They Are Like Us

With homelessness affecting over 582,000 individuals in the U.S., according to the 2022 Department of Housing and Urban Development, libraries are increasingly relied upon as safe havens for unhoused populations. In response, some libraries have embedded social workers to provide critical services, yet Library and Information Science (LIS) programs have not kept pace in preparing students for these expanded responsibilities (Chancellor & Crooks, 2024; Dali et al., 2022). This paper examines how collaborations among librarians, social workers, and community organizations are reshaping service provision and argues that LIS education must be reconceptualized to meet these challenges. Using the They Are Like Us lens—an interpretive framework that emphasizes shared humanity over difference—it proposes curricular exemplars that integrate empathetic pedagogy, social work principles, and experiential learning. Such innovations aim to equip future librarians with the skills and emotional intelligence to serve marginalized communities with dignity and compassion.