By Charly SHELTON

The local library has always been known as a place to find a good read, get on the Internet or even rent a movie, but now Glendale libraries also offer another service: social service. Mary Leasure is a social worker and the social services liaison for Glendale libraries, based out of the Central Library location but who travels to all branches.

“The program started back in May when the library received a grant called the Healthcare Worker Grant and it was administered by the California State Library through its Mental Health Initiative,” said Tiffany Barrios, library supervisor at Montrose and Chevy Chase libraries. “We applied for the grant and we applied to have a social worker who would work at all of our sites, one person to travel among multiple sites and provide referral services to patrons in need. It could be patrons who are experiencing homelessness or impacted by mental illness, or in a domestic violence situation. It covers the whole gamut of people who are in crisis, people who are in need.”

The grant ran from May through September, and Leasure’s work was so well accepted that the City of Glendale partitioned some of the library’s annual budget to keep her on part time. Leasure has been funded by the City since October and will continue for the foreseeable future.

“Overwhelmingly, the reaction has been very positive for a couple of basic reasons. The main reason we wanted a social worker in our library was because we wanted [to be] a welcoming place,” Barrios said. “She’s been able to work with our patrons who have underlying issues and work with the patrons, connecting them to services in our area from different organizations. She came from [Glendale’s homeless relief organization] Ascencia and so she has great connections there, but as time has gone on and we found what the needs of our patrons are, that list of referrals has kind of expanded.”

As for Leasure, she is in the position of a lifetime.

“I love it. I’ve loved working with the homeless community with mental health or addiction problems, I’ve worked with them for a number of years and I love it,” Leasure said. “In fact, when I came into the library, many of the homeless people who were hanging out were people who I knew from other shelters. I was able to connect with them quickly and see where they were in the process of getting housing. If they had fallen away from [the process] I’d try to get them reconnected. So, for me, my life is a dream come true. I’m working at a library, which I love because I’m a reader, and I’m working with the population I love, to serve the homeless and the mentally ill. It’s like a win-win for me and I believe so for the library, too, and the city of Glendale.”

Those who are in need of Leasure’s services or need a referral to a local organization for help can ask for Mary Leasure by name or consult a librarian at any branch of a Glendale library and they will get in touch with her. Leasure can also be called directly at (818) 548-7862.

  Charly Shelton