Homeless Season
It's a situation that anyone who's patronized a public library in a big city can relate to -- the presence of homeless people perusing the stacks, camped out on couches and chairs, or loitering in the lobby. Public libraries are just that -- public -- and are a pretty attractive option for a homeless person kicked out of his or her shelter first thing in the morning. But the chronically homeless are so often affected by mental illness that they can become a nuisance -- or worse -- to librarians and other folks checking out books. The former assistant director of the Salt Lake City Public Library, Chip Ward, has written an op-ed on the conflict librarians feel when a homeless person becomes disruptive and the only options are to call paramedics or cops. What's the threshold for you, as a library patron? Is an odor enough to warrant a complaint? Have you been harassed in a library by a homeless person, or do you worry about sending your kids there?
1:42 PM ET | 04- 2-2007 | permalink





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