Dennis Martin, a 34 year employee of the Los Angeles County Library System, first thought he was being harassed by a telemarketer when he received a call from the New York Times telling him of his nomination for the prestigious Librarian of the Year Award. He was one of 27 winners, and the person who nominated him, Laura Bell, had been a transient library patron who used his services to successfully find housing and help.
Feel-good story from the L.A. Times (registration required).
Homeless Patron sparks discussion elsewhere
When this story about a librarian going beyond the expected to assist a homeless and disturbed patron was posted yesterday to my library school’s unofficial discussion list (ALIS at USF), it generated a flurry of responses. Most lauding the effort and remarking on how the example enriches the profession. A few commentors felt that what Dennis Martin did went beyond his professional responsibility into the realm of social workers. And of course, one misguided soul felt that he should have thrown “the nut out” provoking a storm of abuse on the insensitive former pyschologist/poster. My surprise is that this story has not generated any response on this forum.
Re:Homeless Patron sparks discussion elsewhere
I missed the story but the registration required means I probably would have skipped it anyway.