City of North Bend release – The North Bend Public Library has received a grant of $158,000 to embed a qualified mental health professional in several Coos County Libraries. In this one-year pilot project, a mental health professional or social worker will provide direct public support during office hours at the North Bend, Coos Bay, and Lakeside Public Libraries. This project is made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the State Library of Oregon. In fall 2020, the North Bend Public Library completed a strategic planning process that included community listening sessions. Community members indicated a need for the Library to support local resilience and quality of life. We incorporated that feedback into the Library’s strategic goals, and the Library is working to connect vulnerable people with community resources. The Library is an established community hub and is recognized as a welcoming place and reliable source of information. This project will help NBPL meet this objective. The social worker will provide support services on a drop-in basis during weekly hours at each of the three libraries starting in early fall. For more information about this event and other library programs, don’t hesitate to contact the North Bend Public Library at 541-756-0400, email hlagasse@northbendlibrary.org or see our website at http://northbendoregon.us/library.
