Libraries as homeless centers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The DC Library in Tenleytown has a whole homeless village out front and I've seen them go into the library as well... they must funk that place out !!! I'd recommend never using the bathroom there or touching any surfaces or sitting in any chairs... GROSS !!!

It's gotten really bad. It's making me annoyed with the homeless service stations in the hood to be honest. They draw the homeless I presume, then turf them to the library and Starbucks? Starbucks is disgusting there and in Friendship Heights, but Starbucks has the fear of saying no to anyone now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They're *public* libraries. They serve *the public*.

great

So the next time I need shelter, I'll visit my local library. I hope they provide snacks.

WTH answer is that?

It's a library, not a shelter.

So now librarians are supposed to turn into social workers and health techs?

We have a homeless problem, but using the library as a shelter ain't the answer, genius.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They're *public* libraries. They serve *the public*.

great

So the next time I need shelter, I'll visit my local library. I hope they provide snacks.

WTH answer is that?

It's a library, not a shelter.

So now librarians are supposed to turn into social workers and health techs?

We have a homeless problem, but using the library as a shelter ain't the answer, genius.

Nobody said it was.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The DC Library in Tenleytown has a whole homeless village out front and I've seen them go into the library as well... they must funk that place out !!! I'd recommend never using the bathroom there or touching any surfaces or sitting in any chairs... GROSS !!!

It's gotten really bad. It's making me annoyed with the homeless service stations in the hood to be honest. They draw the homeless I presume, then turf them to the library and Starbucks? Starbucks is disgusting there and in Friendship Heights, but Starbucks has the fear of saying no to anyone now.

The McDonalds at Tenleytown/Van Ness figured out years ago how to control loitering, with a light touch. They play classical music. Brilliant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Np. In jail you can’t get alcohol so it is a sort of rehab. Plus there is lots of counseling and group therapy in jail.

No, jail is not any sort of rehab.

Agreed. My sibling detoxed there, but didn’t receive any therapy to help him address his issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No disrespect to all the anonymous experts chiming in but I’m gonna go with what the American Library Association has to say about all this.

"Poor and/or Homeless Library Patrons"

People experiencing poverty or homelessness constitute a significant portion of users in many libraries today and this population provides libraries with an important opportunity to change lives. As the numbers of poor children, adults, and families in America rises, so does the urgent need for libraries to effectively respond to their needs.

Access to library and information resources, services, and technologies is essential for all people, especially the economically disadvantaged, who may experience isolation, discrimination and prejudice or barriers to education, employment, and housing.

http://www.ala.org/tools/atoz/poor-andor-homeless-library-patrons

American Library Association knows best.

I don’t think the librarians at my local library are pleased with nasty meth heads hanging around. Just sayin’

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The DC Library in Tenleytown has a whole homeless village out front and I've seen them go into the library as well... they must funk that place out !!! I'd recommend never using the bathroom there or touching any surfaces or sitting in any chairs... GROSS !!!

It's gotten really bad. It's making me annoyed with the homeless service stations in the hood to be honest. They draw the homeless I presume, then turf them to the library and Starbucks? Starbucks is disgusting there and in Friendship Heights, but Starbucks has the fear of saying no to anyone now.

The McDonalds at Tenleytown/Van Ness figured out years ago how to control loitering, with a light touch. They play classical music. Brilliant.

It's a great McDonald's and they actually have a ton of homeless. It bothers me less there as they clean non stop and it's big enough that you have seating options away that allow you to eat / be further away than in Starbucks or library. Classical music does annoy the teens who tend to grab and go.
Considering tenleytown has so many homeless in every venue I find the mayors "skin in the game" comment absurd. Has she ever been to the neighborhood?