Metal detectors, social workers and naloxone: how Canadian libraries are responding to communities in crisis

Author Shannon VanRaes
โ€œThe public library is the communityโ€™s living room.โ€

Why It Matters

Libraries are increasingly having to deal with complex social issues such as homelessness, poverty and addiction as Canadaโ€™s existing safety nets strain under the weight of pandemic fall-out and austerity. However, libraries arenโ€™t prepared to become a catch-all solution for systemic problems.

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