Community-based librarianship

Anyone who is around a midsize city in the U.S. would know that there are many social service agencies in most cities to help residents in need. In Denton, for example, there are the Salvation Army to help with emergency shelter, Our Daily Bread to help with hunger, Health Services of North Texas to help with healthcare, and Friends of the Family to assist with victims of domestic violence, just to name a few. Every city has gaps in the quality of living, whether they are related to financial insecurity, hunger, homelessness, inadequate healthcare, or lack of affordable quality child care. The common practice of the society is to identify the specific need of a resident and refer them to the particular service agency specialized in the area of need for timely assistance.