Is it illegal for public libraries to ban homeless and drug addicts?

[Anonymous]

You can advocate for more day shelters in your community and/or for a housing first policy for homeless people.

[Anonymous]

Its a real problem, and its really not fair to library staff, who were educated to work in a library and often love what they do. My mom worked in an urban library and talked about how often and awful it was to have to deal with people who would view porn on the computers, use drugs, etc. All those who have no issue with this, or say its because they have no place else to go, are you advocating for the lobbies in your buildings to be open to the homeless? Those are safe warm spaces where homeless could hang out during the day. What about empty conference rooms at your offices - you could certainly invite homeless people to use those. Because unless you are taking steps to invite the homeless into your workplace, you are a hypocrite. Library employees have the right to a safe and orderly space where they can do the job they are paid to do, just like you do.

[Anonymous]

I usually go to the Central Library in Arlington on Saturdays to study. There are always a number of homeless people there but they're pretty quiet and don't bother anyone. No one seems to be hanging out in the bathrooms and they aren't locked. It doesn't bother me if my kids are around them. Occasionally, some of them smell quite bad and I expect that'll get worse in the summer. That's the only thing that bugs me and I simply move to a different seat, if I need to. I don't think they have many other places to go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Its a real problem, and its really not fair to library staff, who were educated to work in a library and often love what they do. My mom worked in an urban library and talked about how often and awful it was to have to deal with people who would view porn on the computers, use drugs, etc. All those who have no issue with this, or say its because they have no place else to go, are you advocating for the lobbies in your buildings to be open to the homeless? Those are safe warm spaces where homeless could hang out during the day. What about empty conference rooms at your offices - you could certainly invite homeless people to use those. Because unless you are taking steps to invite the homeless into your workplace, you are a hypocrite. Library employees have the right to a safe and orderly space where they can do the job they are paid to do, just like you do.

Agreed! Why in this country are we increasingly asking teachers and librarians to deal with the consequences of our failing mental health system? I'm guessing no one becomes a librarian to administer Naloxone or break up fights between homeless addicts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Its a real problem, and its really not fair to library staff, who were educated to work in a library and often love what they do. My mom worked in an urban library and talked about how often and awful it was to have to deal with people who would view porn on the computers, use drugs, etc. All those who have no issue with this, or say its because they have no place else to go, are you advocating for the lobbies in your buildings to be open to the homeless? Those are safe warm spaces where homeless could hang out during the day. What about empty conference rooms at your offices - you could certainly invite homeless people to use those. Because unless you are taking steps to invite the homeless into your workplace, you are a hypocrite. Library employees have the right to a safe and orderly space where they can do the job they are paid to do, just like you do.

I feel for the library staff and wonder why many cities do nothing to make sure the have a safe working environment. The city could pay to have more security or have the police randomly stop and walk around just so their presence is known. I drive 15 miles to a suburban library in order to take my kids to a safe library. I used to walk to the library after school and in the summer by myself or with a friend. Now there is no way Inwould let my 12 year old daughter walk to and enter our local library alone.

[Anonymous]

Another issue is that many are sexual predators. I remember when I was a teen, I had a homeless man try to grope me in the library and then a different man kept exposing himself to me and my 2 friends when we were working on a group project. Even now when i take my toddler to classes, there are creepers who watch the kids. These men have no children.

I don't like libraries providing internet at all. I think people take advantage of it and I think libraries should stick to books and research. If they want to keep providing computers and internet, they should request a library card number before allowing you on the computer. That way, the browser history could be more tracked too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another issue is that many are sexual predators. I remember when I was a teen, I had a homeless man try to grope me in the library and then a different man kept exposing himself to me and my 2 friends when we were working on a group project. Even now when i take my toddler to classes, there are creepers who watch the kids. These men have no children.

I don't like libraries providing internet at all. I think people take advantage of it and I think libraries should stick to books and research. If they want to keep providing computers and internet, they should request a library card number before allowing you on the computer. That way, the browser history could be more tracked too.

+1. Get rid of the computers which would solve half of the problem. If they need to use the computer for personal stuff (or looking up drugs and porn as I have witnessed at my local library) let them do that at the homeless shelter and not around kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another issue is that many are sexual predators. I remember when I was a teen, I had a homeless man try to grope me in the library and then a different man kept exposing himself to me and my 2 friends when we were working on a group project. Even now when i take my toddler to classes, there are creepers who watch the kids. These men have no children.

I don't like libraries providing internet at all. I think people take advantage of it and I think libraries should stick to books and research. If they want to keep providing computers and internet, they should request a library card number before allowing you on the computer. That way, the browser history could be more tracked too.

Most people these days do research on the internet. Probably you do too.

Also, have you ever signed up for a computer at the library? You need a library card, at least in my library system. Try it some time!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can advocate for more day shelters in your community and/or for a housing first policy for homeless people.

There are poor people and then there are mentally ill/drug addicts. The later requires an entire team of people to keep them clean and on their meds. Many of them don't even want to stay in provided housing when it is available. They have shown that they are unable to live independently and should be institutionalized.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another issue is that many are sexual predators. I remember when I was a teen, I had a homeless man try to grope me in the library and then a different man kept exposing himself to me and my 2 friends when we were working on a group project. Even now when i take my toddler to classes, there are creepers who watch the kids. These men have no children.

