work they already do to serve their patrons, although he stressed he will “not be trying to turn library staff into social workers”.
“Library staff are already dealing with these challenges on a day-to-day basis, and have been for years,” he said.
“The aim is not to change the role of librarians but to support them in some of the more complex areas of the job that already exist.”
Karl has a background in community mental health and working with young people in the prison system, plus supporting educators of young offenders.
He said he was drawn to this role for the chance to establish a new service for Bendigo, although the concept of community work in a library is not new.
The first known service was established in San Francisco in 2008 and there are now social workers based in libraries around the USA.
The City of Melbourne employed its first library social worker in 2019 on an initial four-month trail, and that role continues to support library patrons across the city’s six branches.
“I have strong beliefs on how to operate in this space, coming from over 10 years working to support people who are vulnerable,” Karl said.
“I believe the circumstances you’re born into are a bit of a lottery and some people do okay in that lottery and some don’t do okay.
“I believe the best way to support someone is to build a human connection first, and to value and hear someone as a person.
“Treating people with the knowledge of who that person can be allows them to potentially start to see themselves that way, and to treat themselves that way.
“The chance to start something from scratch that’s in line with my beliefs is a great opportunity … Each day is going to be different here, and I like that as well.”
The community connections project is a collaboration between Bendigo Community Health Services, the City of Greater Bendigo council and Goldfields Library Corporation, with funding from the Department of Justice and Community.
