While this episode isn’t solely focused on library social work, there’s definitely some overlap. The vehicle residents Dr. Montague studies face many of the same access challenges that library workers encounter with patrons. And although living in a vehicle isn’t identical to being unhoused, the two experiences are connected—especially as more people turn to their cars for shelter in the face of rising housing costs and stagnant wages.

In addition to discussing what Kaitlin has learned from doing fieldwork at information-sharing events for mobile communities, we discuss what libraries can do to support vehicle residents, how we might better prepare MLIS students for public-facing roles, and the day-to-day stressors many public library workers are navigating.

When we recorded this conversation last December, Kaitlin was in the thick of writing her dissertation. Since then, she’s earned her Ph.D. from Rutgers University (2025), where she also completed her Master of Information back in 2016. Now, Kaitlin is a postdoc and lecturer at the Institute of Library and Information Science at Humboldt University in Berlin. Her research focuses on how people living in their vehicles find and use information—especially how mobility and constant movement shape what kind of access they have. Before diving into her doctoral work, Kaitlin worked as a public librarian from 2017 to 2020.

Heads up: the audio gets a little murky in places, but stick with it—it’s worth it.

Substack
@librarysocialwork