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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
City of Duluth - Duluth Public LIbrary
520 West Superior Street • Duluth, Minnesota 55802
www.duluthmn.gov
For more information contact DPL’s Public Relations Department at
218-730-4236
DATE: 8/5/2019
SUBJECT: Duluth Public Library's "Partnership Center" Increases Service Offerings
BY: Laura Selden

[DULUTH, MN] -- The Duluth Public Library's Partnership Center, located on the top floor of the downtown branch of the Duluth Public Library, is space for local health and human services organizations to connect people with resources. The collaborative aim is to better meet the needs of our community. The library offers a site for services that they cannot provide themselves, but that dovetail with their mission and values.

The library has hosted MNSure Navigators for several years. Navigators have helped many people compare and enroll in health coverage plans, determine if they qualify for subsidies to reduce monthly premiums, and sign up for Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare. In fact, from July 2018 through March 2019 the MNsure Navigators completed 449 enrollments at the library and provided other heath insurance support services to 176 people. They are currently at the Main Library on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 am to 6 pm.

Saint Louis County social workers from the Substance Abuse Prevention and Intervention Initiative (SAPII) started office hours at the Main Library in May 2019. Social workers Marcia and Matt are available to talk about substance use and addiction, mental health, and more. They can answer general questions about St. Louis County services and provide referrals to local agencies. The social workers also do Rule 25 assessments at the library. They are onsite on Wednesdays from 1 to 4 pm.

CareerForce, a business-led network of private, public, and nonprofit partners throughout Minnesota, has also added drop-in hours in the Partnership Center for individuals to talk to a job counselor. They will be in the library the 2nd and 4th Monday of the month from 12 to 2 pm through October. The services they offer include: career planning, job search strategy, researching careers and companies, resume review and assistance, and job interview preparation.  

The library provides information about a variety of health and community support topics, including books to check out, tabling by CHUM about food programs in our area, and a brochure created by library staff that lists crisis resources in Duluth. The library plans to expand partnerships with local health and human services organizations in the future.

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