Homelessness is a recurrent topic of concern in public libraries. At times, staff at public libraries interact with almost as many patrons experiencing homelessness as staff at shelters do. This presentation will highlight best practices and give guidance that frontline staff can use to better understand and serve this diverse population of patrons experiencing homelessness.

As a result of this program, participants will:

• Learn how to assess the needs of the transient communities they serve, identify defects, and develop ways to support them
• Learn how to create relevant and impactful programs for patrons experiencing homelessness
• Gain confidence in working with patrons experiencing homelessness
• Learn how to deescalate situations in the library and increase compliance with patrons experiencing homelessness
• Acquire best practices tools and techniques to better understand and serve this population

Nicole Bryan ~ Biography

Nicole Bryan is a Library Information Supervisor at Brooklyn Public Library, the fifth-largest library system in the United States. She has spent her career within the social services arena, developing programs and meeting constituents’ needs.

Currently, Nicole assesses the delivery of library services, employing trauma-informed methods, to transitional populations in public library branches and homeless shelters in Brooklyn, New York. She received her MLS degree from Long Island University.

Register on Zoom