Why your local library might be hiring a social worker

Yanna McGraw works at the Central Library in downtown Indianapolis. A big part of her job is building relationships with visitors and helping answer their questions. But the information she provides is rarely about books.

Instead, McGraw answers queries about the workings of the Department of Child Services. Or she helps connect patrons with mental health resources. Sometimes she helps someone find a warm place to stay for the night. McGraw is the library's first full-time social worker – one of about a dozen employed by libraries across the Midwest.

The Indianapolis Public Library hired McGraw because it was seeing more patrons dealing with complex life issues. She's only been on the job about five months, but McGraw has already worked with library