SIUE’s Learning Resource Center Opens Its Doors to BSW Interns

SIUE's Learning Resource Center Opens Its Doors to BSW Interns

At the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's Learning Resource Center (LRC) on the Wyvetter H. Younge Higher Education Campus in East St. Louis, the need for more intentional, one-on-one support did not come from a report or a trend forecast. It came from daily interactions. Patrons sitting down at computers, navigating unfamiliar systems, asking quiet but urgent questions about forms, applications, and next steps. Through this work, Amber Davis, LSW, program coordinator, began to notice a consistent pattern. People were not just coming for access to technology. They were coming for guidance, for clarity, and for someone to sit alongside them as they worked through processes that have increasingly moved online.

This shift is not accidental. Since the passage of the E-Government Act of 2002, essential services have steadily moved into digital spaces, often prioritizing efficiency over accessibility. Job applications, public benefits, housing forms, and identification requests are now largely accessed through online portals, many of which are not optimized for mobile use and assume a level of digital familiarity that not everyone has had the opportunity to develop. What this creates is not just a technology gap, but issues navigating complicated processes.

Libraries have quietly become one of the few places where individuals can reliably access both the technology and the human support needed to navigate these systems. In East St. Louis, that reality occurs daily inside the LRC, where community members use the space to access important documents, complete applications, and move through processes that are essential to their stability and progress.

In response to community need, Davis, began to think strategically about how to build on the existing strengths of the LRC while leveraging her skills as a Social Worker. After connecting with regional libraries that are helping shape the emerging field of library social work, she explored how a similar model could be thoughtfully implemented in East St. Louis.

That process led to a conversation with Instructor and Practicum Education Director Jessica Ulrich, LCSW, to establish the LRC as a practicum site for Bachelor of Social Work interns, something that has never happened before.

"What stood out to me is that libraries function as one of the most essential third spaces in a community, places outside of home and work where people can simply exist, access resources, and navigate everyday life," Davis shared. "In that context, the Learning Resource Center is already doing deeply important work. Bringing social work interns into this environment allows us to be more intentional in how we support those moments, while also offering students a grounded, real-world setting to learn from and contribute to. It is a shared investment in both the community and the next generation of social workers."

This program is designed as a mutual investment in both student learning and community engagement. Interns will have the opportunity to develop practical skills in critical thinking, problem solving, and resource navigation while working in a dynamic, public-facing environment.

At the same time, their presence enhances both the amount and quality of support available, allowing the LRC to further strengthen its role as a welcoming and resource-rich environment.

Interested candidates should contact Amber Davis via email at [email protected].

The LRC hopes to expand the opportunity to include MSW interns in 2027.

PHOTO: Amber Davis, LSW, program coordinator at SIUE's Learning Resource Center at East St. Louis Center on the Wyvetter H. Younge Higher Education Campus