Trauma-Informed Care: An Introduction for Libraries

Trauma-Informed Care started in the healthcare field, but there is a lot to being trauma informed that can equip libraries to best serve our complex communities. A trauma-informed library is a place where staff understands the perspectives of people who have experienced trauma and provides positive and unbiased service. All the decisions we make are opportunities for retraumatization or healing; so we might as well make them deliberately! Learn how to apply a trauma-informed lens to improve your service, space, and work culture.

Topics

• What “trauma-informed” means in a library context
• Toxic stress and the brain, and what that means for our work interactions
• Applying trauma-informed principles to library work
• The importance of workforce wellness in a Trauma-Informed approach
• An introduction to the concepts of historical trauma and institutional oppression