I don't like libraries providing internet at all. I think people take advantage of it and I think libraries should stick to books and research. If they want to keep providing computers and internet, they should request a library card number before allowing you on the computer. That way, the browser history could be more tracked too.

+1. Get rid of the computers which would solve half of the problem. If they need to use the computer for personal stuff (or looking up drugs and porn as I have witnessed at my local library) let them do that at the homeless shelter and not around kids.

Yeah, great idea. So then the kids with no computers at home couldn't do research on the computer. So then the unemployed person couldn't apply for jobs online, as is often the only way to do so. All so that the homeless person can't watch porn.

Please. This is a solution of fighting fire with napalm. Like PP said, you need a library card to login to the internet (which, of course, are fully available to everyone, and should be). At my library (inner city in a major US metro area), the computers are all in a very public place, some are reserved for children and teens, all have time limits. I've never seen anyone watching porn. And how do you "look up drugs?"

[Anonymous]

To my knowledge, the public is generally allowed in public places. Of the people, by the people, for the people etc etc etc.

[Anonymous]

I was once a library visiting person. Went at least twice a week. I quit going after I was rubbed up against in an urban library by a sex freak. He was arrested but let out the next day. No way will I go to another library. You see these people looking at porn, playing with themselves, smelling like feces. And since most, not all but most libraries refuse to filter their computers and choose those people over regular tax paying people, you're left with no choice but to quit visiting. Shameful the good have to suffer for the bad.

Small town libraries are the best. They try to keep their places clean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Its a real problem, and its really not fair to library staff, who were educated to work in a library and often love what they do. My mom worked in an urban library and talked about how often and awful it was to have to deal with people who would view porn on the computers, use drugs, etc. All those who have no issue with this, or say its because they have no place else to go, are you advocating for the lobbies in your buildings to be open to the homeless? Those are safe warm spaces where homeless could hang out during the day. What about empty conference rooms at your offices - you could certainly invite homeless people to use those. Because unless you are taking steps to invite the homeless into your workplace, you are a hypocrite. Library employees have the right to a safe and orderly space where they can do the job they are paid to do, just like you do.

Agreed! Why in this country are we increasingly asking teachers and librarians to deal with the consequences of our failing mental health system? I'm guessing no one becomes a librarian to administer Naloxone or break up fights between homeless addicts.

It was a dying profession 20 years go. Maybe librarians are reinventing the field and making themselves relevant again. I used to work as a part-time library assistant in a tiny library in a rich Boston suburb. We didn't have the homeless wondering in (too long a walk from Boston proper), but we did have shelter crowd brought in every week or so. Long story short, I buy my books

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Its a real problem, and its really not fair to library staff, who were educated to work in a library and often love what they do. My mom worked in an urban library and talked about how often and awful it was to have to deal with people who would view porn on the computers, use drugs, etc. All those who have no issue with this, or say its because they have no place else to go, are you advocating for the lobbies in your buildings to be open to the homeless? Those are safe warm spaces where homeless could hang out during the day. What about empty conference rooms at your offices - you could certainly invite homeless people to use those. Because unless you are taking steps to invite the homeless into your workplace, you are a hypocrite. Library employees have the right to a safe and orderly space where they can do the job they are paid to do, just like you do.

Agreed! Why in this country are we increasingly asking teachers and librarians to deal with the consequences of our failing mental health system? I'm guessing no one becomes a librarian to administer Naloxone or break up fights between homeless addicts.

It was a dying profession 20 years go. Maybe librarians are reinventing the field and making themselves relevant again. I used to work as a part-time library assistant in a tiny library in a rich Boston suburb. We didn't have the homeless wondering in (too long a walk from Boston proper), but we did have shelter crowd brought in every week or so. Long story short, I buy my books

Am I the only person who finds this reply ridiculous?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Its a real problem, and its really not fair to library staff, who were educated to work in a library and often love what they do. My mom worked in an urban library and talked about how often and awful it was to have to deal with people who would view porn on the computers, use drugs, etc. All those who have no issue with this, or say its because they have no place else to go, are you advocating for the lobbies in your buildings to be open to the homeless? Those are safe warm spaces where homeless could hang out during the day. What about empty conference rooms at your offices - you could certainly invite homeless people to use those. Because unless you are taking steps to invite the homeless into your workplace, you are a hypocrite. Library employees have the right to a safe and orderly space where they can do the job they are paid to do, just like you do.

Agreed! Why in this country are we increasingly asking teachers and librarians to deal with the consequences of our failing mental health system? I'm guessing no one becomes a librarian to administer Naloxone or break up fights between homeless addicts.

It was a dying profession 20 years go. Maybe librarians are reinventing the field and making themselves relevant again. I used to work as a part-time library assistant in a tiny library in a rich Boston suburb. We didn't have the homeless wondering in (too long a walk from Boston proper), but we did have shelter crowd brought in every week or so. Long story short, I buy my books

Am I the only person who finds this reply ridiculous?

What is ridiculous about it?